Arromanches
(Click on the image for a larger view)
Arromanches is remembered as a historic place of the Normandy D-Day landings in June 1944 and in particular as the place where a Mulberry harbour artificial port was installed. It was on the beach of Arromanches that immediately after D-Day, the Allies established an artificial temporary harbour to allow the unloading of heavy equipment without waiting for the conquest of deep water ports such as Le Havre or Cherbourg. This artificial port allowed the disembarkation of 9,000 tons of material per day and was one of the main reasons D-Day was successful.
The British built huge floating concrete caissons which, after being towed from England, then had to be assembled to form walls and piers forming and defining the artificial port called the Mulberry harbour. These comprised pontoons linked to the land by floating roadways.
Today sections of the Mulberry harbour still remain with huge concrete blocks sitting on the sand and more can be seen further out at sea.
English
French
Italian