Rhodes. The indomitable Johannites find themselves alone, facing the entire Turkish army of Mehmed II. The fortified citadel is too old for the modern Ottoman heavy guns. The Ottomans first bombard Fort St. Nicholas, which protects the Mandraki, the key military port. Then begins the exhausting and continuous bombardment of the residential area. Earthworks are constructed to absorb the impact of the cannon fire. From Fort St. Nicholas and the Bastion of France, the Hospitallers counterattack, and with crossbowmen and gunners, they cause the sinking of the Turkish vessels that had approached one morning for a sortie.
