#concreteships #cretegaff #creteboom #cretehawser #FCB #concretebarges #purtonhulks #cretejoist
In 1917, during some of the darkest days of World War I, The British Government commissioned the construction of 154 concrete ships - 24 powerful Steam Tugs and 130 barges, each of 1000 tons deadweight.
The War thankfully ended before the programme was complete, but still, 64 Crete Ships were launched and registered by the end of 1920.
9 other concrete ships of different design were also built in the UK in the same period.
This is the story of their Life & Times
Visit our new section, dedicated to World War II FCBs
After a further year of research, my aim is to provide accurate history and to dispel the urban myths that surround these feats of British wartime concrete engineering !
Just to put the record straight, right from the start, the closest the 16 Petrol Barges at Rainham Marshes got to France, was when someone threw a baguette at one in 1998.
I'll also dispel the myth that the World War II Ferro-Concrete Barges has anything whatsoever to do with the Mulberry Harbours.
The only thing that FCBs and Mulberry have in common are that they are made of concrete, they float and they were built in World War II.
#rainhammarshes #Concretebarges #UrbanMyth #neverwenttonormandy #nothingtodowithmulberry
A new section dedicated to the experimental ocean-going concrete ships of the USA
America's First seagoing concrete ship - S.S. Faith - built in San Francisco
S.S. Atlantus, the fabled concrete ship of Cape May, New Jersey.
S.S. Polias, built by ocean going concrete ship pioneer, Norwegian Nicolay Fougner