The Battle of Dunkirk

The German jugernaught trapped the British and French in the port of Dunkirk, the interesting fact was that the Germans could have easily destroyed the British and French in that port. Hitler ordered his forces to stop letting the British and French forces get away on the little ships, why? Hitler always respected the British army, Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf “Britain is a stabilizing force in Europe.” So he let the British and French forces off the hook (so to speak). If the Germans wanted to, they could have easily destroyed that entire force including the little ships.