Mulberry Harbor - Very Impressive!

[jimbeaux]

I watched a History Channel episode of the British designed portable harbors that were carted across the channel for D-Day. These were crucial to getting supplies on shore to support the liberation of Europe. The design was an absolute brilliant marvel! It withstood a record-breaking storm as well. Too many stories of this type of importance are overlooked in history because they we not directly related to battle. You guys should be very proud of such marvels of engineering, truly impressive.

[bmgm3]

Yep. Isn't a large part of it still there and intact ?

[FourWheelDrift]

Yes I think part of the habour is still there along with the ex RN WWI vintage Dreadnought battleship HMS Centurion which was cut down & dismantled then floated over and deliberately sunk to form part of the blockship defences for the habour works.

Then again so is a lot of the German defences.

[jmorgan]

Saw them for real during the 50th anniversary landing commemorations. Very impressive.

Lost the photo's.

[Jane Fletcher]

and then there was pluto. pipeline under the ocean.
people forget..............

[interloper]

Thats the problem only the sexy stuff, Spitfires, Mustangs, bouncing bombs etc get recognition all the little inovations and the more mundane stuff get over looked. Thats life!

[mikef]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Arromanches_Caissons.jpg

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=49.347496,-0.633988&spn=0.018469,0.030088&t=k&hl=en

[jimbeaux]

bmgm3 said:

Yep. Isn't a large part of it still there and intact ?

Yes the concrete(above water) and the battleship(sunken on purpose) are still there.

[rich 36]

difficult, to imagine a repeat of the innovation on that scale again somehow

[simpo two]

rich 36 said:

difficult, to imagine a repeat of the innovation on that scale again somehow

We wouldn't be able to do it again. First, our Army has about 100 people in it and the guns don't work very well. Secondly, if we ask the US for help I wouldn't blame them for telling us to bog off. Thirdly, if a French civilian was hurt, the war would have to be stopped while the EU Court of Thingy had an enquiry lasting three years and consuming a vast amount of lunch. If they didn't find in favour of the Frenchman, the UK Govt would fine the Army anyway.

Only in war, it seems, are we united. If there's no war we fight each other instead.

[rich 36]

Simpo, have you ben at the bitter&twisted pills again ?

Our Froggieconcordcrashingasylumseekerbuckpassing
chums,
would be falling over themselves to come to our aid in planting more trees, for the blockheads to parade beneath (should the tediously inevitable re-occur)

[simpo two]

rich 36 said:

Simpo, have you ben at the bitter&twisted pills again ?

Regrettably, all based on fact, merely extrapolated. No matter how cynical I try to be, reality usually wins in this recently bizarre upside-down world.

[jimbeaux]

simpo two said:

rich 36 said: difficult, to imagine a repeat of the innovation on that scale again somehow We wouldn't be able to do it again. First, our Army has about 100 people in it and the guns don't work very well. Secondly, if we ask the US for help I wouldn't blame them for telling us to bog off. Thirdly, if a French civilian was hurt, the war would have to be stopped while the EU Court of Thingy had an enquiry lasting three years and consuming a vast amount of lunch. If they didn't find in favour of the Frenchman, the UK Govt would fine the Army anyway. Only in war, it seems, are we united. If there's no war we fight each other instead.

I like your style....if you were a woman, I would kiss you! However, just buy yourself a beer on me

[rich 36]

Sadly I dont' drink

[rich 36]

Oh, does he mean you?

[simpo two]

rich 36 said:

Oh, does he mean you?

Good news: Simpo pulls!
Bad news: wrong sex!

Damn!

Cheers Jim, tally ho!

[foster3jd]

bmgm3 said:

Yep. Isn't a large part of it still there and intact ?

I was over in Arrowmanche, Normandy a few years ago and yes, large sections of the mulberry harbour where still intact and clearly visible above the water... absolutely awe inspiring!!!! Also, at the top of the cliff above the town is an old Sherman tank and the remains of a German gun emplacement. Later the same day, I visited Pegasus bridge... the glider landing area is unbelievably small, those pilots where remarkable!!!
I'm planning to go back over in the next year or so and to do a full trip of the historic landing sites and grave yards... plus head in-land to some of the battlefields and the remains of old Maginot Line.

Might as well visit Reims and the Nurburgring too, make the trip really worthwhile.

[wedg1e]

Yes, we're British, we invented engineering. Trouble is, we sold bits of it to the rest of the world, who are now ar53-raping us.
At least our engineering was made of quality metal...

[monkeyhanger]

wedg1e said:

Yes, we're British, we invented engineering. Trouble is, we sold bits of it to the rest of the world, who are now ar53-raping us. At least our engineering was made of quality metal...

Apart from assorted fighter planes which were made largely from wood

[planetdave]

Or concrete