 Thus when Edward demanded 150,000 Flemish troops to be awaiting his arrival in 1340, he was somewhat surprised to discover on arrival that barely a fraction of this number had gathered.On Edward's passage he had won the great naval victory at Sluys and buoyed by this success determined to press his advantage on land too.He ordered Robert III of Artois, an old pretender to the title of Count of Artois to take 1,000 English and over 10,000 Flemish troops which had gathered into the Artois region and conduct a miniature chevauchée in the region, attempting to provoke the French into action and perhaps to capture an important fortified town such as Saint-Omer.