Battle of the Canal
- 25-28 May
The Battle of the Canal, key to the success of Operation Dynamo
25/05/1940: allied troops along the Comines-Ypres Canal come under serious threat.
Three German divisions are about to exploit a gap in the British front, cutting the Allied troops’ retreat to Dunkirk. Stopping this progression is extremely urgent and essential. The old Comines-Ypres Canal will play a strategic role in this operation.
26/05/1940: the Germans are brought to a standstill. At dawn, the 13th and 143rd
Brigades take up a stand along the canal between Comines and Houthem under constant artillery and machine gun fire. Operation Dynamo, aimed at re-embarking British forces at Dunkirk, begins this same day.
27/05/1940: the noose tightens.
The first Germans set foot on the other side of the canal. But British troops counterattack, manage to avoid encirclement and repel the enemy onslaught.
28/05/1940: British retreat.
The British troops start to retreat as the German assaults intensify. They head for Dunkirk where they are to be evacuated to the homeland. But Comines-Warneton licks its wounds, with more than 700 soldiers and 30 civilians killed.
Visitor info
Date
- 25-28 May
Location
-
Esplanade du Canal
Rue de Warneton • 7780 Comines
Address and contact
Comité de la Bataille du Canal
- +32(0)56 55 80 81 ou +33(0)6 81 20 51 16
- f.maekelberg@gmail.com
