Editing Dunkirk (section)

===Dunkirk in World War I===
Dunkirk's port was used extensively during the war by British forces who brought in dock workers from, among other places, Egypt and China.<ref name=Guerre/>

From 1915, the city experienced severe bombardment, including from the largest gun in the world in 1917, the German '[[Batterie Pommern|Lange Max]]'. On a regular basis, heavy shells weighing approximately 750&nbsp;kg (1700 lb) were fired from [[Koekelare]], about 45–50&nbsp;km (30 miles) away.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://langemaxmuseum.be/|title=Lange Max Museum|date=27 October 2023|website=Lange Max Museum}}</ref> The bombardment killed nearly 600 people and wounded another 1,100, both civilian and military, while 400 buildings were destroyed and 2,400 damaged. The city's population, which had been 39,000 in 1914, reduced to fewer than 15,000 in July 1916 and 7,000 in the autumn of 1917.<ref name=Guerre/>

In January 1916, a spy scare took place in Dunkirk. The writer [[Robert W. Service]], then a war correspondent for the ''[[Toronto Star]]'', was mistakenly arrested as a spy and narrowly avoided being executed out of hand.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert Service biography |url=http://www.robertwservice.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=4&page=2 |access-date=9 November 2018 |website=robertwservice.com |archive-date=12 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512194839/https://www.robertwservice.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=4&page=2 }}</ref> On 1 January 1918, the [[United States Navy]] established a [[naval air station]] to operate [[seaplane]]s. The base closed shortly after the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918]].<ref name="nan">{{Cite book |last=Van Wyen |first=Adrian O. |url=https://archive.org/details/navalaviationinw00wash |title=Naval Aviation in World War I |date=1969 |publisher=Chief of Naval Operations |location=Washington, D.C. |page=[https://archive.org/details/navalaviationinw00wash/page/60 60]}}</ref>

In October 1917, to mark the gallant behaviour of its inhabitants during the war, the City of Dunkirk was awarded the {{Lang|fr|[[Croix de Guerre]]}} and, in 1919, the [[Legion of Honour]] and the British [[Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Service Cross]].<ref name="Guerre">{{Cite web |title=La Grande Guerre (fr) |url=https://www.ville-dunkerque.fr/decouvrir-sortir-bouger/histoire-patrimoine/lhistoire-de-dunkerque/la-grande-guerre/ |access-date=9 November 2018 |website=Dunkerque & vous}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Traces of War |url=https://www.tracesofwar.com/awards/3/Distinguished-Service-Cross-DSC.htm?c=aw |access-date=8 November 2018 |website=TracesOfWar}}</ref> These decorations now appear in the city's coat of arms.<ref name="Arms">{{Cite web |title=Les Armoiries de la Ville (fr) |url=https://www.ville-dunkerque.fr/decouvrir-sortir-bouger/histoire-patrimoine/dunkerque-aujourdhui/les-armoiries-de-la-ville/ |access-date=9 November 2018 |website=Dunkerque & vous}}</ref>