They Took a Harbour Across the Channel: Mulberry in 1944

Historical File: They Took a Harbour Across the Channel: Mulberry in 1944 Location: United Kingdom | Era: Archival History | Format: Documentary & Narrative Record

The Untold Story

The floating road bent with the sea. That flexible movement was not a failure. It was the core design of a secret wartime port.

In June 1944, Allied planners faced an immense strategic dilemma. Deep-draught supply ships could not safely approach an open shallow beach.

Every major French port was heavily fortified. Seizing a ready-made deep harbour during initial landings was impossible. An army risked starvation.

Winston Churchill issued an order in 1942. The piers must float up and down with the tide. Anchoring had to be mastered.

In 1943, competing prototypes underwent trials at Garlieston in Scotland. Its fierce tidal range matched the Normandy coast perfectly.

Allan Beckett designed the Whale roadway. His bridge spans twisted with the waves without snapping under stress.

Two ports were approved. Mulberry A went to Omaha Beach for the Americans. Mulberry B went to Gold Beach for the British.

To create calm water offshore, hollow Phoenix caissons were built. Heavy tugs towed these monoliths across the open Channel.

Crews opened sea valves on site. Water flooded internal chambers. The concrete boxes settled upright onto the ocean floor.

Older merchant ships and obsolete warships were scuttled end to end. These Gooseberry breakwaters tamed the rough Channel chop.

Calm water alone could not move cargo ashore. Engineers needed a continuous bridge from deep water directly to the beach.

Specialised Spud pierheads were deployed. Four vertical steel legs were dropped into the seabed to anchor each platform securely.

On 19 June 1944, a violent summer storm hit Normandy. Ferocious winds and towering waves battered both artificial harbours.

At Omaha Beach, Mulberry A took the full brunt. Pounding waves caused catastrophic structural collapse beyond repair.

American commanders abandoned Mulberry A. Undamaged sections were salvaged and sent to reinforce the British harbour at Gold Beach.

Mulberry B suffered heavy damage too. But its natural shelter and strengthened breakwaters kept the port alive.

At Gold Beach, Mulberry B operated for ten months. It delivered critical ammunition and vehicles through the autumn campaign.

Engineers showed a port could be towed across the sea. They changed the rules of amphibious warfare forever.

Historical Discussion

Could modern armies pull off a logistical gamble like Mulberry today, or has satellite surveillance ended surprise engineering?

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What the Record Shows

18 sourced claims in this story, resting on 7 sources. Numbers link to the bibliography below.

• Mulberry comprised prefabricated harbour components built in Britain and towed across the English Channel to Normandy in 1944. - sources: 1, 3
• The two practical harbour functions were shelter for unloading ships and piers with connections to carry cargo ashore. - sources: 1, 3
• The two practical harbour functions were shelter for unloading ships and piers with connections to carry cargo ashore. - sources: 1, 3
• Churchill’s directive of 30 May 1942 called for piers that could float with the tide and required the anchor problem to be mastered. - sources: 1, 2
• Competing portable-harbour designs underwent sea trials near Garlieston in Scotland in 1943. - sources: 4, 7
• Allan Beckett of the Royal Engineers designed the Whale floating roadway. - sources: 3, 4
• Mulberry A was installed at Omaha Beach for American use; Mulberry B was installed at Gold Beach at Arromanches for British and Canadian use. - sources: 3, 5
• Phoenix caissons were hollow concrete structures that could be floated to position and flooded to settle on the seabed as breakwaters. - sources: 1, 6
• Sunken blockships, concrete caissons and floating outer breakwaters were different parts of the harbour’s shelter system. - sources: 1, 2
• Sunken blockships, concrete caissons and floating outer breakwaters were different parts of the harbour’s shelter system. - sources: 1, 2
• The two practical harbour functions were shelter for unloading ships and piers with connections to carry cargo ashore. - sources: 1, 3
• Spud pierheads used legs resting on the seabed and could move vertically with the tide. - sources: 1, 5
• The June storm began on 19 June 1944 and affected the harbours for several days; Mulberry A was abandoned after severe damage while Mulberry B remained usable after repair. - sources: 1, 5
• The June storm began on 19 June 1944 and affected the harbours for several days; Mulberry A was abandoned after severe damage while Mulberry B remained usable after repair. - sources: 1, 5
• Usable material salvaged from Mulberry A was used to repair or reinforce Mulberry B. - sources: 1, 2
• Mulberry B continued operating beyond the initial summer period after repair and strengthening. - sources: 1, 2
• Mulberry B continued operating beyond the initial summer period after repair and strengthening. - sources: 1, 2
• Mulberry comprised prefabricated harbour components built in Britain and towed across the English Channel to Normandy in 1944. - sources: 1, 3

Verified Archival Sources & Bibliography

Every claim in this account has been fact-checked against primary archives and scholarly repositories:

1. S.H.A.E.F. G-4 Statistics Section: Report on Mulberry B (1944) (primary)
2. Zoe Jackson et al., The waves at the Mulberry Harbours (2017) (book)
3. Institution of Civil Engineers: Mulberry harbours (reference)
4. Historic Environment Scotland: Garlieston trials (reference)
5. Australian War Memorial: Mulberry harbour aerial record (reference)
6. Historic England: Mulberry Harbour Phoenix Caissons (reference)
7. Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Mulberry Harbour (reference)
8. Mulberry harbour — Wikipedia (reference)

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