Richard begins his withdrawal from the Holy…

Richard begins his withdrawal from the Holy Land by July 5, 1192.

Having realized that Jerusalem would not be defensible if it were to be captured, he begins the retreat of crusader forces from hostile territory.

Almost immediately after Richard's withdrawal, Saladin, still smarting from his recent defeat at Arsuf, sees a chance for revenge and, on July 27 lays siege to the town of Jaffa, which had served as a base of operations for Richard during his previous march inland towards Jerusalem.

The defending garrison, although taken by surprise, fights well before the odds against them prove too great.

Saladin's soldiers successfully storm the walls after three days of bloody clashes; only Jaffa's citadel holds out and the remaining Crusaders manage to send word of their plight.

Richard subsequently gathers a small army, including a large contingent of Italian sailors, and hurries south.

Upon seeing Muslim banners flying from the walls, he falsely believes the town to be a lost cause, until a defender swims out to his flagship and informs him of the citadel's dire situation.

Still in his sailor's deck shoes, Richard leaps into the sea and wades through the waves to reach the beach.

The King again shows his personal bravery and martial prowess, leading fifty-four knights, a few hundred infantrymen, and about two thousand Genoese and Pisan crossbowmen into battle.

The Muslim army begins to panic at the sudden offensive by Richard's arriving force, fearing it is but a spearhead of a much larger army coming to relieve Jaffa.

Saladin's men are routed.

Many of the Christian prisoners who had surrendered earlier also seize their arms and resume combat, for their captors are in such disarray that they are unable to stop them.

Saladin's fleeing army spills out of Jaffa and escapes in a disorderly manner; Saladin is unable to regroup his forces until they have retreated more than five miles inland.