<P> The first of the "little ships" arrived at Dunkirk on 28 May . The wide sand beaches meant that large vessels could not get anywhere near the shore, and even small craft had to stop about 100 yards (91 m) from the waterline and wait for the soldiers to wade out . In many cases, personnel would abandon their boat upon reaching a larger ship, and subsequent evacuees had to wait for boats to drift ashore with the tide before they could make use of them . In most areas on the beaches, soldiers queued up with their units and patiently awaited their turn to leave . But at times, panicky soldiers had to be warned off at gunpoint when they attempted to rush to the boats out of turn . In addition to ferrying out on boats, soldiers at De Panne and Bray - Dunes constructed improvised jetties by driving rows of abandoned vehicles onto the beach at low tide, anchoring them with sandbags, and connecting them with wooden walkways . </P> <Table> Troops landed from Dunkirk 27 May--4 June <Tr> <Th> Date </Th> <Th> Beaches </Th> <Th> Harbour </Th> <Th> Total </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 27 May </Th> <Td>--</Td> <Td> 7,669 </Td> <Td> 7,669 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 28 May </Th> <Td> 5,390 </Td> <Td> 11,874 </Td> <Td> 17,804 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 29 May </Th> <Td> 13,752 </Td> <Td> 33,558 </Td> <Td> 47,310 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 30 May </Th> <Td> 29,512 </Td> <Td> 24,311 </Td> <Td> 53,823 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 31 May </Th> <Td> 22,942 </Td> <Td> 45,072 </Td> <Td> 68,014 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 1 June </Th> <Td> 17,348 </Td> <Td> 47,081 </Td> <Td> 64,429 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 2 June </Th> <Td> 6,695 </Td> <Td> 19,561 </Td> <Td> 26,256 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 3 June </Th> <Td> 1,870 </Td> <Td> 24,876 </Td> <Td> 26,746 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 4 June </Th> <Td> 622 </Td> <Td> 25,553 </Td> <Td> 26,175 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Totals </Th> <Td> 98,671 </Td> <Td> 239,555 </Td> <Td> 338,226 </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Date </Th> <Th> Beaches </Th> <Th> Harbour </Th> <Th> Total </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 27 May </Th> <Td>--</Td> <Td> 7,669 </Td> <Td> 7,669 </Td> </Tr>

The evacuation of dunkirk in world war ii