Dunkirk is an important but unusually famous example of what little ships could do. Civilian and small naval craft helped move soldiers from the beaches and increased the evacuation's carrying capacity. Their use also reduced the number of regular warships that had to enter the most exposed waters. That preserved naval strength for the evacuation's protection and for other operations continuing beyond Dunkirk. The passage frames small craft as force multipliers rather than as a picturesque substitute for the Navy.
Chapter · 40:48-42:04
Little ships expanded Dunkirk's evacuation capacity
The famous civilian craft at Dunkirk increased the number of troops that could be lifted from the beaches while limiting the exposure of scarce regular warships.