roads, and our supporting artillery, which had no cover. The battle of Montcornet and Crécy-sur-Serre effectively destroyed the French Ninth Army. On 18 May the Ju 87s assisted in the defeat of the French 1st Arnoured Division outside St Quentin, and attacked troop trains in Soissons, which blocked the exits from Amiens. Their bombs also defeated a French tank attack at Laon. The gruppe joined II./StG 2 in the Cambrai area at Beaulieu. Both gruppen prepared for operations against the Channel ports from 22 May. Before turning to anti-shipping operations, the third group's notable contribution was the Battle of Arras, and the defeat of a British counterattack. I./StG 2 joined the attacks over Arras. The Royal Navy began Operation Dynamo to evacuate the British Army. All three gruppen supported the army in its drive to the Channel ports. StG 2 carried out attacks on shipping in the Battle of Boulogne, siege of Calais and then the Battle of Dunkirk. At Boulogne, the French Navy lost and crippled by Ju 87s. Both have been credited to I. and II./StG 2, the former was beached and finished by German artillery. In a major action, Dinort led 39 Ju 87s from gruppen I. and II in an attack on Admiral James Somerville's forces off Calais on 24 May. The 10th Panzer Division requested air support against Royal Navy warships bombarding their positions as the division fought its way into Calais. The light cruisers Arethusa, Galatea, and destroyers Grafton, Greyhound, Verity, Wessex, Wolfhound, Vimiera and Polish Navy destroyer Burza were subjected to an intense dive bombing attack. Wessex was sunk, Vimiera and Burza were damaged. The Ju 87s suffered no loss in their unopposed attacks. Six of the Wessex crew were killed and 15 wounded. The Stukas survived an attack from RAF Fighter Command fighters operating from England without loss. StG 77 and StG 2 were instrumental in eliminating Allied resistance in Calais. Operations turned to Dunkirk. On 27 May the troopship Côte d' Azur was sunk by StG 2, which also bombed the harbour with 500 and 1,000-pound bombs. KG 2 and KG 3 followed up the attacks. Their bombing runs destroyed the oil tanks and contributed to the inferno. Around 15,000 high explosive and 30,000 incendiary bombs were dropped on Dunkirk by 300 German aircraft. Ju 87s continued to take a heavy toll of shipping; StG 2 and 77 were operating over