Third Battle of Ramla (corpus entry “Jaffa 1105”)

On July 27, 1105, Baldwin I faced a new Fatimid invasion near Jaffa led by Al-Afdhal and reinforced by Seljuk contingents from Damascus. He divided his knights into five squadrons supported by the recently landed Genoese infantry and archers. After several frontal shocks, the royal reserve pushed the enemy center while a sortie of the knights of Jaffa struck the Fatimid rear, transforming the battle into a rout. Identity: Third Ramla (27 August 1105), not Jaffa 1105 (English Wikipedia).

The failure of Ramla in 1102 showed the fragility of the kingdom. For three years, Baldwin strengthened the fortifications of Jaffa, negotiated the support of Pisan and Genoese sailors and regrouped the surviving knights of Galilee and Nablus. The Fatimids, who wanted to retake the Palestinian coast, returned with a composite army: Sudanese regiments, Armenian archers, Bedouin cavalry and Turkish detachment commanded by Toghtekin. Identity: Third Ramla (27 August 1105), not Jaffa 1105 (English Wikipedia).

Major correction (English Wikipedia Battle of Ramla (1105)): no “Battle of Jaffa” on 27 May/July 1105 with five squadrons and Genoese galleys. The 1105 victory is the Third Ramla (27 August): Fatimids + Damascene Turks; fighting most of the day; Baldwin first beats Turks threatening his rear then decisive charge vs Egyptians; camp looted, no distant pursuit. Last major Fatimid attempt to reconquer Palestine for ~20 years. The 27 May 1102 Jaffa relief belongs to the aftermath of the Second Ramla.

The victory of Jaffa ensured the maritime security of the kingdom for more than a decade and put an end to the great Fatimid offensives. Baldwin can launch raids as far as Ascalon, reinforce the garrisons on the plain and attract new contingents from France and Italy. Royal prestige increased among the maritime republics, an essential condition for subsequent coastal conquests. Identity: Third Ramla (27 August 1105), not Jaffa 1105 (English Wikipedia).