<p class="chapo wysiwyg-labeur1">In 2011, the remains of the British artificial harbour were the subject of a complete survey by a team from the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO).</p><h2 class="titleBold">Documenting the remains of the Arromanches artificial harbour</h2><p>A team of <a href="/node/6633" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="1cd50298-aa9f-4b03-bb6b-1f5cdd10635c" data-entity-substitution="canonical">hydrographers</a> from the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-hydrographic-office">UKH…;), conducted a survey of the remains of the artificial harbour installed by the British off Arromanches. This operation, baptised the “Mulberry survey”, was led by hydrographer Chris Howlett over a period of two weeks in late September - early October 2011. <a href="/node/6642" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="0167a718-b755-44ce-a64b-c66885e5cb6f" data-entity-substitution="canonical"><em>Mulberry </em></a>A, intended for the Americans but destroyed by the storm of 19-21 June, had already been studied in 2001 by the <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/">NHHC</a> of the US Navy. <em>Mulberry </em>B had already been the subject of a survey by the French Naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (<a href="https://www.shom.fr">SHOM</a>), using a <a href="/node/6658" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="56a98046-409c-4a01-a998-db4b45dbcdb2" data-entity-substitution="canonical">side-scan sonar</a>, in 1993. The 2011 mission aimed to update this data and obtain higher quality images, by using both a <a href="/node/6659" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="d8fa3b9e-a330-4ff9-aaa7-fba20c2a0f8a" data-entity-substitution="canonical">multibeam echo sounder</a> and a 3D laser scanner.</p><h2 class="titleBold">Research results</h2><p>The operation was not able to conduct a complete survey of <em>Mulberry</em> B remains because data acquisition was impossible in the eastern portion of the artificial harbour, due to the presence of fishing gear. Elsewhere, the remains of the <a href="/node/6649" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="07cc8d0c-611a-41dd-b68b-19c9ca6b45a2" data-entity-substitution="canonical"><em>Phoenix</em></a> caissons, <a href="/node/6612" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="fe65cd10-a9f8-4f90-9882-98a05a23dac2" data-entity-substitution="canonical">blockships</a> and the interior elements of the artificial port were recorded. On the periphery of the harbour, the remains of the <a href="/node/6613" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="f3efc77f-7bf9-4bf4-868d-6328c545edc6" data-entity-substitution="canonical">Bombardons</a> were also observed. These floating steel breakwaters, 61 m long and cruciform in cross-section, had been installed to provide shelter for large ships whose <a href="/node/6662" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="5b9e6b85-07e6-4289-ae54-f69803d2110d" data-entity-substitution="canonical">draught</a> prevented them from entering the port. Moored on 13 June, the Bombardons sank during the storm on 19 June and were not replaced. The UKHO located a previously unknown Sherman tank northwest of Port-en-Bessin, as well as several sections of floating roads, between <em>Mulberry</em> B and Port-en-Bessin.</p>
