If you try to imagine, the amount of fuel oil and petroleum products that were needed to keep the Invading Allied Army of Normandy supplied, you will soon realise the logistics of transporting it from the U.K. to France.
A navy consisting of several hundred oil tankers would be needed, along with a major terminal to land the product.
It was decided that it was too impractical to do this, so therefore the ambitious plan of piping it over, via. submerged pipelines, that would lie on the sea bed, from England to France was instigated.

There was a major concern that the retreating German Army would poison the water supply!
So pipelines carrying fresh water would also be manufactured and submerged in the same way.

                   With Credit to the German forces, the water supply was NOT poisoned and the water
                                                            from the U.K. was not required...             

It was decided there would be two different designs of flexible pipe, in case of one design failing.
The first design was based on the same production techniques of making sub-marine electricity cable.
Lead piping formed the core of the pipe and it was given an armoured casing.
It was produced in lengths and bolted together with sealed flanges.

The second type was made from 2 inch diameter steel piping with a ¼" wall, made in ¾ mile lengths and welded together, forming a pipe up to 70 miles long!

The "Top Secret" plan, that was PLUTO, was to run four pipelines, (two of each design), from the Isle of Wight to Cherbourg.
Special pumping stations were built on the Isle of Wight for the water and fuel distribution.
These were so secret, even the islanders new nothing of them. The pumping stations were built inside disused buildings, such as a hotel, an ice cream parlour and a holiday camp.
This project was called "OPERATION BAMBI"

The cleverly disguised Pumping Stations, that were used on the Isle of Wight.
Original disused buildings, so no-one suspected anything.
Not even the islanders themselves!

Continued…...