Gooseberry 1 (Utah Beach)
Battle of Normandy
Goosberry 1 off Utah Beach
The “gooseberry 1” is in place off Utah Beach from June 11, 1944 but it undergoes German bombing throughout the duration of its installation. Because of the current, the ships of the ship drift southward: instead of forming two straight lines, they draw arcs in the sea. On June 13th, the bombardments are moored.
The German bombardments strongly influenced the establishment of the Blockships (also called Corn cobs).
List of 10 Blockships (also called Corn cobs) scuttled to form the gooseberry 1:
| Liberty Ship Benjamin Contee | Cargo USS West Honaker |
| Cargo Vitruvius | Liberty Ship Matt W. Ransom |
| Cargo David O. Saylor | Cargo West Nohno |
| Cargo West Cheswald | Pétrolier Victory Sword |
| Liberty Ship George S. Wasson | Cargo Willis A. Slater |
The ships used to form gooseberry 1 are continually targeted by German gunners because of their immobility. Thus, the Liberty Ships George S. Wasson and Benjamin Contee are bombed no less than thirty-two times from June 7 to 14. The Liberty Ship Matt W. Ransom is bombarded up to 10 times a day from June 7 to 15, and the West Honaker freighter is hit by two small rounds on June 8.
The Blockships are not without dangers for the Germans because the Allies leave gunsmen there several days after scuttling: the freighter Vitruvius and the tanker Victory Sword shoot down six enemy planes each on June 10th.
