Battle of Dunkirk

With the British Expeditionary Force and French troops trapped against the sea by the rapid German advance, Operation Dynamo launched a desperate evacuation from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk. A remarkable armada of over 800 vessels—including hundreds of civilian fishing boats, pleasure craft, and yachts—crossed the English Channel to rescue 338,226 Allied soldiers. Though a military defeat, the 'Miracle of Dunkirk' preserved the core of the British Army to fight another day and became a defining moment of British resilience.