The 'Great Gale' hits Normandy

19th June 1944: The Allies are dealt a serious blow as one Mulberry Harbour is destroyed - and the munitions build-up is badly disrupted

The ‘Great Gale’ halted the unloading onto the beaches for several days and caused widespread damage to vessels in the harbour areas.

In building their 'Atlantic Wall' the Germans had anticipated that any landing on the continent of Europe would have to quickly capture a port. Only a full-sized port could sustain the level of supplies that an invasion force needed. So naturally the most concentrated Atlantic wall defences had been built around the ports of northern France and Belgium.

The Allies had neatly sidestepped this problem by taking the 'Mulberry harbours' with them. Two ports, one in the American sector and one in the British, were brought across the Channel. The fully functioning ports, capable of berthing large supply ships and providing direct road access along piers to the beaches, had been established on June 17th.

The Lobnitz sections or Stud piers off Omaha Beach on the 17th or 18th June.

Landing Ship Tanks could berth against them and unload directly

The unloading ramp at deck level.

The piers were ingeniously designed with two ramps - at both deck and sea level. This unique feature allowed vehicles to drive off and then move forward onto the floating roadways, facilitating a smooth and efficient unloading process.

One of the floating roadways in use off Omaha Beach. Another appears to be in the process of construction in the background.

The Mulberry harbours, a highly classified Allied innovation, remained a secret until D-Day. These harbours were specifically designed to handle the tidal range in the English Channel, and their deployment played a significant role in the success of the Allied invasion.

Then disaster struck on the 19th.