The allied evacuations from Dunkirk in 1940 are often described as a miracle. After Germany's blitzkrieg swept through France and the Low Countries expectations for Operation Dynamo were dismally low, and yet over 338,000 allied soldiers were saved. So how did they do it?

In this episode of IWM Stories, Paul Cornish looks at the 3 things that made the Dunkirk evacuations such a success. From the weather to the harbour mole to the infamous German halt order, find out how the Allies snatched a small victory from the jaws of a disastrous defeat.

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Blitzkrieg tactics explained:    • Blitzkrieg tactics explained | How Hi...  

How the RAF won the Battle of Britain:    • How Hugh Dowding and the RAF won the ...  

What happened at Dunkirk: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-y...

7 photos from Dunkirk: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/7-phot...

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https://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/c/...

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0:00 Intro
0:52 German blitzkrieg
1:53 British expectations
2:40 The weather
3:28 The harbour mole
4:30 The German halt order
5:59 Soldiers experiences
7:30 The Dunkirk Spirit