Return from Dunkirk

[Hobilar]

When the BEF returned to England after the Dunkirk evacuation there was one other little problem to be overcome-The Railwaymen were on strike over an overtime dispute. Thankfully reason prevailed and the Railwaymen went back to work, in an extraordinary effort to get the troops to their destinations.

[Hobilar]

The youngest veteran of Operation Dynamo was 14-year-old Albert Barnes from Dagenham, who was tea boy on a Thames tug. His boat, Sun XII, was called straight off a job and into action and only returned home 14 days later, having carried out a daring series of rescues.

Albert's mother, bursting with pride, showed off his socks to their neighbours. They were so stiff with dirt that they stood up on their own like a pair of wellingtons-but they'd seen action at Dunkirk.

[DDLDSDB]

It might have made things a bit easier if Adolf hadn't let them escape.

[temujin77]

Originally Posted by DDLDSDB

It might have made things a bit easier if Adolf hadn't let them escape.

What does that mean, exactly?

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by temujin77

What does that mean, exactly?

I was wondering the same thing. Easier for whom?

[Klaus]

What he means is, that it would have made the war easier for Hitler if he destroyed the british at dunkirk. If I'm not mistaken.

[Lancer44]

Originally Posted by Klaus

What he means is, that it would have made the war easier for Hitler if he destroyed the british at dunkirk. If I'm not mistaken.

Not really, Wehrmacht had no means for invasion in 1940. All things are purely crazy. If Luftwaffe could not achieve air superiority in October 40 what was the time for Sea Lion and German invasion?
Anyone familiar with weather in Europe will know, that Sea Lion in November 40 is a "dream of idiot" - impossible. Go to Ramsgate and look at Channel....

So, if all British soldiers which were evacuated at Dunkirk would end up in German Stalags... well... bad luck for Germans and Swiss Red Cross, which fed them.

We already know, that Sea Lion - German invasion of British Isles - was impossible.

The only real impact of Dunkirk "destruction of British EF" would be:

1. More American GI's would be needed to stage an invasion. And more GI's KIA in Normandy and after...
2, More kids born in UK after 1942 would be of American descent.
Hmm, perhaps more happy marriages....

Cheers,

Lancer44

[DDLDSDB]

I actually thought my post was a no brainer. But Klaus hit it on the head. That wasn't the last time England was kicked off the Continent either. England would have perhaps been finished. America would not have had a place to bomb places like Dresden and all those other civilian targets. And most likely England couldn't either. I guess Germany not being able to invade England (which I agree,at that time) puts to rest the 'threat' he posed to America also. As far as pow's, not Germanys bad luck. Hitler made a big mistake in trying to show England didn't want war with them.

[temujin77]

Originally Posted by DDLDSDB

I actually thought my post was a no brainer. But Klaus hit it on the head. That wasn't the last time England was kicked off the Continent either. England would have perhaps been finished. America would not have had a place to bomb places like Dresden and all those other civilian targets. And most likely England couldn't either. I guess Germany not being able to invade England (which I agree,at that time) puts to rest the 'threat' he posed to America also. As far as pow's, not Germanys bad luck. Hitler made a big mistake in trying to show England didn't want war with them.

It would've been a great morale booster for the Germans, but it would hardly have changed the course of the war. Even if the 200,000 men were completely wiped out at Dunkirk, Germany still had no means whatsoever to launch an effective cross-Channel invasion. Germany simply did not have enough transports to mount an effective initial landing to secure a beachhead for subsequent landings; did you know that they even considered towing river barges for Operation Sea Lion at the risk that some of them might not survive the journey (therefore possibly drowning the occupants)? If Germany could not threaten Britain with an invasion, then how would it actually change the course of the war?

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by DDLDSDB

I actually thought my post was a no brainer. But Klaus hit it on the head. That wasn't the last time England was kicked off the Continent either. England would have perhaps been finished. America would not have had a place to bomb places like Dresden and all those other civilian targets. And most likely England couldn't either. I guess Germany not being able to invade England (which I agree,at that time) puts to rest the 'threat' he posed to America also. As far as pow's, not Germanys bad luck. Hitler made a big mistake in trying to show England didn't want war with them.

OK, first, that's not quite how your post sounded, so please be a little more explanatory for those of us who cannot read other people's minds. In any online debate or discussion one needs to be sensitive to the fact that the basic aspects of verbal communication such as tone, facial expression, and body language are not present. A few extra words can prevent misunderstandings. I'm reminded of the telegram which said:

YOUR UNCLE DIED AND LEFT YOU A MILLION THANKS FOR EVERYTHING

PEACOCK & MORTIMOR ATTORNEYS AT LAW

Place a period after the word "million" and it means one thing, after "you" and it means something entirely different.

Second you are making contradictory arguments: first you say "...England would have perhaps been finished. America would not have had a place to bomb places like Dresden and all those other civilian targets. And most likely England couldn't either..." and then you say "...I guess Germany not being able to invade England (which I agree,at that time) puts to rest the 'threat' he posed to America also...". Either England would have been finished or it would not have been finished. No way was Britain going down without an invasion, even with the loss of 200,000, unless you believe that Churchill's government would have fallen and they'd have turned to a leader who would be willing to make peace. I do not think Churchill would have made peace regardless of the outcome at Dunkirk. He'd have still said "Go ahead and try, Adolf" and he'd still have had the RN and RAF.