Admiral William Milbourne James directed the first major evacuation attempts from the northern ports. Cherbourg embarked about 30,000 troops despite political delays over whether infantry as well as artillery could leave. Saint-Malo brought out 21,472 troops of the highly trained 1st Canadian Division, along with civilians, without ship damage or deaths in that local evacuation. The distance between the two ports left the assigned formations too far apart to support one another effectively. Aerial therefore worked as a series of separate port operations rather than one concentrated beachhead.
Chapter · 43:04-54:00
Cherbourg and Saint-Malo evacuations
Cherbourg offered favourable air geography, while Saint-Malo evacuated 21,472 Canadian troops without deaths or ship damage in that local operation.