1940 France.

This is coolbert:

From Freeper the latest cinematic war epic "Dunkirk" not without critics.

"'We were at Dunkirk, too' say French furious at being written out of film epic"

"Around 30,000 French troops held back Nazi divisions near the city of Lille to protect their allies during the evacuation code-named Operation Dynamo. Renowned French film critic Jacques Mandelbaum called Nolan 'witheringly impolite' and slammed the director's 'deplorable indifference' towards his country's contribution to the epic evacuation. 'Where in the film are the 120,000 French soldiers who were also evacuated from Dunkirk?'"

If amphibious operations are rated as the most difficult of military missions [going from ships to shore] how much more difficult is a reverse amphibious mission and WHILE UNDER PRESSURE!

Also besides Dunkirk think Operation Ariel. A SECOND Dunkirk but even more successful!!

Ariel subsequent to Dunkirk. Men and material both from France to England, as little as possible left behind.

From the wiki that number of troops and civilians as evacuated during Ariel:

"Troops and civilians"

Nationality        Total
British            144,171
Polish              24,352
French            18,246
Czech              4,938
Belgian             163
Total              191,870
Civilian         30–40,000

See too this Pathe newsreel from the time of Ariel as reported to the English public:

"Second BEF Home Again 1940"

Reverse amphibious operations historically speaking only the military of England the United States have been able to accomplish with any degree of success.

NOBODY SAID WAR WAS EASY!!

coolbert.