Battle of Arsuf

Background

After taking Acre, Richard wanted first to take the port of Jaffa for an expedition against Jerusalem. The army began marching south along the coast on 22 August. With its right flank on the sea and supplied by the fleet, it advanced in a tight formation with the infantry on the outside and the cavalry on the inside. Saladin's archers harassed the army constantly throughout the march.

Course of events

On 7 September, in front of the wooded area north of Arsuf, Saladin attacked with his main force. The Hospitallers forming the rearguard came under especially heavy pressure. Richard had ordered that the cavalry not charge until Saladin's forces had come close and tired.

But the Hospitaller marshal and another knight charged without waiting for the order, and other units followed. Richard turned this premature charge into a general attack. Saladin's army withdrew and two counterattacks were repulsed. The crusader army reached Jaffa on 10 September.

Outcome and significance

Arsuf showed that Saladin's attempt to defeat the crusader army in open battle had failed, and it raised Richard's military reputation. But Saladin's army was not destroyed; the sultan changed his strategy, avoiding open battle and slowing the crusaders' advance by demolishing fortresses such as Ascalon.

The battle is studied as a classic example of the importance of a disciplined marching order, coordination between infantry and cavalry, and a well-timed cavalry charge.

Sources and debates

The Itinerarium peregrinorum and Ambroise describe the battle in detail and in praise of Richard. Baha al-Din ibn Shaddad, from Saladin's camp, acknowledges the defeat but presents the losses as limited. The identity of the Hospitaller marshal who began the charge and the casualty figures differ between sources.