Dunkirk the real story

In May, 1940, the Germans launched their attack against Holland and Belgium, and the small British Expeditionary Force was trapped in France, as the French forces had been defeated, and the Germans advanced rapidly in a pincer movement towards the British, who were pushed towards Dunkirk, the only port which was then left to them for evacuation. This was a dreadful defeat, and could have annihilated a great part of our men, but our defeat was turned into a miracle by the Lord. The position was extremely serious, and Mr. Churchill made a speech in the House of Commons in which he stressed the gravity of the situation. However, in those days we had a God-fearing King, and many Christian commanders of our forces, as well as godly religious leaders and politicians. The King called for a national day of prayer, such as those which had turned the tide of war in World War One. This took place on May 26th, the King having broadcast to the people to call them to prayer. Shortly afterwards 335,000 men were evacuated from Dunkirk, in spite of encirclement and aerial bombardment by the enemy. This event was miraculous in that the weather was exactly suited to the withdrawal as there were first storms, and then a flat calm in the Channel. These conditions did not favour the Germans. They were unable to bomb the troops who were making their way to the beaches of Dunkirk because of the dreadful weather conditions, which put a stop to flying activities, whilst the British soldiers were able to make their way by road. It has often been wondered why the Germans did not pursue the British to the coast, but Hitler overruled the wishes of his Generals, and would not proceed until infantry reinforcements had been brought up to the Dunkirk area, and he believed in his air superiority. It is known that Hitler relied heavily upon horoscopes and spiritism, but his prognosticators let him down in this instance, for they did not foresee that the weather conditions would ground the Luftwaffe. Once the British were in Dunkirk, a massive operation to take thern from the beaches was mounted; small boats and other craft, which would normally be quite unsuitable for a Channel crossing, were pressed into service to retrieve the men and ferry them back to the South Coast of England. In this they were aided by a calm and a fog which obscured them from the air attacks. Many are the individual miracles recounted of this time, and although many suffered and died, the majority were safely taken home to fight another day. One chaplain told that he had been lying in the sand dunes with 400 men, whilst they were machine gunned, and after the attack they found that there were no casualties. Another chaplain lay on the beach during the machine gun attack, and when it was over and he stood up, he realised that his body shape was outlined in the sand by bullets, whilst he himself was quite unharmed. The nation was not forgetful of its God after this, for there were services of thanksgiving throughout the country. The invasion planned by Hitler was postponed indefinitely. Instead, Hitler turned to the Luftwaffe again, ordering bombing raids on the big cities of Britain, and on London in particular.

www.ensignmessage.com...

Many have heard of the evacuation of dunkirk on the histroy channel and elsewhere, but the true story as aways left out. The true story of a nation that pryed for and recieved a miracle from God.

As indicated above the King of England called for a national "day of prayer" and the english answered by the thousands. And God answered. Placing storms in the way of hitlers air force and calming the english channel to where even small boats could sail to rescue those stranded.

"Lest we forget" indeed.......

Funny how in this long quoted text its also left out that the Germans had advanced so rapidly that supply lines where stretched and they decided that almost half a million men cornered in a small area where not to be trifled with?

Or the claim that French forces "had been defeated", when in fact the British themselves praised them for covering Dunkirk?

And of course the last part... Hitler did not order raids on cities because of Dunkirk, in fact he told the Luftwaffe to stay clear of them as to not provoce the British. The first bombing of London was a mistake.

WW2 is history, not religion. Was it a "miracle"? For sure. Could God have been involved? For sure to that too of you're the religious type, but it doesnt change history.

[edit on 16-1-2010 by merka]

reply to post by heliosprime


The reason Hitler ordered his air force and tank divisions to wait when he could easily of kill half a million men, was because he wanted to ally with Britain and it's empire, the storms were just as coincidence as the boats crossed simple as.

if a day of prayer was called 3 times at different points of the war and 3 seperate things happened then it's a pattern.

I think it's Sunday school time, as tomorrow is Sunday (I am new here, I am still learning the ropes ;p). So, let us prey (pun surely intended!)

Weather in the Channel changes so often and so violently that most everyday activities are prone to be postponed or canceled. Heck, even D-Day almost got delayed due to bad weather but the Allies went in anyway (and Thank God for that! ;>). So it is not a big miracle that right after days of bad weather conditions improved, it may be the timing that makes it so miraculous!

French troops allowed for the vast majority of the BEF to be evacuated with relatively few losses. In military logic terms, the French "bought" the British time to allow them to survive and fight yet another day. In the end, it was the smart thing to do as Britain was the launching ground for all major ops against Hitler, save the Russians.

there's a bit of an enigma though, why did the Germans sit and wait? Well, as the previous poster said, there were some problems. they were overstretched and their supply lines were almost non-existent. they faced fierce opposition by the French (Germans may have scored some surprisingly "easy" victories early on but they were NOT invincible and, like all others, they "bled" too). Hitler was overly superstitious and relied on "magics" and fortune-tellers and stuff like that. Finally there was another thing, something that makes British resistance and steadfastness even more great.

Hitler knew he couldn't "police" the world alone even if he could manage to capture it. He knew the German nation was not as experienced, albeit overly willing, in ruling vast populations of subordinates (in his case, subhumans) so he needed someone to cover that "role". He wanted to 'cooperate' with the British who knew how to control vast areas and populations with small numbers of their own (India had more than 300 million in the 30's and the British had there about 400,000 people, max!). He wanted the British beaten, so that they would follow him and "teach" him but he didn't want them destroyed, in fact if he had been more cautious and less greedy up until 1939 he could avoid fighting the British and deal with his "natural" enemy first, the USSR.

There is a BBC documentary that elaborates on this matter, it was released circa 2005. One mini-series is about Dunkirk and another, named "The road to war" discusses how Hitler ended up fighting the "wrong war" (against Britain, the nation he wanted to "ally" the most). I don't have links ready, I do own the DVDs though

Maybe some search in www.imdb.com can wield some results. Perhaps parts of this are on youtube also, I will look into it and get back to you

[edit on 16-1-2010 by Maegnas]

While the evacuation was a "nearly miraculous" event, still many man died there on the beaches. One other factor not mentioned was the personality of Hermann Goering who assured Hitler that the Luftwaffe could do the job of destroying the british as his panzer corps were by exhausted by then.
It's true that Hitler did want the British as partners, he felt the English were the closest relatives to the German peoples. He badly wanted peace with Britain so that he could destroy his real enemy; the Russians.

[edit on 16-1-2010 by Asktheanimals]

Found it!

The Wrong War - Part 1

Follow the parts, there's 5 of them.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


Goering was perhaps my "Favorite" Nazi, if that's something that makes sense. He was all for the booze, good food, hunting, women and playing with his aircrafts. Outside his duties as (what was he dubbed? Reichsmarshall?) he must have been quite fun to be around.

The Luftwaffe could surely wreak havoc at that point but it wouldn't be enough, to obliterate an army you NEED to move in with ground forces. Hitler didn't want the British destroyed at that point (in hindsight, he may have banged his head against the thickest wall for this decision but he made it and he had to live with it - and die by it ;>) so he held the bulk of the Luftwaffe back while the Panzers regrouped.

People will always die in wars, it's a "law" that cannot be broken

Originally posted by Maegnas
reply to post by Asktheanimals

 

People will always die in wars, it's a "law" that cannot be broken

Such pearls of wisdom from the truely blind.........

Does the term 'war" have any meaning?

I pity anyone who has a favorite 'nazi"......tells me a lot of how you think...

Here's a hint....Nazi's are the bad guys.....

Originally posted by heliosprime


Such pearls of wisdom from the truely blind.........

Does the term 'war" have any meaning?

I pity anyone who has a favorite 'nazi"......tells me a lot of how you think...

Here's a hint....Nazi's are the bad guys.....

According to a book I once read, we should not hate anyone, we should love our enemies. But then again, it must have been a silly book

"War" has substantial meaning if you are on the receiving end. If you wage war from afar, without seeing the blood, the death, the mayhem, the catastrophe you inflict then "war" truly has no meaning, it's a mere video game. So, go plan your next video game scenery, Mr Bush, and let God deal with little old blind me.

Pity noted and appreciated.

Originally posted by heliosprime
This was a dreadful defeat, and could have annihilated a great part of our men, but our defeat was turned into a miracle by the Lord.
Many have heard of the evacuation of dunkirk on the histroy channel and elsewhere, but the true story as aways left out. The true story of a nation that pryed for and recieved a miracle from God.

As indicated above the King of England called for a national "day of prayer" and the english answered by the thousands. And God answered. Placing storms in the way of hitlers air force and calming the english channel to where even small boats could sail to rescue those stranded.

"Lest we forget" indeed.......

Sigh....Some never give it it up, do they? Everything that happens is the "work of the Lord," whomever that is. So you are saying that if not for the direct intervention of the "Lord" that all of these soldiers would have been killed, is that what you are saying? There is no doubt in my mind that prayers work in some instances, but this is just too much to swallow friend. I don't suppose you have ever heard the story of how Dion Fortune and other Witches who gathered on the Salisbury Plain cast a High Magick spell to ward off a German invasion, which, BTW, never too place?

Dion Fortune
She respected and corresponded with Aleister Crowley, was responsible for Israel Regardie getting initiated into the Golden Dawn, and claimed to have been involved in what was known as the “Magical Battle of Britain” where occultists used magick to prevent a German invasion of England during WWII. It is known that Hitler intended to invade England, but for some reason (about which there is much speculation) he called it off.

www.llewellyn.com...
(Sorry, this is the only online reference, I have it in several books at home too.

The point I am attempting to make here is this:

God does not get involved in the affairs of mankind. Think about this, friend, if God intervened at Dunkirk for those men, then why, pray tell, did He let so many more men die in horrible ways later in the war? Human being were created and given Free Will, to do as we choose to do. Agreed? So, if these is the case, there cannot be a God sitting up there playing games with mankind, stirring up trouble, and saving a large group of soldiers from certain destruction. To have it both ways is a Christian Ideal, I take it of late, because I have certainly seen of lot of Double Standard going on in here by you people. God does this and that all the time, but! we still have free will all the time too. Time to awaken from your long sleep, Christians, the end is near, and you are charged with saving your own self. God didn't save those men, the American Army/Navy did.

Originally posted by Maegnas
So, go plan your next video game scenery, Mr Bush, and let God deal with little old blind me.

Pity noted and appreciated.

So you think I am a bush supporter?

I do take the idea as a deep offense.......bush was just a warm up for "baby doc obama"......

The "only" thing bush did right was declaring war on islam.......

Originally posted by autowrench
God does not get involved in the affairs of mankind. Think about this, friend, if God intervened at Dunkirk for those men, then why, pray tell, did He let so many more men die in horrible ways later in the war? Human being were created and given Free Will, to do as we choose to do. Agreed? So, if these is the case, there cannot be a God sitting up there playing games with mankind, stirring up trouble, and saving a large group of soldiers from certain destruction. To have it both ways is a Christian Ideal, I take it of late, because I have certainly seen of lot of Double Standard going on in here by you people. God does this and that all the time, but! we still have free will all the time too. Time to awaken from your long sleep, Christians, the end is near, and you are charged with saving your own self. God didn't save those men, the American Army/Navy did.

Again you confuse life on earth in this age as being 'special" and that somehow death is a horrible thing. God sent his SON to die a human death...what makes other human life so special?

What is important is HOW one lives human existance. In the service of God or man? Those who serve God awake from death to imortal life.

God has been "involved" in mankinds life everyday since he created us....

The american military did save the world from hitler as the devine sword in the hand of God. As a God "fearing" country and having God's blessings america's enemies fell before them...

England as a God fearing country 'at the time" had God's blessings to defeat evil......

reply to post by autowrench

God didn't save those men, the American Army/Navy did.

Are "those men" the ones in Dunkirk? If so, does the Admiralty know that it was the American Army/Navy that saved them? Because for the past 70 years they thought it was British Navy, merchant and fishing ships/boats that did the job, USA was not in the war for another 18 months (Dunkirk happened late May/early June 1940)

Originally posted by Maegnas
reply to post by autowrench

 

God didn't save those men, the American Army/Navy did.

Are "those men" the ones in Dunkirk? If so, does the Admiralty know that it was the American Army/Navy that saved them? Because for the past 70 years they thought it was British Navy, merchant and fishing ships/boats that did the job, USA was not in the war for another 18 months (Dunkirk happened late May/early June 1940)

typical....you miss his point about the WAR......and do some research into "lend lease" and wwII....perhaps even you may learn something...

Originally posted by heliosprime

So you think I am a bush supporter?

I do take the idea as a deep offense.......bush was just a warm up for "baby doc obama"......

The "only" thing bush did right was declaring war on islam.......

you are contradicting yourself mate!

You find supporting Bush to be offensive yet you are very quick to adopt the backbone of his policy, war on Islam.

I wonder what happened to "love thine enemy"? Got lost in all the politics maybe? In all the power struggle perhaps? (which brings to mind something else from that silly little book I mentioned earlier, "be humble")

I like the description of this video, sounds like it is worth watching

Arguably one of the most important documentary series ever made, The Nazis: A Warning from History sets out to show that, far from being a uniquely German aberration, Nazism fed upon and was fostered by the prejudices and lemming-like inclinations of ordinary people. Although culminating with the atrocities of the Holocaust, these programmes are equally good on the motives of otherwise perfectly normal people, who needed only the tacit encouragement of the regime to perpetrate horrors against their enemies, their neighbours, or their own family. When confronted with evidence of their Nazi past, elderly former party members are often unable to find any other justification for their actions than simply that they could get away with it. Far from being a monolithic dictatorship which compelled the citizenry to act in rigidly prescribed ways, the Nazi state just allowed people to give their worst inclinations free reign. Hitler, it turns out, was a profoundly lazy man who rarely got out of bed before midday, a

Originally posted by heliosprime

Originally posted by Maegnas
reply to post by autowrench

 

God didn't save those men, the American Army/Navy did.

Are "those men" the ones in Dunkirk? If so, does the Admiralty know that it was the American Army/Navy that saved them? Because for the past 70 years they thought it was British Navy, merchant and fishing ships/boats that did the job, USA was not in the war for another 18 months (Dunkirk happened late May/early June 1940)

typical....you miss his point about the WAR......and do some research into "lend lease" and wwII....perhaps even you may learn something...

I think you read what you want in my posts. I have made it bold for you to see it clearly!!
I was NOT talking about the whole course of the war, just Dunkirk.

Originally posted by Maegnas

I wonder what happened to "love thine enemy"? Got lost in all the politics maybe? In all the power struggle perhaps? (which brings to mind something else from that silly little book I mentioned earlier, "be humble")

Islam is antichrist and anti God. All will be given a chance to convert, even islam......doesnt mean I dont "love my enemy"....there are many who will be killed so they can be sent to be judged before God....

Every "suicide" bomber knows the truth. Don't confuse "love thy enemy" with not sending them to God....

reply to post by heliosprime


What's wrong with having favorite nazis? I have mine: Erwin Rommel. Was he an ARDENT nazi? No, but he was a party member. He was even in the plot to try to kill Hitler.
Things under Hitler went way out control, just like America did under Bush. I think there is room to look at and appreciate personalities regardless of whatever politcal parties they have happened to be members of. There's a lot to learn from people that we should hate in your opinion.
If the US hadn't taken in the Nazi scientists after WW2 we wouldve lost both the space race and the nuclear arms race to the Soviets. What kind of world would we have now if that had happened?
Had you been alive in Nazi germany during the 1930's and 40's what would you have been doing? I, for one,, cannot judge others by whatver political circumstances they find themselves under. Those are things we cannot know unless we find ourselves under similar circumstances.

Originally posted by Asktheanimals
reply to post by heliosprime

 

Had you been alive in Nazi germany during the 1930's and 40's what would you have been doing? I, for one,, cannot judge others by whatver political circumstances they find themselves under. Those are things we cannot know unless we find ourselves under similar circumstances.

yet another nazi appologist.............sad how very sad.....