
Access to this video is a benefit for members through PBS Passport.
Back to Show
Watch Preview
NOVA
Great Escape at Dunkirk
Season 45
Episode 5
As France fell to the German armies in May 1940, 400,000 Allied troops were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk. Their annihilation seemed certain—a disaster that could have led to Britain’s surrender. But then, in a last-minute rescue, Royal Navy ships and a flotilla of tiny civilian boats evacuated hundreds of thousands of soldiers to safety across the Channel—the legendary “miracle of Dunkirk.”
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:21
Follow the epic journey of dog domestication and see what science says about dogs’ love.

1:52:46
Paleontologist Kirk Johnson explores the dynamic history—and future—of ice at the poles.

53:31
Discover the science behind Leonardo da Vinci's masterpieces—and Mona Lisa's iconic smile.

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:25
Can new engineering techniques help prevent deadly bridge collapses?

53:27
Amazing fossils reveal how mammals took over after an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs.

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:32
Discover why scientists and entrepreneurs alike have their sights set on the Moon again.

53:22
In the shadow of Vesuvius and Pompeii, a lesser-known volcano puts Naples at risk.

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:34
New technologies are promising a new renaissance in space travel.

53:23
New archeological evidence shows the stunning engineering of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:15
Journey to Kīlauea volcano to investigate the eruptions that shook Hawaiʻi in 2018.

53:51
Join scientists as they grab light from across the universe to prove quantum entanglement.