Updated May 27, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. The invasion of Dunkirk started on this day in 1940, during the early stages of World War II. Approximately 338,000 Allied troops were evacuated from Dunkirk, including more than 200,000 British soldiers, during the evacuation codenamed Operation Dynamo. Get This Happened straight to your inbox ✉️ each day! Sign up here. What was the invasion of Dunkirk?The invasion of Dunkirk was a military operation during World War II in which Allied troops were evacuated from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France, after being surrounded and cut off by German forces. W…