Atlas of Battles

battle, landmark, interwar and Second World War

Battle of Dunkirk

Battle of Dunkirk was a battle fought on 26 May 1940 at Dunkirk, in what is now France. It was part of the Western Front, which ran from 1939 to 1945. The recorded result: See aftermath.

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British infantry taking cover at Dunkirk beach (France, 1940). Screenshot taken from the 1943 United States Army propaganda film Divide and Conquer (Why We Fight #3) directed by Frank Capra and partia
British infantry taking cover at Dunkirk beach (France, 1940). Screenshot taken from the 1943 United States Army propaganda film Divide and Conquer (Why We Fight #3) directed by Frank Capra and partia. Frank Capra (film), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Record

Date26 May 1940
PlaceDunkirk, France
51.048N, 2.381E
Part ofWestern Front (1939 to 1945)
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
ResultSee aftermath
BelligerentsUnited Kingdom; French Third Republic; Belgium; Netherlands
Battle of DunkirkBattle of DunkirkBattle of the DunesSiege of DunkirkSiege of DunkirkSiege of DunkirkSiege of DunkirkBattle of the DunesBrusselsThe HagueLilleRotterdamAntwerpenBrightonCharleroiBrugge100 km51.048N, 2.381E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1940

Battle of Dunkirk is one of 1,912 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 1,142 in present-day France.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q208529, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Dunkirk, revision 1385545408, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.