Arromaches

We stayed in Arromaches, a little town along the beach. Arromaches is home to an artificial harbor that was built in just 12 days back in 1944 (after the D-day invasion). The British took 17 old ships across the English Channel and sunk them, forming the first shelter. Then they hauled 115 gigantic cement blocks across and sunk them as well, creating a 4 mile long breakwater offshore. Finally, seven floating steel "pierheads" with extendable legs were set up and linked to shore by four mile-long floating roads made of concrete pontoons. This allowed 54,000 vehicles, 326,000 troops, and 110,000 tons of goods to be delivered inland - within its first 6 days of usage. Without this harbor the Allied troops would not have gotten their needed supplies. The remains of this artificial harbor are still there today.