The Tower of Galata held a garrison of mercenary troops of English, Danish, and Italian origin.[5] As the crusaders laid siege to the Tower, the defenders routinely attempted to sally out with some limited success, but often suffered bloody losses. On one occasion the defenders sallied out but were unable to retreat back to the safety of the tower in time, the Crusader forces viciously counterattacked, with most of the defenders being cut down or drowning in the Bosporus in their attempts to escape.[6] The Golden Horn now lay open to the Crusaders, and the Venetian fleet entered.