If you are interested in the Crusades you probably know something of the first Battle of Ramla. It is an intriguing battle because for a while the Fatimids were winning. It ended when the final charge of the Crusading knights killed the Fatimid commanding General. Had that charge failed, like its three predecessors, the Holy Land would, perhaps, have a different history. Let’s have a look at what we know.
The Crusading Army was formed in four divisions. Each comprised of knights and supporting spear men and crossbows. A fifth division of knights was grouped with the King of Jerusalem, a tactical reserve if you like.
The Fatimids should have been organised in three lines. First. The Black infantry, second Armenian and other archers.
Third, and in reserve, the heavy cavalry.
On the flanks stood Bedouin bands ready to envelop the enemy.
Or so we think, that seems to have been Fatimid usual deployment. We don’t actually have a good Moslem account of the battle. What follows is drawn from the Frankish view.
The Frankish plan seems to have been to deliver a number of shocks to the Fatimid front line that would eventually shatter it. That front line, we think, was comprised of Black infantry. Let’s consider them.
First, we can say these were good troops. Second, we can add that they were properly protected in the Moslem manner. Not only did they wear the lighter Moslem armour they also benefited from the shooting of supporting archers. The Black infantry are often envisaged as serried ranks of spearmen. That isn’t what stuck in the Frankish collective memory.
For the Frankish chroniclers, the Black infantry threw javelins at close range and then fought hand to hand with concussive weapons. They must have been formed up in some depth because they withstood three Knightly charges. Let’s examine those.
The first charge was led by Bervold. It went home, presumably taking shooting casualties to horses and perhaps men, on the way in. The Blacks held the impact of Knights and then killed all but one of them. Or, perhaps they held them and the Fatimid cavalry advanced to finish the job? We don’t know. Either way, it was the doings of the Black soldiers that held Frankish attention.
The second charge was led by Geldemar Carpinel. It too was destroyed save for two Knights.
Hugh of Tiberias led the third charge. It was held and repulsed but more Knights survived to retreat.
We should understand that the casualties among the Black infantry must have been high at this stage of the battle. But, and it’s an important qualifier, they had held and beat the best the Franks had.
Baldwin King of Jerusalem then led his remaining two divisions of Knights directly against the Fatimid Commander-and killed him. That is what we know, that and the fact that the Fatimid Army then fell apart.
It raises questions in my mind. Was the Fatimid Commander with his cavalry in the third line? If so, Baldwin and co’ drove through the Black infantry, and scattered the archers. Then Baldwin and his immediate companions reached the Fatimid General and Baldwin killed him with a lance thrust.
Or, perhaps the Fatimid General had advanced to inspire his valiant Black infantry in that case he would have been easier to reach.
I suspect this may have been so. Baldwin was still using his lance and seemingly at speed. How do we know this? Baldwin apparently struck so hard “That the white pennant at the tip of his lance lodged in the dying Emir’s stomach”. That seems to be the impact of a man on a charging destrier not the thrust of a knight slowed up by fighting his way through determined infantry.
Should you accept the analysis it also might explain why the Fatimid cavalry did not engage en masse on the day. Once their General was dead there was no one remaining senior enough to order them to do so.
Instead, they rode off the battlefield. With few if any losses they would be available to the next commander the Caliph appointed.
The Bedouin were likewise mounted and could avoid any further fighting.
The Black infantry were forced to run for it. The archers more lightly armed probably outpaced them.
That was the first of the Crusader battles fought at Ramla. It is claimed as a Frankish victory or some say, given the number of dead knights, perhaps a draw. Whichever, it makes me think that the Black infantry could be very good troops indeed.
By chance I happened to come across an account of Calabrian infantry fighting Norman cavalry. The Calabrians described as "warlike" also threw javelins at close range. They killed some of the leading Normans and drove off the rest. Food for thought.
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