On This Day In History: Battle Of Ascalon Was Fought – On 12 August 1099

AncientPages.com - On August 12, 1099, shortly after the capture of Jerusalem, the Battle of Ascalon was fought, and it is considered the last action of the First Crusade.

The crusader army led by Godfrey of Bouillon defeated and drove off a Fatimid army, securing the safety of Jerusalem.

The Crusaders completed their primary objective of capturing Jerusalem on 15 July 1099. In early August, they learned of the invasion of a 20,000-strong Fatimid army under vizier al-Afdal Shahanshah.

Under Godfrey's command, the 10,200-strong Crusader army took the offensive, leaving the city on 10 August to risk everything on a great battle against the approaching Muslims. The Crusaders marched barefoot, carrying the relic of the True Cross with them, accompanied by patriarch Arnulf of Chocques.

The army marched south from Jerusalem, approaching the vicinity of Ascalon on the 11th and capturing Egyptian spies who revealed al-Afdal's dispositions and strength.

At dawn on 12 August, the Crusader army launched a surprise attack on the Fatimid army still sleeping in its camp outside the walls of Ascalon. The Fatimids failed to post enough guards, leaving only a part of their army capable of fighting.

The Crusaders quickly defeated the half-ready Fatimid infantry, and the Crusader knights reached the center of the camp, capturing the vizier's standard and personal baggage, including his sword. Some Fatimids fled into the trees and were killed by Crusader arrows and lances.

The terrified vizier fled by ship to Egypt, leaving the Crusaders to kill any survivors and gather up a vast amount of loot. Ibn al-Qalanisi estimated 12,700 Fatimid dead.

The first Muslim attempt to recapture Jerusalem ended in complete defeat. Still, Godfrey failed to exploit the victory to take Ascalon, whose Fatimid garrison was willing to surrender only to Raymond of Toulouse, a condition Godfrey would not accept.

The Fatimid base in Ascalon remained a thorn in the side of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and would not fall until 1153.

AncientPages.com 

Expand for references