Remains of Mulberry harbors in Zeeland
The Netherlands

Intentional Inundation of Walcheren

Remains of Mulberry harbors in Zeeland

At the beginning of October 1944, the British Air Force bombed the sea dike at Ritthem in the Netherlands. The aim was to flood Walcheren and force away the German army.

  • Suitable for Explorers on Foot
  • Contains Practical Information
  • Contains Background Information

The dikes were repaired after the Second World War, and the land was pumped dry. To close the dike holes at Rammekens, east of Vlissingen, caissons were brought in from Normandy.

Normandy landings

These concrete caissons were initially intended to construct the Mulberry harbours (temporary portable harbours) after the Allied landing in Normandy in 1944.

The concrete caisson units were filled with stones, rubble and clay and then sunk to hold back the water. On the beach of Rammekens, two Beetles and a giant Phoenix caisson are buried in the sand.

Phoenix caisson

Of the sixty-meter-long and twenty-meter-wide Phoenix caissons, about twenty are still visible off the coast of Arromanches-les-Bains in France and one in Walcheren in the Netherlands.

Such parts of the Mulberry harbours were also reclaimed elsewhere in the Netherlands to strengthen dikes.

How To Get There?
Gain Access to all of the information!

  • Get access to all practical information to prepare your visit, for example addresses, GPS-coordinates and instructions how to legally visit this venue.
  • Discover this location on a detailed map.
  • Get instructions how to get there, together with extra info for walkers and bikers.
  • Discover more interesting places nearby.
  • Explore hundreds of other hidden landmarks on the interactive heritage map.
  • Download the Hidden Monuments 2024 travel guide with 10 hand-picked destinations off the beaten track across Europe.

Become a member only 49,90 euro / year

Already subscribed? Log In

Discover more

Find sites in
The Netherlands
or discover more
Military locations
Atlantikwall

Latest from the blog

Blast furnace
Six blast furnaces you can visit today

In the early nineteenth century, the industrial revolution swept across continental Europe and one steelworks after another rose from the ground. Europe had hundreds of blast furnaces, but since the mid-twentieth century, Europe's steel industry has been slowly going downhill.

All photos and stories are copyrighted. Of course, linking to articles on the site is possible and allowed.
If you would like to use photos or articles from this website, please contact bart@hiddenmonuments.com.
© 2003-2024 Hiddenmonuments.com