The Battle of Dorking

What would have happened if the Germans had invaded England?. In the Battle of Dorking originally published in 1871 George Tomkyns Chesney imagines what would have happened if the Germans had invaded England.. He tells the story of how a German invasion force lands on the Essex coast. The Royal Navy suffers terrible losses due to the new and terrifying weapon systems which the Germans have at their disposal. German ground troops are swift and well equipped and fight their way to the Home counties. However they encounter fierce resistance from the British Army culminating in a bloody pitched battle in the commuter lands of the Surrey countryside.. EXTRACTS FROM THE BATTLE OF DORKING:. “ When I got to Waterloo there were all sorts of rumours afloat. A fleet had been seen off the Downs and some of the despatch-boats which were hovering about the coasts brought news that there was a large flotilla off Harwich … In town the troops were all getting ready for a move; the Guards in the Wellington Barracks were under arms and their baggage-waggons packed and drawn up … All this I saw on the way to my office where I worked away till twelve oclock and then feeling hungry after my early breakfast I went across Parliament Street to my club to get some luncheon.”. “ ... the main part of the town of Dorking was on our right front but the suburbs stretched away eastward nearly to our proper front ... Immediately on our left the park sloped steeply down to the gap before mentioned through which ran the little stream as well as the railway from Epsom to Brighton nearly due north and south meeting the Guildford and Reigate line at right angles ..... The shoulder of this ridge overlooking the gap is called Box Hill from the shrubbery of boxwood with which it was covered. Its sides were very steep and the top of the ridge was covered with troops. The natural strength of our position was manifested at a glance; a high grassy ridge steep to the south with a stream in front and but little cover up the sides. It seemed made for a battle-field.”. “A perfect storm of bullets seemed to be flying about us too and I thought each moment must be the last; escape seemed impossible but I saw no one fall for I was too busy and so were we all to look to the right or left but loaded and fired as fast as we could. How long this went on I know not- it could not have been long; neither side could have lasted many minutes under such a fire but it ended by the enemy gradually falling back and as soon as we saw this we raised a tremendous shout and some of us jumped up on the bank to give them our parting shots. Suddenly the order was passed down the line to cease firing and we soon discovered the cause; a battalion of the Guards was charging obliquely across from our left across our front.