‘Mulberrys’ were artificial harbours made up of concrete caissons (called Phoenix’s) and steel boxes, prefabricated on land. These were put together to create artificial ports to moor vessels alongside during the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day in June 1944.
Did You Know?
Mulberry Harbours were essential to quickly supply the Allied troops landing on the open beaches of Normandy on D-Day, ensuring ultimate victory in France. The harbour at Gold Beach, nicknamed ‘Port Winston’, enabled the landing of 4 million tonnes of vital supplies, 2.5 million soldiers and 500,000 vehicles!
Royal Engineers officer Brigadier Bruce White was asked by Winston Churchill in 1942 to develop a floating harbour that could be used for the invasion of France. Led by Major Allan Harry Beckett, the Mulberry Harbour design consisted of:
- Phoenix caissons – large flooded concrete boxes to form outer breakwaters
- Bombardons – floating breakwaters with large boxes made from steel
- Spud pierheads – floating docks where ships unloaded from
- Floating roadways – pontoon bridges connecting pierheads to the land
- Gooseberries – old, sunken ships used to form an inner breakwater
Did You Know?
A caisson is a watertight box-like structure used for deep water construction, serving as a foundation for bridges and piers. The Phoenix caissons were 60 m long, 18 m wide and 18 m tall, weighing 6,000 tonnes!
Recently unearthed photos show engineers constructing the Mulberry harbours, with design work starting in October 1943. All the components were constructed in total secrecy by 200,000 British engineers in just seven months. The harbours were built at yards and docks across the country, including Southampton, Mitcham, West India Docks and Hayling Island.
Two complete Mulberry Harbours were completed by April 1944, with many of the concrete Phoenix caissons made near Ferry Point, Hayling. They were assembled at Selsey, then towed across the channel to Normandy in sections.
The clever Mulberry Harbour design enabled successful installation of two large floating harbours at Arromanches in France, where remains can still be seen.
Did You Know?
Broken sections of a Mulberry harbour can still be seen at the entrance to Langstone Harbour and off the D-Day beach at Arromanches Normandy.
- See the unit from the car park at the end of Ferry Road, Hayling Island
- See the Mulberry Harbour construction photos – click here