June 2, 1940
[Channel Front — British Command, Dover]
The Admiralty was silent.Churchill said nothing. He stood by the window, a dead cigar between his fingers, watching the sea.What remained of the Royal Navy reported massive losses. Sunken ships. Beaches littered with bodies.The British Expeditionary Force no longer existed.
"They won't be coming back," a young officer said, breaking the silence."I know," Churchill replied, without turning around. "Now pray they don't cross."
[German Command Sector — outside Dunkirk]
The artillery Generalmajor stared at his map without satisfaction. The victory was complete… and yet brought no relief.
"We caught them," one of his officers said. "None escaped."
"Yes. But now there's no one left to offer terms to," the general answered. "Only corpses. Where's the politics in that?"
Total death wasn't diplomacy. It was a void. An uncomfortable silence. Berlin celebrated. But the soldiers in the mud knew better.
[Falk Ritter's Panzer IV — forward position]
The tank was still. For the first time in days, it wasn't moving.
Falk stared at the beach from the hatch. Through the smoke, helmets floated in the water. Abandoned rucksacks. Dogs picking between bodies.
"They never stopped fighting," Konrad said from below.
"No. They died standing," Falk replied.
Lukas said nothing. Ernst stared at the floor. No one felt hungry.
[French Command — Lille, Western Sector]
Colonel Moreau smashed the telephone against the wall. The line to London no longer answered. The last message had been clear:
"We're sorry. No more reinforcements. God save the King."
"They've abandoned us," said a pale captain.
"They've buried us," the colonel corrected.
On his map, a red line moved toward Paris. But his eyes were still on Dunkirk. Where their allies died… and they were left behind to die next.
[Reich Propaganda Ministry — Berlin]
The footage arrived quickly: British soldiers dead on the beach. Captured French officers. Civilians fleeing in panic.Goebbels was already preparing the speech. He would call it "The Punishment of Dunkirk."
"The world will understand who holds control," he said.
But in the eyes of the cameraman—who had been there on the coast—there was no triumph.Only the tremble of someone who had seen too much.