How did the British escape from Dunkirk?

The allied evacuations from Dunkirk in 1940 are often described as a miracle. After Germany's blitzkrieg swept through France and the Low Countries expectations for Operation Dynamo were dismally low, and yet over 338,000 allied soldiers were saved. So how did they do it?

In this episode of IWM Stories, Paul Cornish looks at the 3 things that made the Dunkirk evacuations such a success. From the weather to the harbour mole to the infamous German halt order, find out how the Allies snatched a small victory from the jaws of a disastrous defeat.

Find Out More:

IWM London's new Second World War and Holocaust galleries are opening soon. Find our more and see how you can support: https://bit.ly/supportthegalleries

Blitzkrieg tactics explained:    • Blitzkrieg tactics explained | How Hi...  

How the RAF won the Battle of Britain:    • Why the RAF won the Battle of Britain  

What happened at Dunkirk: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-y...

7 photos from Dunkirk: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/7-phot...

Order and license the HD clips used in this video on IWM Film’s website:
https://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/c/...

Explore these stories with a visit to an IWM site: https://www.iwm.org.uk

Follow IWM on social media:
Twitter:   / i_w_m​  
Instagram:   / imperialwarmuseums  
Facebook:   / iwm.london  

0:00 Intro
0:52 German blitzkrieg
1:53 British expectations
2:40 The weather
3:28 The harbour mole
4:30 The German halt order
5:59 Soldiers experiences
7:30 The Dunkirk Spirit

#history #ww2 #dunkirk