This is an idea for a new TL. It may or may be viable so I'm looking for a bit of feedback/advice.
I recently read that, in 1514, an invasion force of 12,000 German mercenaries was gathered in Brittany under Richard de la Pole for an invasion of England. De la Pole was at this point the Yorkist claimant to the English throne, and he had signed a treaty with the French King Louis XII to provide support in the form of money and ships in order to make an attempt to gain the crown. Henry VIII was engaged in a war with France (The War of the League of Cambrai), allied with the HRE and the Papacy.
Now, in OTL the attempt was cancelled because just before the force was due to embark peace was signed between France and England.
Therefore, I'm thinking of doing a WI around the invasion force being prepared, and dispatched, a year earlier. Here's the reasoning, and why I think it would have had quite a good chance of success.
_
It seems that in the first part of the English war against France, Henry VIII's fleet gained superiority in the Channel and North Sea - due in part to ships such as the Mary Rose. However by 1513 the French seemed to have gained parity, even supremacy. I found this paragraph{1} which indicates a joint Franco-Scottish fleet was active in the channel at this time.
[FONT="]"Henry VIII landed at Calais at the end of June, and made a short and successful campaign at Therouenne and Tournai 5 (July-Sept 1513). During his absence, James IV at last pulled off the mask; he sent a fleet to Louis XII and invaded England, where he fell at Flodden. His fleet left Leith, on 25 July, under the command of the earl of Arran, and reached Brest about six weeks later, after plundering Carrickfergus.
[/FONT][FONT="]Great naval preparations were made in France; Pregent's galleys were supplied with
rowers and crossbowmen (July); the ships of Brittany and Normandy were
victualled for two months(August), under the control of Philippe de la
Primaudaye. Louis de Rouville was appointed admiral of the Franco- Scottish
fleet (17 Sept); a warrant was issued for the payment of victuals and wages to
Breton and Scottish ships (23 Sept.), and 400 extra mariners were levied in
Normandy.[/FONT][FONT="]"
[/FONT]So, if we establish that the French could maintain superiority over the channel, when would be the best time to strike?
The first sentence that I quoted mentions two key events. These are the English invasion of France, led personally by Henry VIII, and the almost simultaneous invasion of England by Scottish forces under James IV. If we look at the dates on which these events occur, I think that possibly the best time for the invasion fleet to leave would be late August.
At this point, two large armies, presumably including the cream of the English troops (no professional army yet, obviously, but most of the best levies will be already under arms), are being formed/are formed in Northern France and the border with Scotland. This leaves the south of England - where the invasion fleet will probably land - vulnerable to attack, and makes it likely that Richard will be able to gain at least a foothold on the coast.
How does this sound so far - is it worth pursuing?
{1} http://ia310906.us.archive.org/2/it...0sponuoft/letterspapersrel00sponuoft_djvu.txt
I recently read that, in 1514, an invasion force of 12,000 German mercenaries was gathered in Brittany under Richard de la Pole for an invasion of England. De la Pole was at this point the Yorkist claimant to the English throne, and he had signed a treaty with the French King Louis XII to provide support in the form of money and ships in order to make an attempt to gain the crown. Henry VIII was engaged in a war with France (The War of the League of Cambrai), allied with the HRE and the Papacy.
Now, in OTL the attempt was cancelled because just before the force was due to embark peace was signed between France and England.
Therefore, I'm thinking of doing a WI around the invasion force being prepared, and dispatched, a year earlier. Here's the reasoning, and why I think it would have had quite a good chance of success.
_
It seems that in the first part of the English war against France, Henry VIII's fleet gained superiority in the Channel and North Sea - due in part to ships such as the Mary Rose. However by 1513 the French seemed to have gained parity, even supremacy. I found this paragraph{1} which indicates a joint Franco-Scottish fleet was active in the channel at this time.
[FONT="]"Henry VIII landed at Calais at the end of June, and made a short and successful campaign at Therouenne and Tournai 5 (July-Sept 1513). During his absence, James IV at last pulled off the mask; he sent a fleet to Louis XII and invaded England, where he fell at Flodden. His fleet left Leith, on 25 July, under the command of the earl of Arran, and reached Brest about six weeks later, after plundering Carrickfergus.
[/FONT][FONT="]Great naval preparations were made in France; Pregent's galleys were supplied with
rowers and crossbowmen (July); the ships of Brittany and Normandy were
victualled for two months(August), under the control of Philippe de la
Primaudaye. Louis de Rouville was appointed admiral of the Franco- Scottish
fleet (17 Sept); a warrant was issued for the payment of victuals and wages to
Breton and Scottish ships (23 Sept.), and 400 extra mariners were levied in
Normandy.[/FONT][FONT="]"
[/FONT]So, if we establish that the French could maintain superiority over the channel, when would be the best time to strike?
The first sentence that I quoted mentions two key events. These are the English invasion of France, led personally by Henry VIII, and the almost simultaneous invasion of England by Scottish forces under James IV. If we look at the dates on which these events occur, I think that possibly the best time for the invasion fleet to leave would be late August.
At this point, two large armies, presumably including the cream of the English troops (no professional army yet, obviously, but most of the best levies will be already under arms), are being formed/are formed in Northern France and the border with Scotland. This leaves the south of England - where the invasion fleet will probably land - vulnerable to attack, and makes it likely that Richard will be able to gain at least a foothold on the coast.
How does this sound so far - is it worth pursuing?
{1} http://ia310906.us.archive.org/2/it...0sponuoft/letterspapersrel00sponuoft_djvu.txt