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jun 4, 1940 - Battle of Dunkirk Description: Partially successful evacuation of BEF from Dunkirk Added to timeline: As British and French troops withdrew to Dunkirk, 40 miles to the southeast French troops in two corps of the French First Army staged a ferocious defense against seven German divisions from May 28 to May 31, 1940, refusing to surrender and mounting several attempts to break out despite being heavily outnumbered (110,000 to 40,000). Northern Ireland played a part in key events like the Battle of the Atlantic, Battle of Britain and D-Day. The Battle of Dunkirk was a pivotal battle at Dunkirk during the Second World War, fought from late May to 4 June 1940. Known as the Battle of Britain this was to be a pivotal moment in the Second World War as with the failure to gain air superiority the Germans suffered their first major defeat and were unable to launch an invasion. The Battle of Dunkirk (French: Bataille de Dunkerque) (Also known as Operation Dynamo) was a major battle during World War II.It lasted from the 26 May until 4 June 1940. The following is a concise World War 2 timeline. What actually happened at Dunkirk? The Allied forces were split in two by a German armoured advance to the Channel coast at Calais.The British and French commanders had been taken by surprise at the speed of the advance. Many of those evacuated were from Northern Ireland. This timeline covers the period from 10th May 1940 to the 31st October 1940 and includes a number of Battle of Britain facts. The miracle at Dunkirk formed the backdrop of our partnership with Warner Bros. for the upcoming epic World War II action thriller, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. The Battle took place at the start of World War Two, when France, Belgium and the United Kingdom were fighting against Nazi Germany. Can be done individually, in pairs or as a group or class. A short timeline activity to facilitate learning on the Battle of Dunkirk. The troops waited, under merciless fire, to be taken off the beaches. Many historians say it was the battle that cost Germany the Second World War. The Battle of Dunkirk was a military operation that took place in Dunkirk (Dunkerque), France, during the Second World War.The battle was fought between the Allies and Nazi Germany.As part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation to Britain of British and other Allied forces in Europe from 26 May to 4 June 1940. By Will Dahlgreen BBC News. World War Two Timeline It was the unintended conclusion to Nazi Germany's Blitzkrieg ("lightning war") against the Allied nations in Western Europe, and proved to be the battle … Lasting six years and one day, the Second World War started on 1 September 1939 with Hitler's invasion of Poland and ended with the Japanese surrender on 2 September 1945. The Battle of Dunkirk began on the 26th May 1940 and ended on the 4th June 1940. A call went out to all owners of sea-worthy vessels to travel to Dunkirk to take the troops off the beaches of Dunkirk. The fact files in this timeline were commissioned by the BBC in June 2003 and September 2005. The Battle of Dunkirk was a pivotal battle at Dunkirk during the Second World War, fought from late May to 4 June 1940. The Timeline of the Battle of France or the Fall of France covers the period during World War II from the first military actions between Germany and France and to the armistice signed by France. For other timelines of specific events in the war, we recommend a timeline of D-Day, and a timeline of the emergence of Nazi Germany. Over nine days nearly 300,000 men from the BEF were evacuated from Dunkirk, an action that allowed Britain to stay in the war. The Battle of Dunkirk (French: Bataille de Dunkerque) was fought in Dunkirk (Dunkerque), France, during the Second World War, between the Allies and Nazi Germany.As the Allies were losing the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation to Britain of British and other Allied forces in Europe from 26 May to 4 June 1940.