Battle at Gaza (1239)

Battle at Gaza (1239)
Part of Barons' Crusade
The defeat of the Crusaders at Gaza, depicted in the Chronica majora of Matthew Paris, 13th century.
Date 1239 Location Gaza Result Ayyubid victory
Belligerents
Crusaders	Ayyubid Sultanate
Commanders and leaders
Theobald I of Navarre Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy Walter IV, Count of Brienne Balian Grenier John of Arsuf Odo of Montbéliard Amaury de Montfort Henry II, Count of Bar	As-Salih Ayyub Rukn al-Din al-Hijawi
Strength
400-600 men	Unknown

The Battle at Gaza took place on 13 November 1239 as part of the Barons' Crusade. In it, an army led by Theobald I of Navarre was defeated by the Egyptian Ayyubids.^[1]

Background

After the ten-year peace treaty between Holy Roman Emperor

On November 2, the Crusader army moved to Ascalon with about 4,000 men, where they were to rebuild the fortress, securing the southern flank of the kingdom against the Egyptians, in anticipation of an attack on Damascus. The scouts of Peter of Dreux, one of the French commanders, reported a large convoy of herd animals en route to Damascus. Peter left camp with 200 men, ambushing the convoy the next morning. After a brief battle, the convoy's escort was defeated and he returned with the captured herd, where the fresh provisions were badly needed.^[3]

Passing

Expedition to Gaza

This part of the army rode through the night, passed Ascalon and reached the river that formed a natural border between the kingdom and the sultanate. Walter of Jaffa suggested retreating back to Ascalon, resting the horses there, but the others insisted on advancing. The river crossing was initially secured, allowing the Crusaders to cross the river to camp. They had not chosen well, as they were in a flat terrain surrounded by sand dunes. Further, they failed to provide the necessary security for their stop in enemy territory, with no patrols or sentry posts on the surrounding dunes.[5]

The Egyptian commander Rukn al-Din al-Hijawi proceeded more carefully. Soon his scouts had spotted the Crusader camp and Egyptian archers and slingers occupied the surrounding dunes. The men of Walter of Jaffa were the first to discover the Ayyubid troops, and he called his men to arms and assembled the leaders in the council of war. Walter and Hugo of Burgundy were for returning to Ascalon; Amaury of Montfort and Henry of Bar were against it, fearing an ambush. In response, Walter, Hugo and most of the other leaders left for Ascalon.^[6]

The Battle

The remaining Crusaders faced the Egyptians for battle. Amaury ordered his crossbowmen to fire, eventually running out of crossbow bolts. Noticing a deep, narrow passage between two dunes that might provide cover, the knights rushed forward and dispersed. In the meantime the Egyptian cavalry had also arrived. Instead of storming the heavily armored knights in the narrow passage, they began a mock attack and fake retreat. The Franks fell into the trap and rode after the retreating Egyptians in a disorderly manner, leaving the passage. The sanctuary then was closed and the Egyptian cavalry surrounded the knights. Many were killed, including Henry of Bar. Amaury, dozens of other nobles and many soldiers were taken prisoner, to be held for over 17 months.^[7]

Aftermath

When the main army arrived in Ascalon, they met Walter of Jaffa and Hugo of Burgundy who reported on the desperate situation of at Gaza. The main army, led by the

References