Dunkirk

Discussion in '1940' started by handtohand22, Mar 18, 2006.

  1. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Do post the link to the video :)
     
  2. E McVeigh Family

    E McVeigh Family Junior Member

  3. Graham Humphreys

    Graham Humphreys New Member

    I've been doing some hefty research on this as I've only recently discovered one of my relatives dies at Dunkirk....here are some of the 'reasons why' the Germans did not press further than they did at the time.....

    1) My relative was in the Lancashires and was fighting a re-guard action from the 17th May all the back to the beach at La Penne....the gradual withdrawal was not so much due to overwhelming forces in front but to protect their flanks....when the BEF did counter-attack the enemy suffered significant losses because they were not heavy units...they were light, fast units. On or around the 21st/22nd May (from memory) the BEF counter-attacked and 'stalled' the enemy advance significantly to the extent the Luftwaffe was called in for the first time to bomb them.....and on the 29th May the same happened again, a counter attach near La Penne and the enemy withdrew and stayed away.
    2) To add to the above was the RAF bombing (albeit suicidal raids!!!!) - Blenheims, Beauforts, Albacors, Rocs - even Swordfish (yes Swordfish) were being used to target and bomb the enemy tanks - which were lightly armoured and these bombing raids were having an impact....IF an invasion was to be considered then they would require this armour.
    3) Entering Dunkirk.....too easy a target....the RAF were already having a significant impact on the Luftwaffe and should the German Army enter Dunkirk it would be a concentrated front susceptible to English Bombing (Wellingtons, Whitleys, Hampdens etc).
    4) German troops being surrounded.....yes there was a significant army on the beach at Dunkirk...but the BEF was not defeated, the allies were still fighting.....and to spend the resources on attacking one sector and being 'bogged' down using resources to gain a victory on principle causes casualties...the Luftwaffe already reeling from their losses to date (1000 aircraft losses in less than a month courtesy of Holland, Germany and France!) - the German military had intentions (Britain or Russia) - and needed a big army to secure this 'bigger' plan. When you consider a large portion of the French who were evacuated off the beaches at Dunkirk were shipped back over to France to continue the fight...!!!!!
    5) Casualties on the beach...fortunately not many of the bombs exploded on the Beach...they just sank into the soft sand without detonating. Low flying 'straffing' - this did take place but the enemy aircraft were susceptible to significant ground fire....as one of the Spitfires found out when the pilot attempted to crash land on the beach....not too many Soldiers had seen the 'new' Spitfire...not helped by the RAF chaging the design of the roundel on the side fuselage...!!!!

    ...so I hope that adds a little more fuel to some of the 'reasons why'.....
     
  4. Osborne2

    Osborne2 Well-Known Member

    Post 42. I have my doubts about the film stock being colour. I think some is enhanced and some of the film shows vehicles and scenes of later vintage. I stopped watching after five minutes, so you can criticize me for that, but I think I had seen enough.

    This is a common problem in my opinion with film editors pulling together stock shots to illustrate a soundtrack statement, and being unaware of the equipment they are showing, the year or nationality. Many Discovery/History Channel programmes have this problem and the BBC & UK productions have been guilty at times as well.

    Thank you for posting, but be wary.
     
  5. Incredibledisc

    Incredibledisc Well-Known Member

    I skimmed the first segment. No genuine colour footage to be seen. Old B&W film stock coloured in by computer. Most of the combat footage looks to be from a mush mash of eras.
     
  6. LondonNik

    LondonNik Senior Member

    Deleted
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2017
  7. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Not qualified to say how accurate this is, but I enjoyed listening to it:



    No real thesis, but a pleasant ramble thorough assorted facts.

    Old BBC documentary:
    The 1940 Dunkirk evacuation from the position of the French and Germans.

     
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2017

Share This Page