The Holy Land Defended

There were a series of battles that took place in the Jerusalem Region 1282-1289

The Grandmaster had arrived in the region and was assessing the enemy armies when he discovered many of the Mongol Commanders were not travelling with the armies. He made a calculated move near the Port of Jerusalem to attack and separate the commanders from their armies.



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The enemy was difficult to locate amongst the mountains.



The infantry were reserved and all cavalry units were ordered to engage the enemy including the Grandmaster’s own Bodyguards.



The enemy was engaged and a fierce melee ensued.



However, it wasn’t long before some enemy reinforcements arrived. The Knights had the numbers but the Mongols had the superior troops.



The Khan backed off when he realized he could not save the other unit. The terrain worked against him and he was cornered into a high wall. The catapult and crossbowmen went to work.



After some time and losing men the Khan charged out from his position and engaged the infantry of heavy knights and spearmen.



It was a victory the Khan and the Regimental captain were killed in battle. It a small but it was a win and that is what the Knights needed to build on to protect the Holy City.



The Mongols had backed away and lifted their siege of Jerusalem. They withdrew southeast. Except one army that went for the bridge protected by the Knights.



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The armies had barely made it on to the field when the whole front line was met with the first assault of Horse Archers and Infantry.



The Mongols had plenty of artillery in trebuchets and a new weapon called rockets. The order was given and a cavalry charge was ordered to remove the Rocket Crews.



The right flank was also given orders and a cavalry charge held off the enemies initial volleys of missiles. The rockets were silenced and the right flank protected.

The Knights catapult was taken out early by enemy fireballs. The Bombard Crew was the only artillery support and with so many targets they were not has effective has they could have been. The front line was holding but the heavy infantry was tiring and with minor success had the start the enemy just seemed to have a deeper reserve of troops.



General Otterbach committed to the fight but fell half way through the battle. The men continued to fight killing the enemy Captain but there were not enough troops to stop the enemy charge.



The enemy troops were executed.


The fighting was getting worse and by 1284 the city was protected but the Mongols were in control of the southern half of the region.

Captain Rudolf a cavalry man who was the Grandmasters reserve and support army saw a break in the Mongols defences and attacked Khan Abaqha who was alone.

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This was a full cavalry engagement and the Khan was located outnumbered but yet superior in fighting ability the Captain did what he could to ensure a victory.



Another Khan dead and there appeared to be no replacements forth coming for the enemy commanders. The Captain was promoted and made a member of the Order for his heroics.



By the end of 1284 the Mongol Captain Chagduk remained in the bridge location from the previous battle. The Grandmaster arrived in the area and was seeking revenge for the death of the young noble Otterbach.



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The Mongols put up little resistance and it was an easy victory. The Grandmaster had his vengeance and released the prisoners.



The Mongol Captain Chagduk cut from the main force retreated north and his tattered army was harassed by villagers and Garrison Captains all the way north to the Damascus Region.





By the following here the Mongols had withdrew from the Jerusalem Region and headed north for Damascus. Again a Khan was in the lead of the army and confronted by the Garrison Captain. Damascus was the supply and reserve centre for the Grandmaster’s Army.

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The engagement took place on the Damascus road and the Khan was quickly surrounded by spearmen and a regiment of heavy cavalry. It was another victory and another enemy general down.



The charge on Damascus by the Mongols was stalled after this engagement.


The Grandmaster continued to peck away at the Horde and found a strong army led by a Captain away from the main force.



It was a quick and morale building victory for the Knights.



The prisoners were ransomed but it was rejected by the Khan.

By 1287 the Mongols were stalled and regrouping the Templar Knights were the strongest faction.

P 1287 mongols

Captain Rudolf now the Duke of Gaza was supplied and moved east and to the south of the Mongol Army. The Grandmaster remained at the bridge protecting Jerusalem.

The Mongols made an advance move that caught the Duke of Gaza off guard and in unfamiliar terrain.

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Both armies were well equipped and the Duke took a defensive stand.



Again the cavalry played a significant part in the early battle keeping the Horse Archers at bay and away from the infantry. The lacking part for the Duke was only one Bombard Crew.




The Knights cavalry were engaged on the flanks and could not counter the charge of Mongols to hit the center.



Fortunately the center was manned by the Order of St. John’s and they appeared to be taking the brunt of the repeated Mongol charges.



However like the earlier battle of the decade the stamina of the Knights could not hold back the waves of enemy troops that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. The Knights had the larger army on the field.



Eventually the fatigue took its toll and the troops began to route under the pressure of hand to hand combat and the volley of arrows that rained down on them. The Bombard Crew fired till the metal was white and could fire no more. They were the last men left on the field.





That was the last significant engagement of the decade and the situation appeared to be in a stalemate. There were less enemy commanders and no reinforcements on the horizon but the Knights could not get the decisive battle for the knock out punch.