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The Knights were divided into seven 'Langues', those of Provence, Auvergne, France, Spain, Italy, England and Germany, they would each defend a section of the walls of the City. Don Garcia, the Viceroy of Sicily, had promised to send 10,000 men by the end of June to aid the Knights' cause. The only strategy the Knights had was to hold out for reinforcements or last long enough for the Turkish forces to be reduced by the inhospitality of the island, illness or the threat of the approach of winter hampering the return of their fleet.
On the Grand Plain outside the city there amassed elite Janissaries, the Spahis cavalry, Algerians from the Barbary coast, seasoned Corsairs, Iayalars who chewed hashish and chanted themselves into battle frenzy, Mameluke warriors from Egypt. Tens of thousands of men, killers from 40 nations and as many tribes, Muslim and Christian, considering each other over the parched earth and gulf of religion which separated them.
The Turks occupied the high point of Mount Sciberras, mounted their artillery and began bombarding Fort Elmo on May 24th. Three
dozen guns pounded Fort St Elmo for six days, the Turkish snipers shooting at anyone exposed. The Knights' forces fired arquebus, enfilading cannon and fire hoops back at the Turks. On May 29th the Christian defenders stormed from the Fort and briefly took Mount Sciberras only to be repelled and driven back to the Fort by the Ottoman Janissaries.
On June 2nd Turgut Reis arrived with a further 1500 men and 15 ships loaded with siege cannons and ammunition, continued bombardment of the Fort was reducing it to rubble. Mustafa, driven by rage and careless with lives, sent waves of men at the Fort only to be slaughtered by the armoured Knights within. Cauldrons of boiling lard were poured and blocks of masonry dropped from the
crumbling Fort onto the attackers below. By June 16th the Turks were wading toward their death through the filth, blood, flies and decapitated bodies of the slain, assailed by fire and musket shot. They had lost 4000 men, the Christian losses inside the Fort amounting to 150. Mustafa offered a truce that he would let the forces in the Fort live if they surrendered, the offer was declined.
Jean de Valette had ordered the removing of the dead and wounded from the Fort during the nights, repairing breaches and sending reinforcements and
ammunition. The Turks, realising they needed to cut off aid, dug a trench cutting off the Fort from any hope of help from outside. On June 18th Turgut Rais was mortally wounded, a serious blow to the Ottoman forces, and also the Aga of the Janissaries. The following day the second-in-command to Mustafa Pasha
was killed. By June 20th the Turkish trench was complete, the defenders inside resigned to their deaths.
On the Grand Plain outside the city there amassed elite Janissaries, the Spahis cavalry, Algerians from the Barbary coast, seasoned Corsairs, Iayalars who chewed hashish and chanted themselves into battle frenzy, Mameluke warriors from Egypt. Tens of thousands of men, killers from 40 nations and as many tribes, Muslim and Christian, considering each other over the parched earth and gulf of religion which separated them.
The Turks occupied the high point of Mount Sciberras, mounted their artillery and began bombarding Fort Elmo on May 24th. Three
dozen guns pounded Fort St Elmo for six days, the Turkish snipers shooting at anyone exposed. The Knights' forces fired arquebus, enfilading cannon and fire hoops back at the Turks. On May 29th the Christian defenders stormed from the Fort and briefly took Mount Sciberras only to be repelled and driven back to the Fort by the Ottoman Janissaries.
On June 2nd Turgut Reis arrived with a further 1500 men and 15 ships loaded with siege cannons and ammunition, continued bombardment of the Fort was reducing it to rubble. Mustafa, driven by rage and careless with lives, sent waves of men at the Fort only to be slaughtered by the armoured Knights within. Cauldrons of boiling lard were poured and blocks of masonry dropped from the
crumbling Fort onto the attackers below. By June 16th the Turks were wading toward their death through the filth, blood, flies and decapitated bodies of the slain, assailed by fire and musket shot. They had lost 4000 men, the Christian losses inside the Fort amounting to 150. Mustafa offered a truce that he would let the forces in the Fort live if they surrendered, the offer was declined.
Jean de Valette had ordered the removing of the dead and wounded from the Fort during the nights, repairing breaches and sending reinforcements and
ammunition. The Turks, realising they needed to cut off aid, dug a trench cutting off the Fort from any hope of help from outside. On June 18th Turgut Rais was mortally wounded, a serious blow to the Ottoman forces, and also the Aga of the Janissaries. The following day the second-in-command to Mustafa Pasha
was killed. By June 20th the Turkish trench was complete, the defenders inside resigned to their deaths.