The invasion of the United Kingdom was an unforeseen opportunity that Napoleon found himself orchestrating. With the French Navy poised to establish dominance in the English Channel, his chances of success were higher than ever before.
Taking a deliberate breath, Napoleon initiated the discussion. "Before delving into the specifics of our plan, there's a crucial prerequisite for the French Republic – we must secure absolute naval supremacy in the English Channel. Our Atlantic and Mediterranean Fleets are en route to this vital waterway. Their anticipated arrival is in four days. The role of our navy in this campaign cannot be overstated. They will engage the British English Channel Fleet, bolstered by our Spanish ally. Together, our combined force will comprise 160 ships, while the British opposition stands at 110."
In truth, the British fleet counted around 150 vessels. However, with the thawing of the Baltic Sea prompting the Russian Fleet's involvement on the side of the French, the British had allocated some of their ships to the British Baltic Fleet should they engage the Russian Baltic Fleet and North Sea Fleet.
General Bernadotte raised a pertinent question, his hand rising respectfully. "Why not await the arrival of the Russians in the English Channel and then launch a joint invasion of Great Britain?"
"Should we choose that path, we risk squandering the optimal timing for our invasion," Napoleon replied, shaking his head.
Curiosity etched across General Bernadotte's features. "Could you elaborate on that, Your Excellency?"
"It's simple, the winds," Napoleon revealed and flicked his fingers, prompting his Minister of War, Berthier, to hand him a document containing the records of prevailing wind directions. The paper rustled in his hands as he continued.
"Our success hinges not just on naval supremacy, but on the right wind conditions. Historically, northeasterly winds are prevalent in these waters during certain months, which would hinder our fleet's progress in entering the English Channel. We've been fortunate – the northeasterly winds have been relatively calm and infrequent lately, allowing our fleet to move freely.
But these conditions are fleeting. If we delay the Russian Fleet, the wind patterns may shift, and we could find ourselves stuck in the Channel, unable to cross, or worse, at the mercy of adverse winds that might even drive our ships aground.
Gentlemen, we have a narrow window of opportunity when the wind favors our movement. We must seize this moment and set our course before the wind patterns change.'"
The generals exchanged glances, understanding Napoleon's explanation.
'Okay, let's move on. Let's say our combined naval forces defeated the British English Channel Fleet. What now? Well, that's where the ships you saw in the harbor come in.'
Napoleon showed them the map of the English Channel and started tracing his fingers on it.
'We'll board those ships and get across the channel. The combined naval forces will protect us by crossing the Strait of Dover and land on this place called Romney Marsh where we would expect the British to wait for us. According to our intel reports, the British are building fortifications along its coasts, but we'll destroy those fortifications using the weapons that my Army used in Egypt. Howitzers. I'm sure you have seen one peculiar ship docked on the channel with no sails and has this circular structure on its side. That's a paddle steamer, and it's going to be a platform for our 155mm howitzer. They'll fire upon British fortifications, weakening them so that when we land, our troops have a better chance.'
He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the room. "Our objective is simple – establish a beachhead on British soil. Once that's done, we'll secure our foothold, and our main force will follow. We'll keep the momentum going, advancing slowly towards London, the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland."
Napoleon tapped the city of London repeatedly, emphasizing its importance of it.
"The Normans did it, and I believe we can do it too. After all, London is not just a city; it's the heart of British power. Capturing it would not only strike a severe blow to their morale but also disrupt their ability to coordinate a counteroffensive. Now, as for the ground campaign, I've outlined a basic strategy in these documents. Our main force will consist of ten corps, each corps will be led by you. Combined, we will have a total force of 270,000."
"What about the British? How many are they?" Murat inquired.
Napoleon checked one of the documents that showed a record of British forces. It took him a minute to find it, and the moment he did, he answered.
"The British have 50,000 regular troops stationed in England. Adding the militia, it'll be around 125,000 thousand troops."
"So we have a numerical advantage," Soult mumbled.
"It doesn't actually matter if the British outnumber us or not, the British won't stand a chance against our army. The reason? Well, we have experience. What of the British? Well, I don't know, against their civilians?"
When Napoleon said that, the tent erupted in laughter.
"We can laugh at the British Army but we couldn't laugh at their navy," Napoleon said, silencing his generals. "So, there you have it, everyone. I want every man serving under you to be prepared in four days. Should you have any questions, submit them to me in writing as I will be busy inspecting the ships that will carry us across the Channel. You can also reach out to my Minister of War, Berthier. That's all,"
Napoleon stood from his seat and excused himself.
Exiting the tent, Napoleon found himself bathed in the warm sunlight of the coastal morning. His gaze instinctively turned toward the bustling harbor in the distance. Their numbers were low at the moment but when the ships that are being constructed in the ports of Batavian Republic, it'll grow to about 3,000 ships of varying classes.
Stepping onto the harbor's pebbled path, Napoleon began striding purposefully toward the ships, particularly at the paddle steamer. As he moved, he spotted a figure waiting by the edge of the dock.
Jacques-No?l Sané, stood with a clipboard in hand, giving orders to the personnel working on the paddle steamer.
As Napoleon approached, the engineer snapped to attention and bowed his head.
"Your Excellency."
"Sané, I trust everything is in order?"
Sané's gaze held a hint of pride. "Absolutely, Your Excellency. In four days, you'll have fifteen paddle steamers armed with 155mm howitzer."
Napoleon nodded in satisfaction. The paddle steamer is the trump card of his invasion forces. No nation in this world would expect the French to use such a ship carrying a howitzer that defeated the Mamluks, Ottomans, and the Portuguese.
He already had a plan for modernizing the French Navy, he just hadn't put it into effect as they were in the middle of the war. But if it came into effect, it would bring about the birth of a modern warship.
It's one of his bucket lists in his life, to see a modern warship floating in the sea symbolizing the power of the French Empire.
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