Napoleonic Times

Napoleonic Invasion Plans

British Troop Preparations: 1802 A French engineer first proposed a tunnel under the English Channel at the Straits of Dover. Napoleon was interested, but the renewa1 of the war meant that the scheme was suspended.

1803 War was declared again and Napoleon was now Emperor of the French. The threat of invasion was now more serious for Britain than ever before, for this time the French controlled the coast facing us, from Denmark to the Spanish Border. By then Pitt was no longer P.M. and he took personal command as Lord Warden. He raised 3 Infantry Battalions - and Rye was in the 3rd Battalion, and became 1,2,and 3 of its 10 Companies.

1) 3rd Battalion Cinque Ports Volunteer Corps - re-formed in 1803-until 1806.

2) A Rye Battery of Artillery was also raised by Pitt in 1804 and probably lasted unti1 1814.

3) 3rd Battalion Cinque Ports Volunteers did not like being disbanded in 1806, and within 3 months they re-formed themselves and lasted unti1 1808.

Napoleonic Invasion Plan: Napoleon's plan

In 1803, Napoleon was building the largest flotilla ever seen. He planned to invade in the winter 1803/4 and had collected together 1000 vessels at Boulogne before December. He was building new ports or basins for the ships and forts to protect them. He intended to cross on a foggy night or after a storm when the British Navy was becalmed, when his troops could paddle quickly to England. 1500 barges full of troops were to leave Boulogne, Wissant, Ambleteuse and Etaples; 300 from Dunkirk, Calais and Gravelines; 300 from Niewport and Ostend; and 300 from Flushing with the Dutch Army.

There were to be three types of vessel:
1) Prams - large sailing vessels, over 100’ long, armed with 25 pounder guns and with 150 men.

2) Chaloupes - to escort them with howitzers.

3) Pinnaces - (most vessels), 60’ long, armed with a small howitzer and 55 men. All had specially designed landing bridges.

In total, artillery, supplies, 6000 horse and 120,000 veteran troops were planned to invade Britain.

The British Plan of Defence
The Dungeness Peninsula was vulnerable, The first British plan of defence was to flood the large area which was below the High Water Mark, by opening the 3 sluices in the Dymchurch Wall, Scots Float, East Guldeford and Pett Level, and to breach the walls along the Rivers Brede and Rother.
However no one would approve the plan, so, on 25 August 1803, the Duke of York suggested building a line of forts (Martello Towers) from Folkestone to Selsey.

Napoleon's Preparations
In the meantime, however, the French-controlled ports silted up as they were dug and although the craft and troops gradually assembled, they could only get out of the harbour a few at a time. They were constantly harassed by the British Navy and by bad weather.

By August 1804 Napoleon was ready, 3,000 vessels and 180,000 troops were assembled between Cherbourg and Ostend. Napoleon himself was in Boulogne on August 15th, and it became clear to him that he needed a sea battle first to get the Royal Navy out of the way. His Navy, under Villeneuve, sailed south instead of up the Channel.

The Royal Navy followed and, under Nelson, there was eventually a battle, which resulted in the British victory at Trafalgar in 1805. Napoleon was furious with Villeneuve and eventually turned his attentions to the east and attacked Austria.