Phoenix breakwaters Phoenix breakwaters The Phoenix breakwaters were a set of reinforced concrete caissons built as part of the artificial Mulberry harbours that were assembled as part of the follow-up to the Normandy landings during World War II. They were constructed by civil engineering contractors around the coast of Britain. They were collected at Dungeness and Selsey, and then towed by tugboats across the English Channel and sunk to form the Mulberry harbour breakwaters replacing the initial "Gooseberry" block ships. Further caisson were added in the autumn of 1944 to re-enforce the existing structure to cope with the harbour continuing in use
Sark during the German occupation of the Channel Islands Guernsey team was discovered and the baker was “interviewed” by the Wehrmacht Feldgendarmerie until unconscious, but did not reveal his accomplices. He received a sentence of six months in prison, later reduced on appeal to four months. He survived, but two of the GUNS team died in prison. The night of 5–6 June 1944 was full of engine noises as American planes carrying paratroopers passed overhead. People listened to their crystal sets next day for news. By 22 June Americans were on the French coast just away. Three recovered 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval guns were emplaced in Little Sark