Grand Forks daily herald. (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1914-1916, 1914-11-26
AN ATTEMPTED INVASION OF
ENGLAND.

mans to invade England after Selling
q suitable port on the English chan
mel recalls The elaborate preparations
made by Napoleon early in the last
century to achieve the same
1t was foilcd by England's control Of
the sea, tho factor on which she re-
lies today to protect her island en-
pirc.
At the close of 1873, ono of Ma
poleon's principal aims was to dis
tract Great Britain by the threat OF
invasion OF England across the chan
mel. Napoleon's ships were continual
~ being held In check by the superior
English fleet, but the invasion scheme
was vigorously pushed after the Bird
of March. 1901. Ilat-bottomcd boats
were gradually collected at Boulogne.
Two attempts to destroy them at an
Choir, though directed by Nelson him.
self. were repulsed on the 4th and
10th of August. But the invasion was
so fur little moro than a threat mado
for diplomatic purposes.
After the peace of Amiens had been
succeeded by open war on the 18th
Of May. 1903. the plan was again
taken up.
from that date till about the mid
die of August, 1906, q space OF some
two years and two months, the war
took the form of a most determined
attempt on the part Of Napoleon to
carry out an invasion Of Great Brit
/ ain. moi hy fhn rr1,ntcr -
tho British government. The scheme
OF invasion was based on the Boulogno
%hotilla, q device inherited from tho
old French royal government, through
the republic. Its object was to throw
a great army ashore on the coast be-
tween Dover and Hastings. The prep
aratlons were made on an unpre-
cedented scale. The republic had col
iected some two hundred and forty
vessels. Under the direction of Ma
poleon ten times as many were equip
ped. They were divided into: prames,
s~hip-rigged, OF 35 metres long and 8
wide, carrying IL guns; c%haloupes
cannoniercs. OF "a metres long and s
wide. carrying ! guns and brig-rigged;
bateaux cannonieres, OF 10 metres
long by 1.56 wide. carrying 2 guns,
and mere boats.
All were built to he rowcd. were
fat-bottomed. and If shallow draft so
as to be able to navigate close to the
shore, and TO take the ground without
hurt. They were built in France and
the Low Countries, in the coast towns
and the rivers-even in Paris-and
were collected gradually, shore bat
teries both fixed and mobile being
largely employed to owe the passage.
A vast sum Of money and tho labor
OF thousands of men were employed
to clear harbors for them. at and near
coast made l. impossible for the Brit
ish line%-of-battle ships. or ever large
fri9ates. to press the attack on them
home. Smaller vessels they were able
to beat off and so, in spite of the ac-
tivity of the British cruisers and Of
many sharp encounters. the concen-
tration was effected at B%oulogne,
where an army OF 10000 was en-
camped and was necessarily practised
in embsrking and disembarking.
Before the invasion was taken in
hand as a. serious policy, there had
been at least q. profession of a belief
that the f1otilla. could push across the
channel during a calm. Experience
soon showed that when the needful
allowance was made for the time re-
quired to bring them out OF harbor
1.-TWO tides) and for the influence
which the channel currents must have