The impact of New tech used in WWII Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The impact of New tech used in WWII - Essay Example Six days later, on May 20, the German forces reached the coast, ultimately cutting off the BEF along with a huge number of Allied troops. Knowing this, the Germans headed north to capture the Channel’s ports before the Allies could effectively evacuate. On May 24, Hitler strongly urged General von Rundstedt to continue on with the attack. Von Rundstedt held his army west and south of Dunkirk, using his infantry group to finish the BEF. This attack was assisted by intense support from the Luftwaffe, and the next day, General Lord Gort, the commander of the BEF decided to evacuate his troops from northern France. Given the designation ‘Operation Dynamo’, this evacuation began in the perimeter around the port at Dunkirk. Agreed upon by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Vice President Admiral Bertram Ramsay, they planned the evacuation effort. With strong urging from Ramsay, Operation Dynamo was to be implemented by a fleet of naval destroyers, merchant ships and s ome 700 other ships, which consisted of yachts, lifeboats, fishing vessels, anything that floated on water. Admiral Ramsay asked the public sector to help out in this rescue, and he was not disappointed. In many cases, civilians risked life and limb to cross the Channel and rescue troops. The original idea was for 45,000 men to be rescued in a two day span, because they already anticipated German advances would end the rescue operation. They abandoned nearly all of their heavy artillery, but over the course of those first two days over 25,000 men were rescued. The Royal Air Force did their best to keep the German’s Luftwaffe away from the Channel, which definitely helped. Operation Dynamo rescued over 332,000 men from Dunkirk, even in spite of a Luftwaffe attack during the evacuation process. Although the media played this out to be a â€Å"miracle of deliverance†, as Churchill referred to it, it is important to note that there were over 400 Luftwaffe pilots dropping b ombs at Dunkirk and causing heavy casualties. Although 332,000 men were saved, thousands lost their lives at the Battle of Dunkirk. In the Battle of Dunkirk, the hypothesis given can and does ring true in some instances. It is true that the Germans used new technology, in the form of their Panzers and the Luftwaffe, to gain control at Dunkirk. However, the Germans also used the aspect of attrition to their advantage, because they knew that they outnumbered the British troops, as well as were able to take full advantage of the lackadaisical feeling that had overcome the British troops over the months of phony war. Continuing in the theater of the given hypothesis, improved old technologies did become decisive for the British and French troops. The old technology was simple: call upon your fellow man, and he will answer your call. If it weren’t for Ramsay making that call to the British people to help in the rescue effort, chances are very good that they would not have rescued the numbers of men that they did. Using fishing boats and yachts for rescue, although that is not what they were built for, they answered the call anyway. The Battle of Dunkirk would likely not have been called a â€Å"miracle†, as many more men would have died. Another viable circumstance is that Hitler ordered his Panzers to stop, and leave Dunkirk to the Luftwaffe. This may have been a mistake on Hitler’s part, but it is a mistake the ended up saving thousands of lives. So, although it is slight, the