Battle of Jaffa

Battle of Jaffa
Part of the Third Crusade
Date 1192 Location Jaffa Result Decisive Crusader victory
Belligerents
English Crusaders	Ayyubids
Commanders and leaders
Richard I of England	Saladin
Strength
80 Knights + defenders of Jaffa Down to 54 Knights + 2,000 Genoese crossbowmen	7,000 heavy and light cavalry.
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Battle of Jaffa took place during the Crusades, as one of a series of campaigns between Saladin's army and the forces of King Richard the Lionheart. It was the final battle of the Third Crusade, after which Saladin and King Richard were able to negotiate a truce. Although the Crusaders did not regain possession of Jerusalem, Christian pilgrims were permitted entry into the city, and the Crusaders were able to retain control of a sizable strip of land stretching from Beirut to Jaffa.

Although largely a footnote among the greater events that unfolded during the Crusades, the battle was a decisive encounter, illustrating both the determined spirit of Saladin and the bravery of Richard. It was the final encounter before the Treaty of Jaffa between Richard and Saladin was concluded and helped anchor the Crusader presence in the south, and ensure, at least for the time being, the perimeter of the Christian realm in the Holy Land.

Prelude

On September 7, 1191, after the Battle of Arsuf, the Crusader army proceeded from Arsuf to Jaffa, which the Crusaders took and fortified. Jaffa, they hoped, would be the base of operations in a drive to reconquer Jerusalem itself. As the winter of 1191–1192 approached, active campaigning was abandoned and further sporadic negotiations between Richard the Lionheart and Saladin were taken up, though without any immediate result. During the winter months, Richard's men occupied and refortified Ascalon, whose fortifications had earlier been razed by Saladin. The spring of 1192 saw continued negotiations and further skirmishing between the opposing forces. During this period, Richard began to receive disturbing news of the activities of his brother John and Philip Augustus. As the spring gave way to summer, it became evident that Richard would have to return soon to England to safeguard his own interests there.

Battle

By July 5, 1192, Richard began his northward withdrawal from the Holy Land. Having realized that Jerusalem would not be defensible, he began the retreat of Crusader forces from hostile territory. Almost immediately after Richard's withdrawal, Saladin, still smarting from his recent defeat at Arsuf, saw a chance for revenge and laid siege to the town of Jaffa which had served as a base of operations for Richard during his previous march inland towards Jerusalem. The defending garrison, although taken by surprise, fought with fanatical bravery before the odds against them proved too great and Jaffa yielded. Saladin's soldiers successfully stormed the walls after three days of bloody clashes; only Jaffa's citadel held out and the remaining Crusaders managed to send word of their plight. Richard subsequently gathered a small army, including a large contingent of Italian sailors, and hurried south. Upon seeing Muslim banners flying from the walls, he falsely believed the town to be a lost cause, until a defender swam out to his flagship and informed him of the citadel's dire situation.

Still in his sailor's deck shoes, Richard leaped recklessly into the sea and waded through the waves to reach the beach. The King again showed his bravery and worth on the field, leading fifty-four knights, a few hundred infantrymen, and about 2,000 Genoese and Pisan crossbowmen into battle. The Muslim army began to panic at the sudden offensive by Richard's arriving force; they feared it was but a spearhead of a much larger army coming to relieve Jaffa. The latter fought in person at the spearhead of his attack, and Saladin's men were routed. Many of the Christian prisoners who had surrendered earlier also seized their arms and resumed combat, for their captors were in such disarray that they were unable to stop them. Saladin's fleeing army spilled out of Jaffa and escaped in a disorderly manner; their own sultan was unable to regroup his forces until over they had retreated five miles away.

When Saladin received reports that more of the Franks were coming down from Caesarea, he opted to launch a counterattack on Jaffa to recapture it before these additional reinforcements could arrive. On the early morning of August 4, Muslim troops amassed around the walled town, concealing themselves in the fields and intending to attack at dawn the next day. Just before sunrise, however, an Italian soldier out for a stroll discerned the hidden enemy; the neighing of horses and glinting of armor only served to confirm his suspicions. The sentries promptly raised the alarm, and Richard quickly assembled his knights and bowmen for battle. He ordered his infantry to form a phalanx of spears by driving their shields and the shaft of their spears into the ground, pointed towards the direction of their opponents. Longbowmen and crossbowmen alike were to mingle behind their protective wall and hit the Muslims with a volley of arrows as they drew close.

The 7,000 lightly armored Egyptian and Bedouin cavalry who attacked Richard's foot soldiers were driven back with heavy losses; the spear formation penetrated their clothing as though they were made of eggshell. In addition, the Christians seemed to have better armor than those of the Saracens, allowing them to risk their persons boldly. After a few hours' onslaught, however, both sides began to tire. As Muslim horsemen prepared to reform and attack again, the long line of English archers stepped forward and cut them down with a fresh hail of arrows. Greatly weakened by this barrage, Saladin's cavalry were subsequently crushed by a charge of knights led by the King himself. Fighting was intense and the brave monarch's horse was felled beneath him. When Saladin saw Richard fighting on foot, so impressed was he at his enemy's courage that he ordered two stallions from his own stables to be dispatched as a replacement.

While the battle raged on, a few of the Saracens were able to outflank the Crusader army and enter Jaffa. The Genoese marines who had been entrusted to remain behind and guard the gates offered little resistance before retreating to their ships. Before the Muslims could exploit their success, however, Richard himself galloped into the town and rallied all of its fighting men. By evening, it had become clear to Saladin that his men had been soundly defeated and he gave the order to withdraw. Leaving their dead on the field, the Ayyubid force began a long, weary, march back to Jerusalem.