Editing Sixth Crusade (section)

=== Crusaders depart ===
The port of Brindisi was designated as the departure point and by mid-summer 1227, large numbers of Crusaders had arrived. The crowded conditions and high heat contributed to general discontent and disease among the assembled troops. Many returned home, leaving some transports unused. Others died, including Siegfried von Rechberg, the [[Prince-Bishopric of Augsburg#1000 to 1300|bishop of Augsburg]].

The first contingents of Crusaders sailed August 1227 and arrived in Syria early October. They included Germans under the command of [[Thomas I of Aquino|Thomas of Aquino]] and [[Henry IV, Duke of Limburg|Henry of Limburg]], and French and English under the command of the bishops [[Peter des Roches]] and [[William Briwere]]. Arriving at Acre, they joined with forces of the kingdom and fortified the coastal towns of Caesarea and Jaffa. They forced the Muslims of Damascus out of Sidon and fortified the island of [[Sidon Sea Castle|Qal'at al-Bahr]]. The Germans rebuilt [[Montfort Castle]], northeast of Acre, for the Teutonic Knights.{{sfn|Hardwicke|1969|pp=542–543|loc=Frederick becomes king}}

The emperor and his contingent were delayed while their ships were refitted. They sailed on 8 September 1227, but before they reached their first stop of [[Otranto]] many, including Frederick, were struck with the plague. Louis of Thuringia had, in fact, died. Frederick disembarked to secure medical attention. Resolved to keep his oath, he sent a fleet of twenty galleys on to Acre.{{sfn|Archer|1904|pp=365–366|loc=Fleets and Ships}} This included Hermann of Salza, Gérold of Lausanne, Odo of Montbéliard and Balian of Sidon. The Crusade was now under the command of [[Henry IV, Duke of Limburg]].

In February or March 1228, [[al-Aziz Uthman ibn al-Adil|al-Aziz Uthman of Banyas]] ambushed a group of crusaders near Tyre, killing or capturing some seventy horsemen.{{sfn|Humphreys|1977|pp=194–195}}