Siege of Ascalon

Siege of Ascalon
Part of the Crusader–Fatimid wars
The siege of Ascalon, miniature from Sébastien Mamerot's book "Passages d'outremer" (1474)
Date 25 January – 22 August 1153[1] Location Ascalon 31°40′1.68″N 34°32′53.3″E / 31.6671333°N 34.548139°E / 31.6671333; 34.548139 Result Crusader victory, fall of Ascalon
Belligerents
Kingdom of Jerusalem Knights Templar Knights Hospitaller	Fatimid Caliphate
Commanders and leaders
Baldwin III of Jerusalem Gerard of Sidon Bernard de Tremelay  † Hugues Salomon du Quiliou  † Raymond du Puy	Ibn al-Sallar
Strength
Unknown number of men 15 ships	Unknown number of men 70 ships
Casualties and losses
Total unknown 40 Templars killed	Unknown

The siege of Ascalon took place from 25 January to 22 August 1153, in the time period between the Second and Third Crusades, and resulted in the capture of the Fatimid Egyptian fortress by the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Ascalon was an important castle that was used by the Fatimids to launch raids into the Crusader kingdom's territory, and by 1153 it was the last coastal city in Palestine that was not controlled by the Crusaders.

The siege lasted for several months without much progress, despite the usage of siege engines and catapults by the Crusader army. On 16 August, the Fatimids set fire to the siege tower, but the wind blew the flames back at the castle wall and caused part of it to collapse. A group of Knights Templar entered the breach, led by their Grand Master, Bernard de Tremelay. The other Crusaders did not follow them into the city and all forty Templars were killed. Three days later, a larger attack took place and the city surrendered after more fighting. Its inhabitants were given three days to leave Ascalon before the Crusaders formally took it over on 22 August 1153.

Its capture was a major success for King Baldwin III of Jerusalem and put the Crusaders into a position to invade Egypt. The victory was also the first significant territorial gain for the Kingdom of Jerusalem since the acquisition of Banias in 1140.