" Battle of the Orontes river." Topic

"In the year 1141, Lord Andrus de Renard, First Marshall of Tripoli, under pressure from the powerful Knights Hospitaller and other lords of Tripoli seeking to expand their lands, sanctioned a spring raid into the disputed border areas between his fiefdom and the Emirate of Homs. The initial surprise attack cornered a wealthy merchant convoy at Wadi Al Salah, slaughtering and plundering it. Their bloodlust and greed for more plunder now up, the raiders immediately continued to the reputedly wealthy temple at Holy Qadr. Defended by locals and brave muslim guards, the sacred shrine was none-the-less overrun, looted and burnt. These first raids had caught the Emir of Homs off guard and, seeing their chance, the invading crusaders pressed on north, towards Homs, first coming to the small desert town of Alhouz. Here, the Imam of Alhouz met the Crusaders in open battle, and, in a desperate engagement on the plains outside of town, defeated the Crusaders and forced them to retreat. This they did, but only into the Orontes river valley, with its plentiful water supply and further rich pickings for plunder. Lord Renard regrouped his army after the Alhouz reversal and appraised his next move. How would Homs react? Should he retreat now with his plunder or could he conqueror the fertile lands around the Orontes for Tripoli's lords?…."

Full battle here
link

Amicalement
Armand