At high tide on the morning of September 8, the English fleet made its first move. Eight heavily armed British men-of-war under full sail, protecting a number of small landing craft, headed directly for the narrow entrance to Saint Augustine harbor. Using all his ingenuity as a defensive strategist, Montiano had his batteries at the harbor entrance and his six half-galleys in the bay lay down a blistering fire on the British vessels as they approached the narrow channel. This barrage forced the English back, but the British captains regrouped and attacked again. Montiano threw back one attempt after another until nightfall, when the invasion force finally returned to the main body of the fleet. (Tepaske GSF)