During the night of 17-18 June, a merchantman carried about 2,000 of the convoy's 27,000 troops and civilians. When a Ju 88 attacked, the ship manoeuvred clear of the bombs while soldiers fired Bren light machine guns into the aircraft's cockpit and brought it down. The ship's movement and the troops' fire worked together as an improvised defence during a vulnerable passage. The evacuees were active participants in the ship's survival, and infantry weapons could still contribute when stronger local air defence was unavailable.
Notable Point · 1:05:52-1:06:23
Evacuees use Bren guns against a Ju 88
Troops aboard a merchant ship used Bren guns to bring down an attacking Ju 88 during the evacuation.