1798 - Buonaparte's plan for invading England


 
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Naval History of Great Britain - Vol II
1798 Buonaparte's Plan for Invading England 111

were from 13 to 15 sail of the line in Brest water, the French commander-in-chief, who was still, we believe, M. Morard-de-Galles, made no attempt to put to sea. The principal cause of this inactivity may probably be traced to the existence of a plan of no inconsiderable magnitude, which, or the first part of it at least, was carrying on in another quarter, and the result whereof it was necessary for the Brest fleet to await. Whether the invasion of England by France, to be attempted some time in the year 1798, was really meditated, or was solely meant to divert the attention of England from the Egyptian campaign, the French historians themselves seem unable to decide. At all events, the greatest and most expensive preparations were made, ostensibly to carry into effect the first part of the plan. Before, however, we enter into any of the details, we will introduce a document tending to show that General Buonaparte endeavoured to persuade the directory to convert the sham into a real attack ; and surely none but a mind like his could have conceived a plan so vast and multifarious, and yet with such a unity of purpose, as the following letter discloses. It bears date on the 13th of April, 1798 ; and we here present such a translation, as we are enabled to give of it

" In our situation we ought to wage a sure war against England, and we can do so. Whether in peace or war, we should expend from forty to fifty millions (francs) in reorganizing our navy. Our army need not be of greater or of less strength, so long as the war obliges England to make immense preparations, that will ruin her finance, and destroy the commercial spirit, and absolutely change the habits and manners of her people. We should employ the whole summer in getting the Brest fleet ready for sea, in exercising the sailors in the road, and in completing the ships that are building at Rochefort, Lorient, and Brest. With a little activity in these operations, we may hope to have, by the month of September, 35 sail of the line in Brest, including the four or five which may then be ready at Lorient and Rochefort.

" We shall have by the end of the month, in the different ports of the Channel, nearly 200-gun-boats. These must be stationed at Cherbourg, Havre, Boulogne, Dunkerque, and Ostende, and the whole summer employed in inuring the soldiers to the sea. In continuing to allow to the commission for the coasts of the Channel 300,000 francs per décade, 'a period of 10 days,' we shall be enabled to build 200 gun-boats of larger dimensions, capable of carrying cavalry. We shall then have, in the month of September, 400 gun-boats at Boulogne, and 35 sail of the line at Brest. The Dutch can also have ready, in this interval, 12 sail of the line in the Texel.

" We have in the Mediterranean two descriptions of line-of-battle ships : 12 of French construction, which, between this and

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