Final answer:
Operation Dynamo refers to the emergency evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk, France in 1940, in which over 300,000 soldiers were rescued by a mix of military and civilian vessels during World War II.
Step-by-step explanation:
Operation Dynamo was the code name for the desperate and historic evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk, a French town, during World War II. In 1940, as German forces advanced into northern France, they effectively flanked the Allied position, creating a perilous situation for the British Expeditionary Force and their French allies. Nearly 400,000 men were trapped with their backs to the English Channel, and over 300,000 of them were eventually evacuated in an armada of military and civilian vessels in what became known as the Miracle of Dunkirk. This monumental effort, which saw small fishing boats alongside navy destroyers ferrying soldiers to safety, took place from late May to early June 1940 and allowed the British and French forces to avoid certain defeat at the hands of the Germans. Although it was a retreat, the evacuation was celebrated for its strategic success and the raising of morale among the Allied nations.