That is the jib and bucket of an excavator known as a 'steam shovel'.
I would suggest that the crane is dual purpose and can be rigged for use as an excavator, by exchanging jibs and re-rigging the cables.
Yes, come to think of it, some of these vessels, the Vestmanrød included, may find themselves stuck even at high tide. And then digging a ditch beside their hull, may result in the sand underneath the hull when flooded will rush into the ditch and release the hull. I am sure that have read of cases where that have proved a success. There must have been lots of such considerations to be considered for Operation Overlord, btw.
The Vestmanrød first arrived in Seine Bay on June 7th, having left Spithead on D-day June 6th. http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/vestmanrod.html
Really interesting set of photos Stein well done, please can we have some more?
Operation Neptune, the naval Cross-Channel phase of Operation Overlord is a particular interest of mine. The Thames Lighters on the beach are not often seen in the photos yet did a tremendously varied number of duties. These look very much to be "Cafe's" or Kitchens.
Where these came from, a batch released by the Norwegian press agency NTB, there is a great number of photo's of the same situations that I have already posted pictures of. And there and elsewhere there is a great number of of uniformed sailors standing at attention for a very tiny figure in the photo, and likewise boring pictures. In the pictures from the Aker yard, from which I have recently posted a number of photo's, there are literally hundreds of pictures of the dignitaries present at the launches, the banquets afterwards, the speakers, the catering personnel, the food served etcetera. Something that interests me not at all. So further photo's of Operation Neptune will have to wait until I stumble upon a new batch with that theme.
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