▁Tw elve ▁Ca es ars , ▁he ▁drew ▁up ▁his ▁troops ▁in ▁battle ▁formation ▁facing ▁the ▁English ▁Channel ▁and , ▁once ▁his ▁forces ▁had ▁become ▁quite ▁confused , ▁ordered ▁them ▁to ▁gather ▁se ash ells , ▁referring ▁to ▁them ▁as ▁" pl under ▁from ▁the ▁ocean ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁Capit ol ▁and ▁the ▁Palace ". ▁Alternatively , ▁he ▁may ▁have ▁actually ▁told ▁them ▁to ▁gather ▁" h uts ", ▁since ▁the ▁word ▁mus cul i ▁was ▁also ▁soldier ' s ▁sl ang ▁for ▁engine ers ' ▁h uts ▁and ▁Cal ig ula ▁himself ▁was ▁very ▁familiar ▁with ▁the ▁Empire ' s ▁soldiers . ▁In ▁any ▁case ▁this ▁read ied ▁the ▁troops ▁and ▁facilities ▁that ▁would ▁make ▁Claud ius ' ▁invasion ▁possible ▁three ▁years ▁later . ▁For ▁example , ▁Cal ig ula ▁built ▁a ▁l ighth ouse ▁at ▁ ▁( mod ern ▁Bou log ne - sur - Mer ), ▁the ▁Tour ▁D ' Ord re , ▁that ▁provided ▁a ▁model ▁for ▁the ▁one ▁built ▁soon ▁after ▁at ▁ ▁( D over ). ▁ ▁Claud ian ▁prepar ations ▁In ▁ 4 3 , ▁possibly ▁by ▁re ass emb ling ▁Cal ig ula ' s ▁troops ▁from ▁ 4 0 , ▁Claud ius ▁mounted ▁an ▁invasion ▁force ▁under ▁overall ▁charge ▁of ▁A ulus ▁Pla ut ius , ▁a ▁distinguished ▁sen ator . ▁A ▁pre text ▁of ▁the ▁invasion ▁was ▁to ▁re inst ate ▁Ver ica , ▁the ▁ex iled ▁king ▁of ▁the ▁At reb ates . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁unclear ▁how ▁many ▁leg ions ▁were