setting fires in the town and damaging ships in the canal basin. Apart from one troopship that had become separated during the night, Coote's soldiers were all landed with their equipment by 5 a.m. Canal gates destroyed The weather at sea continued to worsen after this and Coote looked to hurry the attack. At around 6 a.m. the warships assigned to the east side of Ostend harbour were sent towards the shore so that they could give covering fire to the troops as they made their advance on the sluices. As they began to receive heavy damage, Popham started rotating the ships assigned to attack the Ostend batteries so that the distraction could continue on, but the ships then found that as the water around the batteries had lowered they could not get close enough to attack, leaving the batteries open to take aim at Coote's soldiers. In order to distract the guns while the mines were brought up to destroy the gates a request for surrender was sent to the commander of the Ostend garrison. Major-General Harry Burrard then succeeded with some of the Guards light infantry, 23rd and 49th grenadiers, and two field guns in securing the approaches to the harbour, despite attacks from a multitude of sharpshooters. Men were sent to ensure that the garrison could not send fresh defenders across from the town via the harbour ferry route, and defensive positions were taken up around the sluices. Portions of the 11th and 23rd light infantry took control of Bredene and the coastal road. At 9:30 a.m. the missing troopship, HMS Minerva, arrived at Ostend and while the ship's captain was ashore reporting to Coote Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Warde commandeered some flat-bottomed boats and attempted to bring his four companies ashore. The sea was so rough by this stage that he was persuaded by another ship to give up landing his reinforcements in case they were all killed in the attempt. The operation on shore continued, and at 10:20 a.m. the canal locks and sluices were blown up by a mixed party of sailors and engineers. Coote cut off Coote's force then began to make its way back to the landing beach, finding minimal resistance as it did so and having only five casualties. They reached the beach at around 11 a.m., and Popham looked to re-embark them all by noon. The weather, however, had continued to worsen