Can Napoleon invade Britain via hot air balloon

idontlikesand

In the 19th century there was no such thing as anti aircraft weaponry. Napoleon actually had a balloon corps. What if he ordered the creation of supermassive hot air ballons that could carry hundreds or thousands of men at a time as well as ferry supplies over the channel.
 
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LSCatilina

LSCatilina

Even if there was material avaible (remember that the Air balloon corps was dismanteled, and the "refuel" became harder to get by the late 90's) giving the huge numbers involved : an army entierly dependent on wind, without any way to ensure the cohesion is going to fail comically.

Not to talk about, of course, problem of ravitailing the said army without sea control.
 

Darth_Kiryan

Invasion1805.jpg
 

AzureMagikz

Napoleon, though a military genius and very charismatic, inspiring leader, was an epic idiot when it came to things involving navies, ships, logistics, supplies, etc. He underestimated the Russian winter as well as the rough Spanish terrain. He also thought that his admirals were making up silly excuses about not being able to go places, when they talked about the winds and tides.

Thank goodness the French fleet was destroyed by the British. His plan was to send his massive force across the rough Channel waters on flatboats and other tiny "ships", as well as through a few air balloons. If the French were not defeated at sea and had the opportunity to strike, Napoleon's invasion force most certainly would have sunk in the ocean. Napoleon would be a joke today. So no, Napoleon had no realistic chance at transporting his massive force to England through hot air balloons. Unless he wanted to attack England as ghosts, it would have ended in disaster.
 

AzureMagikz

idontlikesand said:
why? As I said Britain has no anti aircraft defenses.
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The hot air balloons of this era had just been developed and were extremely heavily reliant upon the winds. The rough English Channel would have thrashed the French balloons about, and almost all of his men would either A. fall into the ocean, B. crash into England, or C. drift away from the destination.

To be fair though, the actual idea of Napoleon's troops landing in England via hot air balloons IS a pretty cool concept. Just imagine the Old Guard hopping off a balloon in London and screaming "Vive la France!" :p
 
LSCatilina

LSCatilina

Caffeinated Duck said:
Besides, wasn't creating the hydrogen for the balloons at the time incredibly costly and time consuming?
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Well, it was but French republican Army had a corps of balloons up to 1799 (while the decline began in 96), after the military use of these was discontinued. It was essentially a reckon thing, obviously.

Among other things, because quick tactical changes were favoured on battlefield, rather than more cautious but slower moves.
And that's why Napoléon would probably not use it, even disregarding the fact you can't frigging lead the move of such balloon safe vertically, because it's didn't fit his strategical conceptions.
 

Genghis Kawaii

Gone Fishin'
idontlikesand said:
What if he ordered the creation of supermassive hot air ballons that could carry hundreds or thousands of men at a time as well as ferry supplies over the channel.
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That would be literally impossible given the technology of the period. You are not going to lift hundreds of people in one gigantic hot air balloon. Where you going to get burners powerful enough to fill an envelope that can lift so many people? Do you have any idea how big the envelope would have to be? It takes a massive structure just to lift a handful of people. You would need a massive number of these things, too, if you want sufficient troops to overwhelm the British and fly in the humongous amount of supplies they need to be provided with. Not to mention that the first manned hot air balloon flight was in 1783. You don't go from the first prototypes to a supermassive version that can lift hundreds in a quarter century when we are talking about something so revolutionary as flight. We can't even do what you ask today. Not to mention that there isn't really a way to steer the thing across the channel.

Basically, this idea is never going to happen.
 

Not Henry G.

Even though it can't happen given the limitations of the period, the idea is just way too cool to ignore.
It makes me imagine Germans landing on England from Zeppelins during WWI.
 
Alcsentre Calanice

Alcsentre Calanice

Gone Fishin'
Not Henry G. said:
Even though it can't happen given the limitations of the period, the idea is just way too cool to ignore.
It makes me imagine Germans landing on England from Zeppelins during WWI.
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Or imagine France around 1860 building a fleet of airships and invading England with such engines:

1024px-GiffardAirship.JPG
 

AzureMagikz

Let's be honest with ourselves here.

ANY powerful European power (France in the 1700-1800s, Germany in the 1900s, even Spain in the 1500-1700s) invading the British Isles is cool. :p
 
Alcsentre Calanice

Alcsentre Calanice

Gone Fishin'
AzureMagikz said:
Let's be honest with ourselves here.

ANY powerful European power (France in the 1700-1800s, Germany in the 1900s, even Spain in the 1500-1700s) invading the British Isles is cool. :p
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And don't forget super Hitler using his Nazi UFOs (Reichsflugscheiben) designed by von Braun and commanded by Erwin Rommel.
 

pompejus

AzureMagikz said:
Let's be honest with ourselves here.

ANY powerful European power (France in the 1700-1800s, Germany in the 1900s, even Spain in the 1500-1700s) invading the British Isles is cool. :p
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The only one who succeeded were the Dutch and the British downplay it claiming they invited them over, so it doesn't count (probably because they are ashamed of losing an invasion by the Dutch).
 

Perfidious Albion

pompejus said:
The only one who succeeded were the Dutch and the British downplay it claiming they invited them over, so it doesn't count (probably because they are ashamed of losing an invasion by the Dutch).
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What can I say? As a nation, we have a weakness for conquerors called "William". :D
 
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