WWII D-DAY, Mulberry docks

I'm interested in data re. 'Mulberry docks/harbor' assembled in England and towed by tug across channel to Omaha beach. Many of these tugs were built in Buffalo NY...My late father worked in the local shipyards, and my mother christened one of these sea-going tugs. Some are still in service (private sector). I would appreciate hearing from anyone with knowledge of this operation. THANX,

Jay Diggins AKA Grumps

And they were unarmed.

The construction of the Mulberry Harbours, and LILO barriers, and block ships, and PLUTO,[pipe line under the ocean] for fuel and rocket grapnels, used by U.S.Forces near Omaha, at Pointe de Hoc. Pointe de Hoc is a sheer cliff, extremely high and steep, and should be seen by any body interested in D-DAY. When you see this cliff you will no doubt be amazed by the heroism displayed by THE RANGERS who had to climb it. and shown in the movie D-DAY the 6th of June. etc are described in the book called 'SECRET WEAPONS OF WORLD WAR II by Gerald Pawle. It also describes 'the potato thrower, parachute and cable weapons Hedgehog [an anti sub rocket barrage], Swiss roll [a floating roadway] Lilly islands [artificial islands for landing aircraft] grasshopper, alligator[amphib weapons] Plastic Armour, mountings for many assault rockets. This department was headed by CHARLES GOODEVE who came from my home city of Winnipeg. He had a crippled hand, that nearly prevented his serving in the ROYAL NAVY, but he stuck it out.

The American tug captains came in for much praise for the skill and bravery they showed in getting there mulberrys to Normandy.

The last publishing date that I have is 1972, so is probably hard to find

I don't have references but recent reading had that as part of the D-Day deception plan, the Mulberries were to be made known to the Germans as British flak towers, in the double-cross agents' reports, supported by the fact that they did have point-defence AA guns fitted on top. There was also a story that the British contractors building them were getting way behind and the Americans becoming so concerned that they told Churchill that Americans should take over so the things would be ready on time. Churchill supposedly met with the contractors with this and shamed them into speeding up the work based on this American 'threat' to national pride. There are so many fiction, faction, and non-fiction books now I'm losing track of what's real! Regards

One of the benefits of the 'double-cross' system to the Allies was that it gave them a good idea of what the Germans already knew. German instructions to their supposed agents were based on this knowledge. The Germans would not ask about things they weren't aware of.

Thus in the period leading up to D-Day, the Allies could be certain that the Germans knew nothing of the Mulberries. None of their 'agents' received a single inquiry on this subject.

I guess the Germans couldn't have been too impressed while they were still holding back the reserves, believing the Normandy invasion to be just a diversion in preparation of the real invasion.

The Mulberries didn't stand up very well in bad weather. The same supplies could probably have been brought in more easily by other means. Why would the Germans have been impressed? Historians in retrospect are not very impressed by the Mulberries' performance.

I have read (in Carlo D'Este's 'Decision in Normandy, I think) that following the storm that destroyed the Mulberry at the American beach head, the US offloaded as much or more supplies directly onto the beaches than the British achieved using their still-operating Mulberry. So it's postulated that the construction and use of the Mulberries *was* a waste of resources.

True story.

I was at Arromanche a couple of years ago, and nearby was a group of tourists being given a talk. The guide pointed to the concrete breakwaters and explained 'The Brits built these in the year preceeding the invasion'.

Slight pause, then a lady s aid in very clear tones: 'And the Germans didn't _notice_ them?'