photos from arromanches 2006

[Walt's Daughter]

Excellent. Thanks for posting those here. For those of you who don't know, I will share a bit of info on caissons.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caisson_(engineering)

 

 

Here's an excerpt from the link below:

 

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/documents/wwii/...g4-OL/g4-OL.htm

 

PART I: OUTLINE OF OPERATIONOVERLORD

TAB 2a: U.S. Artificial Harbor MULBERRY A

 

MULBERRY A is the code name for the United States project for the building of an artificial harbor. Plans call for the construction of this artificial harbor at a beach on the French coast "extending from L 0o 54' 15" W, to Oo 50' 30" W. The line of the beach runs 298° True. The towns of Vierville, St, Laurent-sur-Mer and Coleville are located in the rear of this area. (Port "MULBERRY'' - Information, p. 1.)

 

The object of MULBERRY A is to provide an all-weather harbor so that a minimum of 5,000 long tons of stores, plus 1,000 vehicles and equipment, may be discharged per day.

 

Since the approval of the Project, vast quantities of British civilian labor have been employed in the construction, and large numbers of Army and Navy personnel engaged in portions of the final assembly of the various units.

 

As the project now stands, 12 block ships of approximately 400 ft each in length will be sunk in a line on the east are of the beach forming a GOOSEBERRY or small sheltered anchorage. At the same time, the west breakwater, formed of 8 PHOENIXES in a line, will be sunk to form the beginning of the west side of MULBERRY. PHOENIXES are reinforced concrete caissons, the largest of which is 204 ft long, 60 ft high and 60 ft wide. The seaward side of MULBERRY will be formed by sinking 34 PHOENIXs in a line, which will complete the inner shelter of MULBERRY A. These gigantic structures have a draft of 19 ft. and have a total displacement of 6,000 tons. The PHOENIXs are built with scow ends and equipped with all necessary appurtenences [sic] for towing and valves for sinking.

 

48 BOMBARDONS, which are steel cruciform lilos, each 200 ft long, will be anchored to concrete blocks and located in two parallel lines about 800 ft apart to form a breakwater, 1,100 ft from the outer breakwater of PHOENIXES.