Courage That Changed The World (The Hall of Faith Series) by Rick Joyner

Author:Rick Joyner [Joyner, Rick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical
Publisher: MorningStar Publications, Inc.
Published: 2013-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

ST. ELMO’S FIRE

Then Mustafa Pasha redirected the main part of his force to capturing the small star fort, St. Elmo, which overlooked the Grand Harbor. This diversion gave la Valette time to make improvements to his other fortifications. Even so, it was apparent that St. Elmo could not hold out for long. The indiscriminate gunfire of the Turk’s earlier sieges at Rhodes had now been replaced by mathematical precision and accuracy. Mustafa Pasha turned his main artillery on the fort with unrelenting fire both day and night. Soon the little fort was crumbling.

One night while in his council chamber in Fort St. Angelo, La Valette was disturbed by an unwelcome delegation. A number of knights had slipped out of St. Elmo and made their way to La Valette to tell him that St. Elmo could no longer hold out. La Valette, himself a hero at Rhodes, derided the younger knights as unworthy of their fathers. He told the delegation they need not go back to St. Elmo, but that he would handpick a delegation to relieve them. Under this scorn, the delegation from St. Elmo begged that they be allowed to return to their post, which La Valette finally permitted. As soon as they had departed, the Grand Master told the council that he knew that the little fort was doomed, but they had to buy more time if the rest were to have any chance.

Smoke and fire were rising from St. Elmo, so it appeared as a volcano spewing out of the rock. It seemed impossible that anyone could live in it, but the remaining young knights in the little fort held their ground. Then the famed Dragut arrived with a fresh squadron of ships and more troops. This raised the morale of the entire Turkish force. Dragut also assumed personal command of the forces.

He directed more batteries to pour their deadly fire into St. Elmo, now from three sides. This continued for three entire weeks. Neither the knights nor the Turks who looked on believed that anyone could survive this battering. Then the Janissaries made their assault, confident of a quick victory. To the great surprise of all, they were repulsed with great losses. Shocked and outraged, Dragut responded with a bombardment so heavy that the entire island shook as if by

an earthquake.

The next day, Dragut sent a second massive assault against the little fort with the layalars preceding the Janissaries. St. Elmo disappeared under the cloud of dust, smoke, and fire. Hours later when the smoke cleared, the knights on St. Angelo and St. Michaels, as well as the entire Ottoman force, stood in disbelief as they saw the Cross of St. John still flying above the crumbled ruins.

La Valette was so moved, he dispatched a relief force of some of his best fighters to the little fort, but the forces encircling it were too strong and they had to turn back. The brave little garrison at St. Elmo was abandoned to its own fate.

The next day, if it were possible, Dragut intensified the bombardment of St.

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