Guys
As well as the problems of defeating the RN at least for a short period there is the small factor of getting an army across the channel and then supplying it.
The barges Napoleon was planning to use in 1805 were very fragile. There is a notorious incident earlier in the year when a demonstration was ordered. As a small swell was running the naval officer in charge tried to persuade Napoleon to cancel it, only to get sacked. His subordinate carried on with the landing and most of the unit involved were killed.
Even if Napoleon gets a period of control of the channel he's likely to lose a hell of a lot of the invasion force simply by sinking. If even a relatively small storm comes up things will be very bad. Get a few 32 gun frigates into the force and it would be a slaughter.
This could actually be the best way of bringing a quick and fairly bloodless end to the Napoleonic wars. If for some reason he thinks he has the RN out of the way and orders the invasion then a lot are going to be lost at sea. A force may reach Britain but if the navy is able to intervene at all it will be a small and highly disordered remnant landing where they can. With the core of his veterans dead and the rest isolated in Kent and also probably Napoleon sharing their fate the wheels could come off the empire very quickly.
That would set a hell of a lot of butterflies free of course.
Steve
As well as the problems of defeating the RN at least for a short period there is the small factor of getting an army across the channel and then supplying it.
The barges Napoleon was planning to use in 1805 were very fragile. There is a notorious incident earlier in the year when a demonstration was ordered. As a small swell was running the naval officer in charge tried to persuade Napoleon to cancel it, only to get sacked. His subordinate carried on with the landing and most of the unit involved were killed.
Even if Napoleon gets a period of control of the channel he's likely to lose a hell of a lot of the invasion force simply by sinking. If even a relatively small storm comes up things will be very bad. Get a few 32 gun frigates into the force and it would be a slaughter.
This could actually be the best way of bringing a quick and fairly bloodless end to the Napoleonic wars. If for some reason he thinks he has the RN out of the way and orders the invasion then a lot are going to be lost at sea. A force may reach Britain but if the navy is able to intervene at all it will be a small and highly disordered remnant landing where they can. With the core of his veterans dead and the rest isolated in Kent and also probably Napoleon sharing their fate the wheels could come off the empire very quickly.
That would set a hell of a lot of butterflies free of course.
Steve