Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, landmark, interwar and Second World War

Dunkirk evacuation

Dunkirk evacuation was a naval engagement fought on 4 June 1940 at English Channel, in what is now France. It was part of the Western Front, which ran from 1939 to 1945. The recorded result: Successful retreat.

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British troops escaping from Dunkirk in lifeboats (France, 1940). Screenshot taken from the 1943 United States Army propaganda film Divide and Conquer (Why We Fight #3) directed by Frank Capra and par
British troops escaping from Dunkirk in lifeboats (France, 1940). Screenshot taken from the 1943 United States Army propaganda film Divide and Conquer (Why We Fight #3) directed by Frank Capra and par. Frank Capra (film), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought4 June 1940
WhereEnglish Channel, France51.057N, 2.357E
OutcomeSuccessful retreat
BelligerentsUnited Kingdom; India; Belgium; Canada; France; French West Africa; Netherlands; PolandagainstNazi Germany
Part ofWestern Front1939 to 1945

Where it sits in the Western Front

Siege of Fort Hegra, 1940Battle of France, 1940German invasion of Belgium, 1940Battle of Maastricht, 1940Battle of Sedan, 1940Battle of Boulogne, 1940Battle of Dunkirk, 1940Battle of the Ypres-Comines Canal, 1940Siege of Lille, 1940Dunkirk evacuation, 1940Battle of Pont-de-l'Arche, 1940Battle of Lanzerath Ridge, 1944Operation Madelaine, 1944Battle of Moerbrugge, 1944Siege of Dunkirk, 1944Battle of Metz, 1944Battle of Opheusden, 1944Battle of Vianden, 1944Battle of Broekhuizen, 1944Losheim Gap, 1944Battle of Clervaux, 1944Siege of Bastogne, 1944Battle of St. Vith, 1944Operation Nordwind, 1944Operation Bodenplatte, 1945Battle of Bure, 1945Battle for the Kapelsche Veer, 1945Operation Blockbuster, 1945Battle of Würzburg, 1945Ruhr Pocket, 1945Battle of Hamburg, 194519401945Dunkirk evacuation, 1940
31 placed engagements of the Western Front in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date4 June 1940
to 4 June 1940
PlaceEnglish Channel, France
51.057N, 2.357E
KindNaval engagement, interwar and Second World War
Casualties and lossesAbout 2,000 troops killed during return voyages to England
Commanders
Dunkirk evacuationDunkirk evacuationRaid on DunkirkBattle of DunkirkBattle of the DunesSiege of DunkirkSiege of DunkirkRaid on DunkirkBrusselsThe HagueLilleRotterdamAntwerpenBrightonCharleroiBrugge100 km51.057N, 2.357E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 9 times between 1639 and 1944.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1940

Dunkirk evacuation is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 1,383 in present-day France.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q911972, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Dunkirk evacuation, revision 1382836101, 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.