Pluto - Pipe Lines Under The Ocean

[Timpo]

When I was an apprentice, I heard several stories about a pipeline that ran from Stanlow refinery in Ellesmere Port, South to link several other refineries and then down to near Fawley and then over to Cherbourg. The line was to convey petroleum products to fuel the allied forces and the drive East to Berlin.
One such story was of a leak in the pipeline at Helsby and a few people mopping up the fuel into barrels, to be sold on the black market.

Last time I was in Cherbourg I tried to find where PLUTO came ashore, but I failed to get even a sniff of evidence...... so, this year I'm going to try again.
I did manage to find some of Todt's concrete bunkers, one of which was in a supermarket car park, with many of the folk pasing not knowing of it's sinister past......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Pluto

It will give me another reason to visit Normandy, and i have plenty of time in June en-route back from the Portuguese Advrider rally.

If you have any clues or info to assist my guest, please link it on here.


Timpo.

 

[Timolgra]

I guess you've already read this mate, but it just says the beach at Cherbourg
http://www.combinedops.com/pluto.htm

 

[AberdeenAngus]

Saw a program about PLUTO on the tv a while ago. Can't remember where it came ashore either but the boy found some sections of surviving pipeline.
One of the big secrets of the war at the time, so i understand.

Good linky here

http://www.combinedops.com/pluto.htm

I believe all the saltwater sections were salvaged after the war as they were encased in lead. However, I think some of the land based sections are still visible.

 

[Timpo]

Tim, it seems the actual sites of pumphouses and depots are still difficult to find....... the scrap men soon moved in after the war was over, but the building may still be standing.
I did a job in Stanlow 20 years ago, and there were a bank on pumps on the Hill Site, these were rumored to be the transfer pumps for PLUTO.

T.

 

[Timpo]

http://www.combinedops.com/pluto.htm

Excellent link.....

 

[Timolgra]

Does this help?

 

[Timolgra]

And this, translated from French
http://translate.google.co.uk/trans...ox&rlz=1I7SUNC_en&biw=1257&bih=638&prmd=ivnsb

 

[stephen.stallebrass]

PLUTO took 41 days to get into position. A few weeks later its submerged couplings gave way and new line laid from Dungeness to Boulogne. (Hastings, Overlord… p.233)

It yielding 700 tons of fuel per day in January 1945. (Fergusson. The Watery Maze)

It was from the Isle of White to Querqueville, West of Cherbourg. Four lines were planned to deliver daily total of 2500 tons of fuel. (Doherty, Normandy 1944… p.48)

The battle of Normandy was over by the time PLUTO was operational. Prior to PLUTO fuel was off-loaded at Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes.

 

[digga]

http://www.combinedops.com/pluto.htm

Excellent link.....

What an idea .... some great reading on that site

I had heard the stories but never followed them up.

172 million gallons by the end of the hostilities .... thats some airmiles/nectar points

 

[Vern]

Are there not some serious pipelines that still run underground across country that were used during the war.I remember a few years ago,that was was outrage when someone sussed that they were still being used and no one knew about it.

 

[Piaf]

http://www.normandie44lamemoire.com/fichesvilles/portenbesin.html#

Scroll down to (9) it shows a monument to a pipeline at Port en Bessin located on the coast south east of Cherbourg.

It may be of interest to you if you have not seen it before.

 

[shugie]

Are there not some serious pipelines that still run underground across country that were used during the war.I remember a few years ago,that was was outrage when someone sussed that they were still being used and no one knew about it.

There are indeed, quite a few are still in use one way or another. Much fuss was made about it after the Buncefield bang, but the government pipleline seems to have gone mostly private now. Presumably the actual pipes have been repaired or replaced.

http://www.linewatch.co.uk/pipeline_network.php

 

[turbine_2]

I used to work with the company that dealt with the government piplines around the UK and wrote the code that generated the reports about what was shipped around them.

Interesting from an engineering perspective but all I can say is I'd never work with a government agency again if I could help it.

 

[Bury_Dave]

Are there not some serious pipelines that still run underground across country that were used during the war.I remember a few years ago,that was was outrage when someone sussed that they were still being used and no one knew about it.

I worked on aviation fuel piplelines that crossed East Anglia back in the 80's. As most of those bases are no longer used by the RAF, I imagine they were all purged and cleaned but the infrastructure still remains. As do many of the marker posts. The idea had been to make fuel supply not reliant on road / above ground delivery methods.

I also worked on some other very 'interesting' defence construction projects in those days. The Cold War was good for Construction back then. Paranoia drove everything and quality was king rather than cost.