On 8 August, the first attempt to clear the gulf was made; the old battleships and kept "Slava" at bay while minesweepers cleared a path through the inner belt of mines. During this period, the rest of the German fleet remained in the Baltic and provided protection against other units of the Russian fleet. However, the approach of nightfall meant that "Deutschland" would be unable to mine the entrance to Moon Sound in time, and so the operation was broken off.