In his book dealing with the French emperor Napoleon the count De las Cases described the efforts of the French to improve the naval works at Flushing at Terneuzen. His book is not common known but available through the Internet.
Flushing was since centuries the main naval base in the province Zealand from the warships belonging to the admiralty of Zealand. Nowadays there are still warships built in Flushing for the Dutch but for instance also for the Indonesian navy. I took over the text dealing with Flushing and Terneuzen integral, which presumably is dealing with the period July-December 1809. Flushing at Walcheren. The British succeeded in capturing for instance Flushing but left in December 1809 voluntarily Zealand.
"This town having momentarily fallen into hands of the English [in 1809], they destroyed all its military establishments when they evacuated it. The Emperor ordered the reconstruction of the works on a much more extensive scale than before. Fully appreciating the important geographical situation of the place, he ordered the basin to be re-dug and enlarged, as well as its entrance. The canal was also to be deepened, so that the basin might be rendered capable of admitting even vessels of eighty tons, and affording a winter station for a squadron of twenty ships, always ready to put to sea in or two tides. This advantage was to be procured by means of a very ingenious plan, suggested by the naval commandant of the place, and which consisted simply in confining the water, at high tide, in the ditches of the town. The basin was a most important acquisition, as it afforded the means of making naval preparations, free of all the inconveniences of the Scheldt. Our [French] ships would have been enabled to sail directly to the coasts of England; and the English would thus have been compelled to keep cruisers constantly on the watch; whereas, hitherto, as soon as they knew that our ships were disarmed in Flushing, or returned to Antwerp, on the approach of the winter, they tranquilly went into port, having nothing to apprehend until the return of the spring. But it was necessary to render the fortifications of Flushing equal to the protection of a whole squadron: consequently defensive works were multiplied on various points; magazines ad other establishments were reconstructed; and others were issued for rendering them bomb proof, and surmounting them with batteries. Flushing have been thickly planted with cannon on all points, and would, in short, have been impregnable".
Terneuzen, a town at the Wester Scheldt, in area called Zeeuws Vlaanderen (Flanders) where the canal towards Gent in Belgium begins, is nowadays still important for the sea traffic towards and coming from Belgium.
"The importance of the western mouth of the Scheldt, for enabling our fleet to sail in and out, and the inconveniences attending the return of our ships to Antwerp, every year during the winter season, suggested to the Emperor the idea of establishing a still greater arsenal than Flushing, near the mouth of the river. Terneuse, on the left bank of the Scheldt, three leagues from the mouth of the river, was the point fixed on, and the works were immediately commenced. They were, however suspended, on account of the great length of time, as well as the enormous expensive, that would have been requisite for their completion".
Source
Memorial de Sainte Hélène. Journal of the private life and conservations of the emperor Napoleon at Saint Helena by the count [Emmanuel] de las Cases, vol. IV, London, 1823.
Flushing was since centuries the main naval base in the province Zealand from the warships belonging to the admiralty of Zealand. Nowadays there are still warships built in Flushing for the Dutch but for instance also for the Indonesian navy. I took over the text dealing with Flushing and Terneuzen integral, which presumably is dealing with the period July-December 1809. Flushing at Walcheren. The British succeeded in capturing for instance Flushing but left in December 1809 voluntarily Zealand.
"This town having momentarily fallen into hands of the English [in 1809], they destroyed all its military establishments when they evacuated it. The Emperor ordered the reconstruction of the works on a much more extensive scale than before. Fully appreciating the important geographical situation of the place, he ordered the basin to be re-dug and enlarged, as well as its entrance. The canal was also to be deepened, so that the basin might be rendered capable of admitting even vessels of eighty tons, and affording a winter station for a squadron of twenty ships, always ready to put to sea in or two tides. This advantage was to be procured by means of a very ingenious plan, suggested by the naval commandant of the place, and which consisted simply in confining the water, at high tide, in the ditches of the town. The basin was a most important acquisition, as it afforded the means of making naval preparations, free of all the inconveniences of the Scheldt. Our [French] ships would have been enabled to sail directly to the coasts of England; and the English would thus have been compelled to keep cruisers constantly on the watch; whereas, hitherto, as soon as they knew that our ships were disarmed in Flushing, or returned to Antwerp, on the approach of the winter, they tranquilly went into port, having nothing to apprehend until the return of the spring. But it was necessary to render the fortifications of Flushing equal to the protection of a whole squadron: consequently defensive works were multiplied on various points; magazines ad other establishments were reconstructed; and others were issued for rendering them bomb proof, and surmounting them with batteries. Flushing have been thickly planted with cannon on all points, and would, in short, have been impregnable".
Terneuzen, a town at the Wester Scheldt, in area called Zeeuws Vlaanderen (Flanders) where the canal towards Gent in Belgium begins, is nowadays still important for the sea traffic towards and coming from Belgium.
"The importance of the western mouth of the Scheldt, for enabling our fleet to sail in and out, and the inconveniences attending the return of our ships to Antwerp, every year during the winter season, suggested to the Emperor the idea of establishing a still greater arsenal than Flushing, near the mouth of the river. Terneuse, on the left bank of the Scheldt, three leagues from the mouth of the river, was the point fixed on, and the works were immediately commenced. They were, however suspended, on account of the great length of time, as well as the enormous expensive, that would have been requisite for their completion".
Source
Memorial de Sainte Hélène. Journal of the private life and conservations of the emperor Napoleon at Saint Helena by the count [Emmanuel] de las Cases, vol. IV, London, 1823.
