This week’s Substack (18 June) was inadvertently published as a repeat of Part Four - my fault. Herewith what you should have had. On the evening of 27 September the weather in the Channel abated and there was a brisk south easterly breeze. William of Normandy’s troops, their stores already aboard, embarked and after an overnight crossing landed completely unopposed at Pevensey. They began to disembark with their horses and prefabricated forts and to move along the coast to Hastings, with the fleet shadowing them offshore. Once at Hastings they erected one of the forts. In any amphibious operation, whether in 1066 or 1944, troops are most vulnerable when landing. It is then that a determined defender can catch them without all their equipment and inevitably not yet fully organised and deployed. Had Harold ignored what was happening in the north, knowing that whatever local victories the Norwegians might achieve the threat to Norway from Denmark could only increase with Harald Hardrada’s absence, and that as the invading army moved south they would meet stiffer and stiffer resistance, the history of England might have been very different. By staying in the south King Harold, being only a day’s ride from London, or two days’ march for foot soldiers, to any of the likely landing areas, would have had news from fishermen or from his own fleet of the Norman sailing and could have met them on the beach and probably defeated them. William’s allies would almost certainly have deserted him and his ambitions towards the English throne would be lost for ever. That Harold did not stay south was because he thought the chances of an invasion were much reduced as the season wore on, and he decided that going north was worth the risk.
STAMFORD BRIDGE - APOLOGIES AND PART FIVE
STAMFORD BRIDGE - APOLOGIES AND PART FIVE
STAMFORD BRIDGE - APOLOGIES AND PART FIVE
This week’s Substack (18 June) was inadvertently published as a repeat of Part Four - my fault. Herewith what you should have had. On the evening of 27 September the weather in the Channel abated and there was a brisk south easterly breeze. William of Normandy’s troops, their stores already aboard, embarked and after an overnight crossing landed completely unopposed at Pevensey. They began to disembark with their horses and prefabricated forts and to move along the coast to Hastings, with the fleet shadowing them offshore. Once at Hastings they erected one of the forts. In any amphibious operation, whether in 1066 or 1944, troops are most vulnerable when landing. It is then that a determined defender can catch them without all their equipment and inevitably not yet fully organised and deployed. Had Harold ignored what was happening in the north, knowing that whatever local victories the Norwegians might achieve the threat to Norway from Denmark could only increase with Harald Hardrada’s absence, and that as the invading army moved south they would meet stiffer and stiffer resistance, the history of England might have been very different. By staying in the south King Harold, being only a day’s ride from London, or two days’ march for foot soldiers, to any of the likely landing areas, would have had news from fishermen or from his own fleet of the Norman sailing and could have met them on the beach and probably defeated them. William’s allies would almost certainly have deserted him and his ambitions towards the English throne would be lost for ever. That Harold did not stay south was because he thought the chances of an invasion were much reduced as the season wore on, and he decided that going north was worth the risk.