Dunkirk brought the E-boat threat into direct contact with the Royal Navy. On 29 May, S 30 sank the destroyer HMS Wakeful off Dunkirk, showing that a fast coastal craft armed with torpedoes could destroy a full-sized warship. The roughly 100-ton Schnellboot was then compared with Vospers under 50 tons and an 85-ton Fairmile B. This displacement gap explains why matching speed with another small craft could not answer every part of the threat.
Chapter · 22:30-24:07
Dunkirk reveals the E-boat challenge
At Dunkirk, the sinking of HMS Wakeful by S 30 made the Royal Navy confront a coastal attacker larger than many of its own fast boats.