What prompted Bernard of Tremelay to give the order that only his own men should storm the breach in Ascalon’s walls? He must surely have expected support from the rest of the army behind them. What is certain is that it was the last significant decision he ever made. Inside a city that had been under siege for six months, the Templars found themselves outnumbered by desperate men. The citizens picked up their weapons and moved in. Others dragged beams of wood toward the hole in the wall and started building barricades. The Templars were trapped. Even if there had been an escape route, their
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