Elements of Mulberry Harbour are towed across the Channel
Mulberry Harbour under construction
Hospital Trucks transport wounded men along the harbour wall to the safety of a hopsital ship and Blighty
...To construct the artificial harbours, breakwaters were formed by partially sunken blockships and
concrete caissons. Closer to shore a long jetty was formed of Lobnitz Pierhead units connected to the
shore by floating pontoons known as “Whales”.
Around these completed elements which made up the artificial harbour, ships and smaller craft could come and go in large numbers in an area of approximately 2 square miles, equal to that of the harbour of Gibraltar.
On 19th June 1944 a fierce storm broke up most of the American Mulberry Harbour.Given urgent demand, structural elements were quickly removed to more valuably extend the British Mulberry at Arromanches
– nicknamed “Port Winston” by the troops.
The Mulberry Harbour was a resounding success. Once landings had been effected and a beachhead secured it was found that both main Ports of Cherbourg and Le Havre were so badly damaged that neither could be used effectively for at least 6 months. Remains of the harbour can still be seen today, 65 years later...
