It was not until nine o'clock in the evening that the two last British ships, the Invincible and Monarch, steamed out of port.

At half-past four in the morning the ships got under weigh again, and moved to the positions marked out for them.
Fort Mex, and the batteries on the sand hills were faced by the Penelope, the Monarch, and the Invincible; the Alexandra, the Superb, and the Sultan faced the harbour forts, Ada, Pharos, and Ras-el-Teen; the Temeraire and Inflexible prepared to aid the Invincible in her attack on Fort Mex, or to support the three battleships engaged off the port, as might be required; and the five gunboats moved away towards Fort Marabout, which lay some distance to the west of the town.
At seven o'clock, the Alexandra began the engagement by firing a single gun.

Then the whole fleet opened fire, the Egyptian artillerymen replying with great steadiness and resolution.

There was scarcely a breath of wind, and the ships were, in a few instants, shrouded in their own smoke; and were frequently obliged to cease firing until this drifted slowly away, to enable them to aim their guns.

The rattle of the machine guns added to the din.