On 22 August two days after the surrender of Sluis, a combination of high tide and another storm swept away a significant proportion of the "New Troy" shrinking the defenders position further; the Northern defences were abandoned leaving only the "Helmund" and "Sandhill" lightly guarded. Eventually this was abandoned as the position could barely be defended and on 13 September the Spanish took possession that had defied them for nearly three years and began to bombard the walls in front of the Old Haven. The position was now untenable, the besieged were now holding out in the rubble strewn old town. The bloody war of attrition had at last succeeded and the garrison sent messengers to Maurice to try and assist.