Mulberry harbour the armoured vehicles would be able to operate on the beach or become bogged down. The final survey, Operation Bellpush Charlie, occurred on the night of 30-31 January but limited information was gathered due to fog and because German lookouts heard the craft. Further sorties were abandoned. On the afternoon of 6 June 1944 (D-Day) over 400 towed component parts (weighing approximately 1.5 million tons) set sail to create the two Mulberry harbours. It included all the blockships (codenamed Corncobs) to create the outer breakwater (Gooseberries) and 146 concrete caissons (Phoenixes). At Arromanches, the first Phoenix was sunk at dawn
The D-Day Story in D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. The embroidery took five years to complete and measures long. Film clips of veterans talking about their experiences give visitors further insight into what took place. The museum is run by Portsmouth Museum Services, a branch of Portsmouth City Council, and is supported by Portsmouth D-Day Museum Trust, a registered charity. The museum closed in March 2017 to undergo a £5 million refurbishment and allow for conservation work on exhibits. New exhibits include the "pencil that started the invasion" – the pencil used by Lt. Cdr. John Harmer to sign the order for