Siege of Damietta

Significance

The Siege of Damietta on 12 June 1249 was a French-led operation during the Seventh Crusade, commanded by Louis IX of France alongside Guillaume de Sonnac and Jean de Ronay. The city of Damietta had strategic importance in the Nile Delta as a gateway for any crusader advance into Egypt, and its capture was a necessary precondition for the campaign Louis IX had organized against the Ayyubid sultanate. The French force committed to the operation numbered 15,000. Beyond its place as an early operational objective of the Seventh Crusade, the specific outcome and its consequences for the broader campaign are not recorded in the available sources.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)