Editing Second Battle of Mombasa

{{Ratings}}
{{Era|H3}}
{{battle
|prev=[[Battle of Voi]]
|conc=[[Second Battle of Earth]]
|next=
|name= Second Battle of Mombasa
|image= [[Image:Time to Believe.jpg|300px]]
|conflict=[[Human-Covenant war]]
|date=November [[2552]] (during [[7]] days)
|place=[[Mombasa]], [[Kenya]], [[Earth]]
|result= [[UNSC]] victory
|side1= [[United Nations Space Command]]
|side2= [[Covenant Loyalists]]
|commanders1=*Unknown Marine Officer
*Lord Hood
|commanders2=Unknown Chieftain
|forces1= *[[UNSC Marine Corps]]
**[[77th Marine Regiment|77<sup>th</sup> Marine Regiment]]
**[[506th Tank Regiment|506<sup>th</sup> Tank Regiment]]
|forces2= *[[Covenant Army|Covenant Loyalist Army]]
**[[Brutes (Jiralhanae)]]
**[[Hunters (Mgalekgolo)]]
**[[Grunts (Unggoy)]]
**[[Jackals (Kig-yar)]]
|casual1=Unknown, probably heavy
|casual2=Unknown, probably heavy
}}
The '''Second Battle of Mombasa''' was a bloody engagement between [[UNSC]] and [[Covenant Loyalist]] forces <ref>http://halo3.com/believe/test/shell.html</ref>.

==Background==
It appears that the [[Battle of Mombasa]] did not end with its entire destruction. Later, during the [[Second Battle of Earth]], [[Human]] and [[Covenant]] forces clashed again in its ruins, both forces surging forward to capture it and whatever prize or tactical value it may have held. The battle took place in the weeks immediately after the [[Prophet of Regret]]'s retreat to [[Installation 05]], lasting until [[John 117]]'s return to Earth aboard [[Truth]]'s [[Forerunner]] [[Keyship]].

Elements from both the [[506th Tank Regiment]] and the [[77th Marine Regiment]] battled furiously for it, with snipers from both sides taking a heavy toll upon the enemy. Ultimately, the battle lasted [[seven]] days, with the UNSC forces in a desperate situation.

==Timeline==

===October 20th, 2552===
===Regret retreats===
The [[Prophet of Regret]], having suffered heavy casualties on the ground at the hands of the Master Chief, entered Slipspace from within [[New Mombasa]], unleashing a powerful explosion that caused great damage to the city - heavy enough to sever the cities space tether, causing its catastrophic collapse onto the Kenyan Savanna. Regret's now severed ground forces and the UNSC defense forces surged forward into the city to secure whatever prize or tactical advantage the ruins might have held.

===Battle for the Landing Zone===
The Second Battle of [[Mombasa]] took place in 2552. The battle began on the outskirts of the city, where UNSC and Covenant forces engaged each other in a bitter fight for control of a Landing Zone. The UNSC never gained full control of it, always being pushed back by the Covenant whenever they seemed to secure it and vice versa.

===The Northern Bridge Falls===
Despite a valiant defense by the Marines, there was no way they could hold the bridge for much longer. With Brute forces surging over it and hitting the Marines' vulnerable flanks, there was only one option remaining. At 14:00, the order came through to destroy the bridge, to force the enemy down into the Valley where UNSC trenches lay to slaughter the enemy with fire from elevated positions. However, this was not the case as the [[Covenant]] forces had already begun to surge down the trenches with the destruction of the Bridge.

===The Hill===
The most ferocious and bloody bottleneck in the battle, the UNSC forces sent to defend it took 2/3rds casualties. After the second bridge was destroyed, the trenches at the foot of here, a last ditch defensive measure, came under heavy attack, garnering heavy Marine casualties.

===Snipers===
Snipers from both sides battled for control, with UNSC Snipers fighting on one end of the destroyed southern bridge and Covenant [[Jackal sniper]]s halting Marines outside the Landing Zone before being routed by UNSC infantry and tanks.

===The 506th arrive===
Tasked with securing a road to the southern bridge span, the [[506th Tank Regiment]] plowed forward, taking heavy casualties. Though outnumbered, they took their objective, leaving a path for the second wave of [[Marines|UNSC infantry]] to follow.

===November 2nd, 2552===
===The Loyalist Fleet Arrives===
The Loyalist fleet, the remnant ships of the [[Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity]] that were seized by the [[Jiralhanae]] during the [[Great Schism]] entered the system 24 hours before Truth's dreadnought returned to Earth. After the sub-fleet of Furious Redemption scored an overwhelming victory in the [[Battle of Mare Erythraeum]] The combined Covenant invasion force (between 30 and 90 ships strong) initiated a bloody orbital battle with the home fleet of Earth. 

Though weakened, the traditional 3:1 kill rate of the superior covenant technology allowed the Loyalist fleet to smash what was left of the home fleet and MAC array after the [[First Battle of Earth]], giving the Covenant the upper hand in establishing air, ground and orbital superiority. 

The Covenant, now unopposed, began orbital bombardment of areas surrounding Mombasa and used sustained energy projection to uncover the Ark Portal.

===November 17th, 2552===
===John's Return===
After nearly a month of continuous battle<ref>http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=16989</ref>, John 117 returned to Earth aboard Truth's forerunner dreadnought after the [[First Battle of High Charity]]. The remainder of the UNSC defense forces, now regrouped and liberated by the Chief's return, began to draw plans for the [[Battle of Voi]].

==Other Notable UNSC Combatants==
*'''[[Pawel Czernek]]'''- Major Pawel Czernek, who was active for 30 years in the UNSC from 2551 to 2581. He was one of the few surviving combatants who fought in The Battle of New Mombasa. Filmed in a documentary circa the turn of the 27th century at the [[Museum of Humanity]]. He related his role in the battle while examining a diorama of the battle - he manned an overturned [[Warthog|Warthog's]] turret - and described the morale Master Chief engendered during the battle ("We knew Master Chief was in the fight. He gave us hope.") The elderly Maj. Czernek wears a prosthetic metal right leg. It is unclear where or when he suffered that traumatic injury.<ref>[http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=2606 GameTrailers "The Museum" video]</ref>
*'''[[Ian Callahan]]'''- A soldier who was captured by two [[Jackals]] during the Battle of New Mombasa, and saved by an unknown Marine.<ref name="mombasa">[http://halo3.com/believe "Believe" Halo 3 site]</ref>
*'''[[James Dessen]]'''- Corporal James Dessen was posthumously awarded a [[Red Legion of Honor]] medal for his extraordinary bravery during the Battle of New Mombasa.<ref name="mombasa">[http://halo3.com/believe "Believe" Halo 3 site]</ref>
*'''[[Thomas P. Porter]]'''- A [[Scorpion tank]] driver during the Battle of New Mombasa.<ref name="mombasa">[http://halo3.com/believe "Believe" Halo 3 site]</ref>
*'''[[Thomas Chang]]'''- Sergeant Chang was a veteran of numerous battles with the Covenant, and successfully completed the task of securing a forward HQ during the Battle of New Mombasa. He was killed during a Covenant air assault.<ref name="mombasa">[http://halo3.com/believe "Believe" Halo 3 site]</ref>   
*'''[[Jackson Law]]'''- The sole survivor of a [[Warthog]] patrol during the Battle of New Mombasa. He sustained serious injuries when his warthog was destroyed by Covenant plasma bombardment.<ref name="mombasa">[http://halo3.com/believe "Believe" Halo 3 site]</ref>   
*'''[[Sian Wong]]'''- A UNSC sniper during the Battle of New Mombasa. Sustained severe burn injuries from a retaliatory [[Banshee]] strike.<ref name="mombasa">[http://halo3.com/believe "Believe" Halo 3 site]</ref>   
*'''[[Russel Tinnier]]'''- A UNSC marine during the Battle of New Mombasa assigned to destroy a strategic bridge.<ref name="mombasa">[http://halo3.com/believe "Believe" Halo 3 site]</ref>
*'''[[Thomas C. Meyer]]'''- A UNSC marine who used his rocket launcher to destroy the bridge alongside Tinnier.<ref name="mombasa">[http://halo3.com/believe "Believe" Halo 3 site]</ref>   
*'''[[Emmanuel "Emmet" Lomax|Emmanuel Lomax]]'''- "Emmet" Lomax encountered [[John-117|Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, John-117]] during the Battle of New Mombasa, after receiving a precious 4 hours sleep in an abandoned building.<ref name="mombasa">[http://halo3.com/believe "Believe" Halo 3 site]</ref>
*'''[[Caio Zanato]]'''- Sole survivor of his squad during the Battle of New Mombasa, promoted to the rank of [[Private First Class]].<ref name="mombasa">[http://halo3.com/believe "Believe" Halo 3 site]</ref>
*'''[[Niraj Shah]]''' was a UNSC sniper during the battle on the Hill.<ref name="mombasa">[http://halo3.com/believe "Believe" Halo 3 site]</ref>
==Trivia==
*This battle was portrayed in the lead-up advertising campaign prior to Halo 3's release. The fashion in which it is portrayed is considered to be non-canon. It was part of Microsoft's Halo 3 Ad Campaign and not Bungie's work. Microsoft at that time had no control or idea of [[Halo 3]]'s story, and therefore it is not present in said canon. Also, it does not appear in [[Halo 3]] or [[Halo: Uprising]].
*It is speculated that, as the diorama was supposedly made as part of a museum display many years after the war, that it may in fact be an intentional distortion of what actually happened, in order to prevent knowledge of the [[Forerunner]], the [[Halo]]s, and the [[Ark]] from being gained by civilians. This would fit with the fact that there has been no description of such a battle in any other location. Likewise, the battle indeed may ''have'' taken place, with [[John-117]]'s participation added to provide an official explanation for his disappearance.
*There are no Elites shown in this battle, this is because their fleet, although had established an alliance with Humanity, did not officially arrive back at Earth until the battle of [[Voi]] (aside from the [[Thel 'Vadam|The Arbiter]]).

==Images==
<gallery>
Image:Halo3 panoramaA 001-1-.jpg|Marine fire teams defeat [[Brute]] forces outside of the LZ.
Image:Halo3 diorama 1352-1-.jpg|The Covenant advance is halted by the destruction of the northern bridge.
Image:Halo3 panoramaC 001-1-.jpg|Marines fall under the relentless advance of the Covenant War Machine.
Image:Halo3 diorama 0749-2-.jpg|The snipers of the 77th Marines pick off Covenant soldiers from their elevated position.
Image:Halo3 panoramaB 006-1-.jpg|The Scorpions of the 506th Tank Regiment arrive.
Image:Halo3 panoramaD 001-1-.jpg|John prepares to launch his attack.
Image:Halo3 panoramaA 096.jpg|Marines of the 77th regiment engage some Brutes.
</gallery>

==Related Articles==
*[[Human-Covenant War]]
*[[First Battle of Earth]]
**[[Battle of Mombasa]]
*[[Second Battle of Earth]]
**[[Battle of Voi]]

==Sources==
<references/>
{{Human-Covenant War}}
[[Category:Battle|Mombasa]]
[[Category:Human-Covenant War]]