View source for Battle for Earth

{{Status|Canon}}
{{disambig header|the major battle at the end of the [[Human-Covenant War]]|smaller conflicts during the [[post-war era]]|Battle of Earth (disambiguation)}}
{{Battle infobox
|name     = Battle for Earth
|image    = [[File:Battle for Earth compilation.png|300px]]<br>Clockwise from top left: The [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration]] above the [[European Union]]; [[Alpha-Five]] dropping into [[Mombasa]]; [[John-117]] supposedly at the [[Second Battle of New Mombasa]]; a {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}} over [[Cleveland]]; a [[Phantom]] reinforcing the Covenant in [[Sector Six]]; John-117 and [[Thel 'Vadam]] watch as ''[[Indulgence of Conviction]]'' crash lands into [[Voi]].
|prev     = *[[Fall of Reach]] {{c|[[Siege of the Inner Colonies]]}}
*[[Operation: FIRST STRIKE]] {{c|[[John-117]]}}
*[[Battle of October 10]] {{c|[[Sol system]]}}
|conc     = *[[Battle of Installation 05]]
**[[Fall of High Charity]]
*[[Onyx Conflict]]
*[[Battle of Mare Erythraeum]]
*[[Skirmish on Mona Lisa]] {{c|isolated engagement}}
*[[Battle of Luna]]
|next     = *[[Battle of Installation 00]]
*[[Operation: SUNSPEAR]] {{c|Post-War}}
|conflict = *[[Human-Covenant War]]
**[[Siege of the Inner Colonies]]
*[[Great Schism]]
|date     = [[2552#October|October 20, 2552]]{{Ref/Site|Id=bungie|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=16989|Site=bungie.net|Page=Bungie Weekly Update 01/23/09}}{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} – c. [[2552#December|December 3, 2552]]{{Ref/Note|Id=battleend|While no official date has been given to the end of the Battle for Earth, the currently last known engagement during the battle, the [[Operation: MARSH FLASH]] in [[Arizona]], took place on December 3, although it's still possible that other engagements on some other countries or continents was still occuring after the [[URNA Southwest Campaign]] ended.}}{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}}
|place    = [[Earth]], [[Sol system]]
|result   = '''[[UEG]]/[[Fleet of Retribution]] victory'''
*Covenant invasion successfully repelled; most surviving forces flee to [[Installation 00]]
*Earth brutally [[orbital bombardment|bombarded]]{{Ref/Reuse|Id=H3CN}} but full [[glassing]] averted; parts of [[Africa]] are, including in the excavation of the [[Portal at Voi]]
*Catastrophic reduction of Earth's population{{Ref/Reuse|Id=bestiarum}} and majority of cities destroyed{{Ref/Reuse|Id=HUI1}}
*Local Flood infestation contained{{Ref/Reuse|Id=H3Flood}}
|side1 = *{{Icon|UEG}} [[Unified Earth Government|UEG]]
**{{Icon|UNSC HCW}} [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]]
***{{Icon|Army}} [[UNSC Army]]
***{{Icon|Navy}} [[UNSC Navy]]
***[[UNSC Marine Corps]]
***[[UNSC Air Force]]
**{{Icon|NMPD}} [[New Mombasa Police Department|NMPD]]
**[[Civilian]] militias
***[[Spartan 1.1 faction]]
----
Post-Great Schism:
*{{Icon|Covenant FB}} [[Covenant separatists]] {{C|from [[2552#November|November 3, 2552]] onwards}}
**[[Fleet of Retribution]]
|side2 = *{{Icon|Covenant FB}} [[Covenant]]
**[[Covenant military]]
***[[Covenant fleet]]
|side3 = *[[Flood]] {{c|briefly on November 17}}
|commanders1 =
*[[Secretary of Defense|SOD]] [[Paul Huphy Russel]]
*[[Fleet Admiral|FADM]] [[Terrence Hood]] 
*[[Fleet Admiral|FADM]] [[Joseph Harper]]
*[[Major General|MAJ GEN]] [[Nicolas Strauss]]
*[[Admiral|ADM]] [[I. Zhou]]
*[[Admiral|ADM]] [[Say My Name Actual]]
*[[Colonel|COL]] [[James Ackerson]]†
----
Post-Great Schism:
*[[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]]
*[[Fleetmaster]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]]
|commanders2 =
Pre-Mombasa:
*[[Hierarchs|High]] [[Prophet of Regret]]
*[[Shipmaster]] [[Rhul 'Salmutee]]
Post-Mombasa:
*[[Hierarchs|High]] [[Prophet of Truth]]
*[[Minister of Inquisition]]†
*[[Shipmaster]] [[Lepidus]]
*[[Kaidon]] [[Thav 'Sebarim]]{{Ref/Reuse|thav}} {{c|Pre-Great Schism}}
|commanders3 = [[Gravemind]]
|forces1 =
See [[Participants in the Battle for Earth|here for details on participating forces]]
*300 [[orbital defense platform|ODP]]s{{Ref/Level|Id=H2TA|Game=Halo 2|Level=The Armory}}
*[[UNSC Home Fleet|Home Fleet]]
**Virtually all the remaining fleets{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}}
***[[Battle Group Omicron]]
***[[Second Fleet]]{{Ref/Reuse|goo204}}
***[[Third Fleet]]{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}}
***[[Fifth Fleet]]{{Ref/Reuse|H2CS}}
***[[Seventh Fleet]]{{Ref/Reuse|goo204}}
****[[Battle Group Victory]]{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}}
***[[Sixth Battle Group]]
***[[Sixteenth Fleet]]{{Ref/Reuse|goo204}}
***[[Sol Defense Group 3/A-5]]{{Ref/Reuse|landfall}}
***[[Epsilon Eridani Fleet]] remnants
****[[Battle Group Leviathan]] remnants
*Numerous military land and air ground forces
*Numerous civilian assets{{Ref/Reuse|OSFM69}}
----
Post-Great Schism:
*[[Fleet of Retribution]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}}
**1+ [[battle group]]
*Several ground forces
**[[Sangheili]]
|forces2 =
See [[Participants in the Battle for Earth|here for details on participating forces]]
*[[Fleet of Sacred Consecration]] {{c|Pre-Mombasa}}
**15 ships{{Ref/Reuse|H2CS}}
*[[Covenant fleet|Multiple Covenant fleets]] {{c|Post-Mombasa}}
**[[Truth's fleet|Truth's forces]]
***One [[Truth's fleet#Battle of Mombasa|excavation fleet]]{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}}
***Over 320 ships{{Ref/Site|Id=truthsfleet|URL=https://twitter.com/halo/status/1192836473340362753|Site=Twitter|Page=#TodayInHalo, 2552 – Aboard the Forerunner dreadnought, the Prophet of Truth arrives in our solar system with the Covenant's largest invasion force in tow and heads towards Earth. #FictionFriday|Y=2014|D=04|M=02}}  {{c|November 8}}
****[[High Charity defense fleet]] remnants{{Ref/Reuse|H2GJ}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}
**[[Fleet of Furious Redemption]]{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}}
*Numerous ground forces
**[[Jiralhanae]]
**[[Sangheili]] {{c|Pre-Great Schism}}
**[[Mgalekgolo]]
**[[Kig-Yar]]
**[[Unggoy]]
**[[Yanme'e]]
**[[Huragok]]
|forces3 =*1 captured {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}}
*Several [[infection forms]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}}
*Several [[combat forms]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}}
*Several [[carrier forms]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}}
*Several [[pure forms]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}}
|casual1 = Extreme{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}
*Majority of the [[UNSC Home Fleet|Home Fleet]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}}
*[[Moncton-class orbital weapon platform|2+ ODPs]]{{Ref/Reuse|H2CS}}
*Majority of ground forces
**Unknown number among the Fleet of Retribution
|casual2 =Very heavy
*Massive terrestrial and exoatmospheric losses{{Ref/Reuse|HUI4}}
**Majority of the Fleet of Sacred Consecration
|casual3 = Completely sterilized
|civilian1=Civilian losses in the billions{{Ref/Novel|Gla|Chapter=6}}
}}
{{Series/Battle/Battle for Earth}}
{{Quote|[[UNSC|We]] [[Massacre of the Outer Colonies|ran]] from them. [[Covenant|They]] [[Siege of the Inner Colonies|followed]]. We thought they'd [[Cole Protocol|never find]] [[Earth|us]]... we were wrong.|[[Cortana]]<ref>''[[Halo 2 commercial]]''</ref>}}

The '''Battle for Earth''',{{Ref/Reuse|Id=hnbc8}}{{Ref/Reuse|OSFM69}} also referred to as the '''Earth Sustained Defense Campaign''',{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} was one of the largest, bloodiest and latest engagements fought between the [[Covenant]] and the forces of the [[Unified Earth Government]] (primarily those of the [[United Nations Space Command]]), at the end of the approximately twenty-seven year-long{{Ref/Note|The war was definitely concluded on December 11, 2552 when the Prophet of Truth was killed. However, an official cessation of hostilities did not come until March 3, 2553.}} [[Human-Covenant War]], which took place on and above the planet [[Earth]] from [[2552#October|October 20]] to at least [[2552#December|December 3, 2552]].{{Ref/NoteReuse|battleend}} It was one of the most important battles of the war, as the fate of humanity depended on the survival of its homeworld and seat of its [[UEG|government]].{{Ref/Note|While [[Insurrectionist|not all]] of humanity believes itself to be subject to the UEG, the UEG claims authority over all of humanity.}}

Though the invasion took place on a global scale, the most significant conflicts occurred in the [[East African Protectorate]] in the form of three battles fought within and between the cities of [[Mombasa]] and [[Voi]], collectively referred to as the [[First Battle of Mombasa|first]], [[Second Battle of Mombasa|second]], and [[Battle of Voi|third]] battles of Mombasa.{{Ref/Game|Id=HSA|Game=Halo: Spartan Assault|What=co-op introductory cutscene}} The conflict began when the [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration]], under the command of the [[Prophet of Regret]], arrived on October 20 with intentions of traveling through the [[Portal at Voi|portal]] that a [[luminary]] in its possession pointed to. This move was made without the consent of the other two [[Hierarchs]] and in ignorance regarding the status of this planet as [[human]]ity's homeworld. Faced with the full might of the [[UNSC Home Fleet]], it was not long before Regret's [[Solemn Penance|flagship]] fled to [[Installation 05]]. Soon after this, the Prophet of Truth initiated his plans to [[Changing of the Guard|replace]] [[Sangheili]] with [[Jiralhanae]] and assume control over the entirety of the hierarchal triumvirate. The Jiralhanae occupation forces left behind by Regret assumed control of all remaining local Covenant forces on and over New Mombasa by secretly killing all abandoned Sangheili in the city to secure Truth's later arrival following the beginning of the [[Great Schism]]. Later on the next day, a large [[Truth's fleet|Jiralhanae support and excavation fleet]]<!--Halo Waypoint confirms that Truth's fleet arrived on October 21st--> sent by Truth was then dispatched to Mombasa and begin to [[Glassing|glass]] most of [[Republic of Kenya|Kenya,]] alongside the remnants of Regret's fleet while additional Covenant reinforcements continued to appear in the system and began a resurgent and larger assault on the planet.{{Ref/Reuse|waypointvergil}}{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint}}{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}}

At this point, the fight for Earth began in earnest. Smaller battles were waged all across the world, from the UEG capital of [[Sydney]], [[Australia]], to [[Cleveland]], [[URNA]], to [[Havana]], Cuba, and to [[Mount Erebus]], [[Antarctica]] and multiple other locations even when the Sangheili and now Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces turned on each other following the beginning of the [[Great Schism]].{{Ref/Reuse|encycearth}}{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}}{{Ref/Reuse|goo204}}{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}} By November 17 after very hard fighting, most of the Home Fleet had been obliterated by substantial Covenant naval forces loyal to the [[San'Shyuum|Prophets]], including the Prophet of Truth,{{Ref/Reuse|H2GJ}} and the majority of cities were destroyed as well throughout the battle.{{Ref/Reuse|HUI3}} After defenders and the orbital defense grid were overwhelmed, the Earth had been massively devastated by a large Covenant [[orbital bombardment|bombardment]], resulting in catastrophic human casualties.{{Ref/Reuse|H3CN}} It was on this date that the Prophet of Truth himself, aboard the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] and with [[John-117|Spartan-117]] in tow, arrived and headed straight for the [[Portal at Voi|Excession]], by then fully excavated. Upon interfacing with the [[keyship]], the portal was activated and a large contingent of the remaining Covenant fleet under the Prophet's command departed through the [[Portal at Voi|Portal]] with the intention of activating the [[Halo Array]] from [[Installation 00|the Ark]].{{Ref/Reuse|H3Storm}}

Almost immediately after this, the [[Flood]] arrived aboard a [[Indulgence of Conviction|captured]] {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}, which crashed down in the town of [[Voi]]. A [[battle group]] assigned to the [[Fleet of Retribution]], a [[Covenant separatists|Covenant separatist]] fleet allied with the UNSC against Truth and his loyalists, was permitted to [[glass]] a large portion of [[Kenya]] to prevent the parasite's spread. With the threat from the Flood dealt with and the bulk of Covenant forces gone, several UNSC forces accompanied the Fleet of Retribution in pursuit of Truth.{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}} The remainder of UNSC forces remained behind to defend Earth from an expected full-scale Flood invasion and also began a major counteroffensive to eliminate all Covenant that remained.{{Ref/Reuse|H3Flood}}{{Ref/Reuse|lootcrate2}}

Official accounts report that, faced with the potential of human extinction at the hands of an alien hegemony, a significant number of civilians joined the UNSC forces to repel the Covenant throughout the campaign on Earth with many becoming an instrumental part of the war effort.{{Ref/Book|Id=OSFM69|OSFM|Page=69}}{{Ref/Reuse|HUI1}}