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====Frank bridgehead in Ruad==== In the end of 1300, another message came from Ghazan asking to coordinate operations, inviting the Cypriots to meet him in Armenia.<ref name=schein-811/> The Cypriots then prepared a land-based force of approximately 600 men: 300 under [[Amalric, Prince of Tyre|Amalric of Lusigan]], son of [[Hugh III of Cyprus]], and similar contingents from the Templars and Hospitallers.<ref name=schein-811/> The men and their horses were ferried from Cyprus to a staging area on the island of [[Arwad Island|Ruad]], a mile off the coast of [[Tortosa]].<ref name=demurger-147/><ref name=schein-811/> From there, they had a certain amount of success attacking Tortosa (some sources say they engaged in raids, others that they captured the city), but when the hoped-for Mongol reinforcements were delayed (sources differ on whether the delay was caused by weather or illness), the Crusaders had to retreat to Ruad.<ref>"The Trial of the Templars", [[Malcolm Barber]], 2nd edition, page 22: "In November, 1300, James of Molay and the king's brother, [[Amaury of Lusignan]], attempted to occupy the former Templar stronghold of [[Tortosa]]. A force of 600 men, of which the Templars supplied about 150, failed to establish itself in the town itself, although they were able to leave a garrison of 120 men on the island of [[Ruad]], just off the coast.</ref><ref>"That year [1300], a message came to Cyprus from Ghazan, king of the Tatars, saying that he would come during the winter, and that he wished that the Franks join him in Armenia (...) [[Amalric, Prince of Tyre|Amalric of Lusignan]], [[Officers of the Kingdom of Jerusalem|Constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem]], arrived in November (...) and brought with him 300 knights, and as many or more of the Templars and Hospitallers (...) In February a great admiral of the Tatars, named Cotlesser, came to Antioch with 60,000 horsemen, and requested the visit of the king of Armenia, who came with [[Guy of Ibelin]], [[County of Jaffa and Ascalon|Count of Jaffa]], and [[Jean II de Giblet|John, lord of Giblet]]. And when they arrived, Cotelesse told them that Ghazan had met great trouble of wind and cold on his way. Cotlesse raided the land from [[Aleppo|Haleppo]] to [[Homs|La Chemelle]], and returned to his country without doing more". - Le Templier de Tyre, Chap 620-622. Quoted in Demurger, p.147. Original:[http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/GuillaumeTyr5.html Guillame de Tyr (William of Tyre), Historia rerum in partibus transmarinis gestarum #620-622]</ref> According to historian Malcom Barber, this suggests a considerable effort on the part of the Templars, as the manpower being engaged corresponds to "close to half the size of the normal complement for the twelfth-century Kingdom of Jerusalem".<ref>Malcom Barber, ''The New Knighthood'', p. 294</ref> However, when the Mongols still did not appear, the majority of the Christian forces returned to Cyprus, though they left a garrison on Ruad which was manned by rotating groups of different Cypriot forces.
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