re: I'm sure you guys have already discussed Dunkirk ad nauseum, but DAMN

By the time of the scenes in the movie, it was day 3 of the evacuation. Around 75k had already been rescued. Those men remaining were lined up on over 2 miles of beach. Nolan was focusing on one area of men closest to the East Mole Jetty. Many other concentrations of men were extended up to 2 miles south of the jetty. I think his focus was on a particular time and place of the evacuation as opposed to the overall operation that lasted 7 days.

At the end of Operation Dynamo, the British had lost 6 destroyers and more than 240 other Marine vessels; almost 64,000 vehicles including 445 tanks and over 900 aircraft. The RAF and Hitler himself saved the Allies from complete defeat that would have ended the war then and there had the Army not successfully evacuated and lived to fight another day.

The RAF, while losing over 900 aircraft, were able to keep the Luftwaffe at bay enough for the plan to succeed. The Germans lost 432 planes by their own admission and probably more.

Hitler because he issued a halt order on May 24th that directed all German forces to suspend fighting for 3 days because the Panzer divisions were way out ahead of the supporting Infantry. He was afraid that the Allies forces might drive a wedge between the two. They thought they had time because a massive evacuation from Dunkirk seemed inconceivable to anyone in the German High Command.