British ships bombarded the outer batteries while commanders were still debating where to disembark. The lightly manned forts of Santiago and San Felipe were abandoned after Spanish losses, but San Luis continued to resist and inflicted about 100 killed and wounded on HMS Shrewsbury. An attempted morning landing failed, so 300 grenadiers went ashore at night. These tall, selected, well-trained troops secured the initial landing space. The rest of the force began landing on 22 March, following the foothold the grenadiers had established.
Notable Point · 1:35:04-1:37:38
Grenadiers secure the Bocachica landing at night
A night landing by 300 grenadiers opened a foothold for the army, although the supporting fleet had already suffered costly fire from Fort San Luis.