As II Corps withdrew, the army tried to preserve its command network while formations moved toward several ports. A battalion could have half its men aboard one ship while individual companies embarked in others. A mined port could close and force everyone still ashore to move elsewhere. The naval lift saved personnel, but embarkation could scatter units and separate them from their staffs. Evacuation totals therefore reveal how many people escaped without showing how intact each formation remained on arrival.
Notable Point · 28:11-29:00
How evacuation fragmented army formations
Mined ports and companies boarding separate ships show how an organized army could fragment during a coastal withdrawal.