British Invasion Traditional Cache
Henzz: Time to put this series to bed...
Thanks to all that came along to learn some history.
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At the cache site, over the spray of the breakers, over the haze of
the waves, over the heat of the summers day, modern day coffee
shops and beachfront houses evaporate, and over the distance of 200
years, imagine yourself standing there, watching a huge fleet with
sails and pennants and figureheads slowly moving closer over the
horizon, and taking up position offshore. You are watching one of
the largest seaborne invasions Britain had ever undertaken. It is 6
January 1806.
England and France were at war. Napoleon lusted for an empire,
which sent Europe up in flames. He crushed the Austrians at Ulm in
October 1805. He captured Vienna in November, and won a resounding
victory over the Russians and Austrians in December at Austerlitz.
But the crown jewel in this empire would have been the capture of
Britain. An invasion force of 200 000 men was at the ready opposite
the British coast. He just needed control of the channel.
Napoleon's fleet however was in a poor state of repair, morale was
low, and most of the officer class had met an untimely end on the
guillotine during the revolution. The Royal Navy on the other hand
controlled the seas with good ships, officers and well trained
disciplined men. They also had Lord Horatio Nelson, the finest
seaman at the time. Napoleon planned to lure the British away from
the channel with a feint to the West Indies, and then with Spanish
fleet reinforcements cross the channel. French Admiral Villeneuve
was to lead this distraction, but was destroyed at Trafalgar by
Lord Nelson. In the mean time a fleet of 66 ships under command of
Admiral Sir Home Popham, carrying an army of 7000 men under
Lieutenant General Sir David Baird sailed for the Cape. The Cape
happened to be the most convenient refreshment station for ships
sailing between Europe and the East. The British Government was
anxious to protect this important sea route, especially from the
French.. Baird's orders was simple. He was to take the Cape and
assume office of Lieutenant Governer. At this time the Cape was
governed by the Batavian Republic (The Name by which the
Netherlands was known between 1795 and 1806), an ally of France.
False Bay was too well fortified and did not present opportune
landing chances. Table Bay it was to be as long as the landing was
out of reach of the Castle Guns. The landing was done at around
Noon in high wind, unopposed but for a small patrol of soldiers
sent ahead by General Jansens to harass the landing. One boat
capsized on the rocks, and 36 soldiers drowned. The last of the
troops, armaments, horses and provisions were on the beach by the
next morning, and preperations was made for the advance to Cape
Town. From here on South African history will be effected by the
British.
THIS IS PART OF A 4 CACHE SERIES - ALSO DO
GC1JEEF AND
GC1JEEW AND
GC2D9MC TO KNOW THE FULL HISTORY.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Oybpxrq va orgjrra ohfu naq ebpx.
Treasures
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