Battle of Dunkirk
1940 important battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Battle of Dunkirk (French: Bataille de Dunkerque) (Also known as Operation Dynamo) was a major battle during World War II. It lasted from the 26 May until 4 June 1940. The Allied forces were split in two by a German armoured advance to the Channel coast at Calais. The British and French commanders had been taken by surprise at the speed of the advance. The northern part of the army was surrounded In Dunkirk, France, a port on the English Channel. There they made a perimeter and waited for an evacuation.
Battle of Dunkirk | |||||||
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Part of The Second World War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
approx. 400,000 338,226 evacuated[1] | approx. 800,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
30,000 killed or wounded 34,000 missing or captured 6 destroyers and over 200 smaller vessels 106 aircraft |
52,252 killed or wounded 8,467 missing or captured 101—240 aircraft |
The majority of British troops were able to escape. Approximately half as many French troops also escaped. About 40,000 troops, mostly French, had to stay behind to keep the Germans away during the evacuation. Many of the evacuated French troops landed elsewhere and continued the Battle of France.