Video information
Three hours of suffering, despair, heroic deeds, and chaos. The Sunday Times reports that in May 1940, Britain was on the brink of losing World War II. When the British forces in France were defeated and pushed to the coastal areas, Britain's fate hung in the balance for ten days. The British Expeditionary Force attempted to rescue the 400,000 troops surrounded in Dunkirk, which was one of the most significant maritime evacuation operations in history. When Hitler's army unexpectedly broke through from Belgium, the British Expeditionary Force found its retreat cut off and was surrounded by the numerically superior German forces. If Hitler had pursued his victory or if Britain's new Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, had listened to Lord Halifax and those who wanted to mediate, the war would have ended immediately. Instead, in one of the most glorious rescue operations in military history, Britain successfully evacuated 338,000 people in ten days. The program provides a unique perspective on Operation Dynamo and details the entire operation. Using real-life stories, archival footage, maps, and commentary, it faithfully recreates the heart-stirring story from the perspectives of the besieged soldiers, those sent to rescue them, and those who were not saved.