Dunkirk Collection

Torpedo Boat S 26 (Germany)

The lead ship of the S 26 - S 29 series that was replicated in the next Kriegsmarine torpedo boats until 1945. The German boats were distinguished by their large size and low silhouette. They had a long operational range and were intended for attacking superior enemy forces in the dark. Three diesel engines with a total capacity of 6,000 horsepower provided a maximum speed of up to 39 knots. S 26 was equipped with 533 mm torpedo tubes, 20 millimeter Rheinmetall C/30 automatic cannons, and two 7.92 millimeter MG 34 machine guns. The next German S 30 series boats had two 20 millimeter automatic guns.

S 26 entered service on 21 May 1940, when torpedo boats were raiding near Dunkirk. On the night of 31 May, she participated in successful attacks on the French destroyers Sirocco and Cyclone. On 19 August 1941, she was sunk by Soviet aircraft in the Danube's mouth.

M 18 L/31 210 mm Mortar (Germany)

The biggest heavy gun of the Wehrmacht field artillery that was adopted in 1939. It was produced by the Krupp firm until the end of the war. Capable of firing once every two minutes with high-explosive 113 kilogram shells that could be delivered over 18.7 kilometers, flying at a speed of 565 meters per second. The gun weighed 16.7 tons when loaded. The crew manually rotated the gun carriage, mounted on the base plates, through 360 degrees, providing all-around fire. Three M18 gun batteries formed independent batallions in corps and army artillery.

The mortars of the 782nd Motor Artillery Regiment of XIV Division located near Calais were acting to the west of Dunkirk, and the 785th Motor Artillery Regiment of XXVI Division near Nieuwpoort, to the east. The Wehrmacht's heavy gun fire made the Allied troops' evacuation very difficult.

Ju 87 B-2 Dive Bomber (Germany)

The most common — at the beginning of the war — modification of the famous dive bomber, with an increased horsepower of 1,200 and capable of carrying a 1,000 kg bomb. Its production started in 1939. In 1940, despite a small 600 kilometer operational range and low maximum speed of 326 kilometers per hour, this special-purpose close-air support aircraft proved itself to be a highly-effective "air artillery".

During the evacuation of Allied troops, 87 aircraft of the 2nd and 77th Dive Bomber Squadrons of the VIII Aviation Corps were flying above the English Channel. They carried out up to 12 raids on Dunkirk per day. The total number of sunk transport and warships — including 6 British and 3 French destroyers — was around 250. Fighters and anti-aircraft artillery in the port managed to destroy 11 Ju 87 bombers.

Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I Fighter (United Kingdom)

Two-seat fighter with 7.7 millimeter Browning machine guns in a rotating air gunner turret behind the pilot's cockpit. It was designed according to pre-war traditions, for destroying long-range bombers that were moving unescorted in close formation. Maneuvering engagements were not a task of Defiant. It was to cooperate with the classic Hurricane fighters, and had a similar look and characteristics: its takeoff weight was 3,900 kilograms; its engine power was 1,030 horsepower, and its maximum speed was 498 kilometers per hour.

Defiant Mk. I commenced operations in December 1939. In the battle of Dunkirk, 18 aircraft of the 264th Fighter Division were active. They were able to shoot down bombers, but they didn't stand a chance against the Me 109E, so most of the aircraft were destroyed.

Morris Commercial CDSW Artillery Tractor (United Kingdom)

The Multipurpose Morris CDSW tractor was a first-generation 1.5-ton British army truck. It was brought into service in 1935, had a 6x4 wheel arrangement, and a 3.5 liter engine with 60 horsepower.

In the late 1930s, the CDSW was replaced by more modern models. As an artillery tractor, the Morris CDSW was used by the British Expeditionary Force for transportation of 18-pound field guns and 40 millimeter Bofors automatic AA guns. Most vehicles were lost in France in the summer of 1940.

The Bofors 40mm QF Mk III Gun (United Kingdom)

Production of these guns, under the Swedish manufacturer's license, started in the middle of 1939. During the war, they were the basis of short range air defense of the British army. Weighing 2.5 tons, QF Mk III had a rate of fire of 80-90 rounds per minute, and a 1,200 meter height of engagement. It was loaded from quad shell magazines.

Near Dunkirk, from 28 May, the Bofors guns were the only defense of the 51st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment against the Luftwaffe. The Commander of the 2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade got the order wrong and gave directions to bring out of operation more than a hundred 94 millimeter AA guns and evacuate troops. In 1940, in France, the British Army lost 101 QF Mk III guns.

Aronia Motor Yacht (United Kingdom)

In 1929, the Aronia — a 65-meter steel yacht — was built in Copenhagen at the request of an English billionaire. The luxurious interior was just as refined as saloons on the transatlantic liner Normandie. Two diesel engines provided a speed of 30 knots. At the beginning of the war, Aronia was mobilized and participated in the Dunkirk evacuation. During the war, this high-speed vessel performed covert trips to Sweden to deliver strategic cargo: ball bearings that were essential for aircraft engines and tank production. In 1945 the yacht was returned to her owner and used as intended for a while. In the late 1950s, Winston Churchill cruised around the Mediterranean Sea aboard her.

John Cattling Trawler (United Kingdom)

Between 1916 and 1919, more than 500 dual-purpose steam vessels were built to standard trawler designs in England. During the First World War, they were involved in patrolling, countermining, and anti-submarine operations. In peacetime, they were disarmed and returned to private ownership. With the beginning of World War II, many of these trawlers were mobilized again, including John Cattling, which became a minesweeper due to her characteristics: 276 tons displacement, 30 meters long, 7.2 meters wide, with a top speed of 10 knots. On 29 May 1940, near the Dunkirk pierhead, the British destroyer Grenade was hit by two bombs. Flooding and on fire, she began to drift towards the harbor entrance, threatening to sink there and block it. John Cattling was able to take Grenade and pull her into the outer harbor where the destroyer later exploded. Cattling served as a minesweeper until the end of the war; she was then returned to her owners and remained in service until 1957.

Medway Queen Steamship (United Kingdom)

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35-feet Motorboat (United Kingdom)

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Thames Wherry (United Kingdom)

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Watson Class Salvage Tug (United Kingdom)

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Renault AGC-3 Ambulance (France)

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Bedford OYD Truck (United Kingdom)

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Peugeot DK5J Truck (France)

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Leyland Retriever Truck (United Kingdom)

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