Arromanches-les-Bains is situated approximately 25 km northwest of Caen. Neighbouring towns include Port-en-Bessin and Courseulles-sur-Mer.
History
The town lies along the stretch of coastline designated as Gold Beach during the D-Day landings, one of the beaches used by British troops in the allied invasion. Arromanches was selected as one of the sites for two Mulberry Harbours built on the Normandy coast, the other one built further West at Utah Beach. Sections of the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches still remain today with huge concrete blocks sitting on the sand, and more can be seen further out at sea.
Today Arromanches is mainly a tourist town. Situated in a good location for visiting all of the battle sites and War Cemeteries, there is also a museum at Arromanches with information about Operation Overlord and in particular, the Mulberry harbours.
Although the Allies did not actually land in Arromanches on June 6th, 1944, the town was liberated that very day.
This seaside resort had been chosen by the Allies in 1944 as the location of an artificial harbour which would be used to keep the troops in Normandy supplied with equipment, weapons and ammunition.
The enigmatic shapes which rise out of the sea today, opposite Arromanches, are the actual remnants of Mulberry Harbour B, which helped to ensure the success of the Normandy Campaign and guaranteed Arromanches a place in the history books.
The first Phoenix arrived at Arromanches at dawn on 9 June and by 18 June 115 had been sunk in a huge 5-mile-long arc around the town, from Tracy in the west to Asnelles in the east.
After the storm, which lasted three days, there was no harbour left at OMAHA and a special camp had to be established on the beach to accommodate some 1,100 crew from the small vessels destroyed or blown on to the beach.
The Arromanches harbour fared better and survived, battered but serviceable, a thankful matter since there were over 150 craft in the harbour at the time.
Feeds |
Contact