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====The Maritime aspect of Dunkirk====
[[File: DUNKIRK1940.jpg|300px|left|thumbnail|British soldiers being evacuated from Dunkirk]]
Operation Dynamo sought to get as many troops off the beaches and back to England. In 1940, the British Royal Navy and merchant fleet were the biggest in the world. In the movie ,the German navy is not shown and this was the case. The German battle fleet, would not have stood a chance against the Royal Navyavoided battle. The bravery of the Royal Navy is very well-shown in the movie as well as their crucial role in the success of the evacuation. The film also correctly shows how the Royal Navy commandeered civilian ships for use in the operation to rescue the members of the British Expeditionary Force.
This was necessary because not even the powerful Royal Navy had enough suitable ships to land at Dunkirk. Most of the Royal Navy's ships were too large to approach the beaches. If they had tried, they would have run aground. This led them to commandeer every suitable private ship, these became known as the ‘Little Boats’ of Dunkirk. Many private individuals sailed to what was effectively a battle-zone. In the movie Mr Dawson, played by Mark Rylance is ordered to give his boat to the Royal Navy. He agrees to this request but only if he can sail it himself to Dunkirk. This was common during the operation at Dunkirk and a small armada of private boats, including yachts and fishing boats helped to evacuate many soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk and saved them from capture or possible death at the hands of the Germans.
