After the recapture of Acre in 1191 King Richard the Leonhart, who had proved to be an excellent leader and planner, knew that it was a must to take the port of Jaffa before trying to besiege Jerusalem. In august 1191 King Richard began to march with his, ca 10.000-man strong army down the coast from Acre towards Jaffa. His fleet was following him at sea as protection on the right flank. There was not much danger for a naval battle with the Egyptians because most of their fleet was destroyed during the siege of Acre. King Richard’s ships were carrying supplies, water, and food for the troops. This made the baggage train on the land smaller than usual. Mindful of the lessons of the disaster of the “Battle of Hattin” Richard was aware that his army’s greatest need was drinking water and that marching in the scoring heat during the middle of the day was almost impossible. This meant that the army marched only in the morning hours before the heat of the day making frequent stops beside water sources to avoid heat exhausted troops. Aware of the ever-present danger of enemy raids and the possibility of hit-and run attacks by Saladin’s troops the army marched in a tight formation with the infantry on the land side, covering and protecting the flanks of the 1200 horseman. The outermost ranks of the infantry were composed of crossbowmen. The baggage train and the infantry, who needed rest from fighting with Saladin’s army marched on the seaside. Richard wisely rotated his infantry units to keep them as fresh as possible. Almost permanent the Muslims troops discharged arrows at them to annoy them, and to force them to charge. Because of the Crusaders exercised a wonderful self-control the Muslim attacks were unsuccessful. The Crusader crossbows were much more effective than the Muslim arrows. Crossbow arrows could strike down both horse and man, but the Muslim arrows were not strong enough to go through the heavily armored backs of Richards infantry troops. There is documented that infantry soldiers with at least 10 arrows in their armored back were still fighting. Richard’s problem was his low march speed dictated by the infantry and the baggage train. He could march perhaps 20 km per day. The Ayyubid army of Saladin, from ca 20.000 troops was largely mounted. This gave them superior mobility and speed. His efforts to burn crops and deny the countryside to the Crusader army were ineffective. During the whole march Saladin was always within striking distance and waiting for an opportunity to attack. By early September Saladin realized that his way of attacking was ineffective. To stop Richard and his man Saladin needed to do something else. He knew that Richard had to pass through one of the few forested regions in the Holy Land. The 20 km long “Wood of Arsuf”, which ran parallel to the seashore was an excellent place for Saladin to ambush Richards army. His plan was to threaten and skirmish them in the forest over the whole length of the column, hoping that a fatal gap might be created between the troops. In this gap Saladin planned to use his reserves to defeat the Crusaders. On September 6 the Crusaders camped in the middle of the forest, ca 10 km from the ruins of Arsuf, at the mouth of the river Rochetaillee. In the foodstaps of Pilgrims and Crusaders to the Holy Land Peter-Paul van Broekhuizen, KT Master Historian, November 2023 The Battle of Arsuf 7-9-1191 At dawn on September 7, 1191, as Richard’s forces began marching out of their camp scouts discovered Saladin’s whole army hidden in the forest waiting for the right moment to attack. Richard, as a good strategist, knew where the greatest danger was. He ordered his most experienced and disciplined troops to defend the rear and the back of his column. The vanguard led by Robert de Sable consisted of the Knight Templars and turcopole cavalry. (Turcopoles were locally recruited mounted archers and light cavalry troops who were used to fight like the Ayyubid horse archers of Saladin .) The knight Hospitallers and other turcopoles led by Garnier de Nablus formed the rearguard. A small group under the leadership of Henry II of Champagne was detached to scout Saladin’s army. King Richard and the leader
of the French contingent with picked knights were detailed to ride up and down the column checking on Saladin’s movements and to keep their own ranks closed. After the Crusaders left their camp moving towards Arsuf Saladin’s army came, under laud clashing of cymbals and gongs, trumpets blowing and men screaming war-cries out of the forest. The front of the Ayyubid army was composed of swarms of skirmishers both horse and foot Bedouin ,Sudanese archers, and lighter Turkish horse archers. Behind the first group was the disciplined heavy cavalry from Saladin’s Mamluk and Kurdish troops. His army was divided into a left-wing center and a right wing. Saladin, who directed his army from beneath his banners was surrounded by his bodyguard and accompanied by his kettledrummers. Thousands of arrows and javelins rained into the crusader lines. When possible, the crusader crossbowman responded. The main goal of the Crusaders was to preserve their ranks and to march out of the forest to Arsuf. Saladin changed his tactics and attacked the rear front. The Knight Hospitallers were now attacked from the front and rear. Many of the Hospitaller infantry had to walk backwards to keep their lines. They had to take care that their faces, shields, and weapons were pointing at the enemy. Many Crusader knights who lost their horses due to arrows and javelins joined the infantry. Saladin urged his soldiers into closer combat and entered the fray, accompanied by his brother and 2 pages with spare horses. They exposed themselves to great danger from enemy crossbow fire, but Saladin was not able to stop the marching column. He retreated and repeated his charges several times without success. Richard waited for the right moment to make a counterattack .This was a risky maneuver because the army was not only marching under severe enemy provocation but also suffering from heat and thirst. Just as the vanguard entered Arsuf in the middle of the afternoon, the Hospitaller crossbowman had to walk further backwards. They lost cohesion. The enemy took advantage of this opportunity and attacked the rear front with full power. Richard new that a counterattack with his horseman needed to be reserved until the Ayyubid army was fully committed, closely engaged and their horses had begun to tire. Suddenly, perhaps through lack of discipline and without permission of Richard, the marshal of the Knight Hospitallers and one of Richards own household knights, named Baldwin le Caron, moved through their own line of In the foodstaps of Pilgrims and Crusaders to the Holy Land Peter-Paul van Broekhuizen, KT Master Historian, November 2023 infantry, and charged into the Saracen ranks. They were then followed by the rest of the Hospitaller knights. Richard recognized that this was a very dangerous situation, who could have caused he would lose the battle. Wisely, without hesitation he ordered the trumpetist to give the signal for a general charge. After hearing the 6 clear and loud trumpet blasts the Frankish infantry opened gaps in their ranks, the knights on their horses passed through and attacked, with full force, the unprepared Saracen. The right wing of the Ayyubid army who was in close combat with the rear of the Crusader column was now confronted with the massive knight Templar cavalry charge. The knights took a bloody revenge for all they had to endure during the earlier battle. Saladin’s’ army suffered a great number of casualties. The marshal of the Hospitallers and Baldwin le Carron had chosen their moment well. Richard halted his charge after about 1,5 km to go back to his defensive formation. Once the squadrons were back in order, Richard led his knights in a second charge. Saladin’s forces broke once again. After a 3rd and final charge, the Ayyubid cavalry dispersed into the hills and disappeared. Richard led his cavalry to Arsuf where the infantry had already pitched camp. During the night thousands of dead Saracens who died on the battlefield were looted. King Richard lost not more than 700 men. His courage as soldier and skilled commander was proved. Saladin’s army was not defeated but the victory of Arsuf was important for the morale of the Crusaders. Saladin ‘s reputation as an invincible warrior was denied. Saladin was able to regroup his army but was not willing to resume his skirmishing method of warfare and to risk a further full-scale attack . After enough rest Richard troops were able to take and to hold Jaffa. After Jaffa Richard decided to march south to retake the abandoned city of Ascalon.
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