Dunkirk Evacuation

The Dunkirk Evacuation happened during World War II, when the British army and some French units, trapped in a pocket north of the German breakthrough, fell back on the coastal city of Dunkirk. From there, they successfully defended a shrinking perimeter as hundreds of thousands of troops were able to evacuate across the English Channel to safety. For the effort, all sorts of ships were used, including civilian yachts.

Following the evacuation, Churchill sent more units to France, but by then the defense of France was hopeless and the units departed almost as soon as they landed.