Air Power and the Evacuation of Dunkirk : The RAF and Luftwaffe during Operation Dynamo, 26 May – 4 June 1940

The evacuation of Dunkirk has been immortalised in books, prints and films, narrated as a story of an outnumbered, inexperienced RAF defeating the battle-hardened Luftwaffe and protecting the evacuation. This book revives the historiography by analysing the air operations during the evacuation. Raffal draws from German and English sources, many for the first time in the context of Operation DYNAMO, to argue that both sides suffered a defeat over Dunkirk. .
This work examines the resources and tactics of both sides during DYNAMO and challenges the traditional view that the Luftwaffe held the advantage. The success that the Luftwaffe achieved during DYNAMO, including halting daylight evacuations on 1 June, is evaluated and the supporting role of RAF Bomber and Coastal Command is explored in detail for the first time. Concluding that the RAF was not responsible for the Luftwaffe's failure to prevent the evacuation, Raffal demonstrates that the reasons
lay elsewhere.

“Harry Raffal's Air Power and the Evacuation of Dunkirk is a welcome addition to the overlooked role of the Royal Air Force over Dunkirk during the grim withdrawal of British troops from France in the Summer of 1940. This captivating and meticulously researched book is a first-rate contribution to the literature on the RAF.” —Alex M Spencer, Ph.D., Curator National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC, USA

“Through extensive research, Dr Raffal brings a wholly fresh perspective onto the seemingly well-known subject of the air battle over Dunkirk in 1940. This excellent book is highly original, very well organized, lucidly written, and underpinned by an impressive knowledge of the relevant archives.” —Dr David Omissi, Author of Air Power and Colonial Control: The Royal Air Force, 1919–1939, UK