Editing Third Fleet

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Military infobox
|variant=Human
|image=[[File:HWG - Third Fleet.png|300px]]
|formed=
|affiliation=[[United Nations Space Command]]<ref name="evg188">'''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 188''</ref>
|branch=[[UNSC Navy]]{{Ref/Reuse|evg188}}
|type=[[Fleet]]{{Ref/Reuse|evg188}}
|role=Expeditionary<ref name="fb9">'''[[Halo: Fleet Battles]]''', ''Cole Rulebook - page 9''</ref>
|size=
|nicknames=
|battles=*[[Harvest campaign]]{{Ref/Reuse|evg188}}
*[[Battle of Arcadia]]<ref name="journal">'''[[Halo: Reach]]''', ''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]''</ref>
*[[Battle of October 10]]<ref name="loot2">'''[[Halo Legendary Crate]]''', ''[[Halo Legendary Crate/Data Drops|Data Drop #2]]''</ref>
*[[Battle for Earth]]{{Ref/Reuse|loot2}}
|commanders=*[[Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]]{{Ref/Reuse|evg188}}
*[[Vice Admiral]] [[Williams]]{{Ref/Reuse|loot2}}
}}

The '''Third Fleet''' was a numbered expeditionary [[fleet]] in the [[UNSC Navy]].{{Ref/Reuse|fb9}} The Third Fleet participated throughout the [[Human-Covenant War]]. Early in the war, the fleet was led by [[Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]], where the Third Fleet participated in the [[Harvest campaign]] and later the [[Battle of Arcadia]].{{Ref/Reuse|evg188}} The Third Fleet was still active by the time of the [[Battle for Earth]] in [[2552]], where the fleet combined its strength with the [[Home Fleet]].{{Ref/Reuse|loot2}}

==History==
===Harvest campaign and Arcadia===
[[File:ThirdFleet.png|thumb|250px|left|The ''Spirit of Fire'' deployed over Harvest]]
The Third Fleet was commanded by [[Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]] early in the war and took part in the extended [[Harvest campaign|campaign]] to recapture [[Harvest]] from the [[Covenant]], where the Third Fleet engaged the [[Fleet of Glorious Interdiction]] led by [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]].{{Ref/Reuse|evg188}} On [[2531#January|January 3, 2531]], Cole led [[Battle Group D]] of the Third Fleet to a staging area in interstellar space,<ref name="genesis">''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]''</ref> where {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} joined the battle group.{{Ref/Reuse|evg188}} Meanwhile, the rest of the fleet continued to engage Covenant forces over Harvest. While investigating Covenant activity on Harvest's surface, {{UNSCShip|Prophecy}} was attacked by Covenant forces. While she managed to repel the attackers, ''Prophecy'' was damaged and her reactors went critical; [[Commander]] [[Orez]] of the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] informed Cole of the incident. Unable to spare a combat ship to rescue the crew of ''Prophecy'', Cole dispatched ''Spirit of Fire'' for the mission. However, arriving three days after the incident occurred, ''Spirit of Fire'' could only rescue the dying survivors of ''Prophecy'' and initiate the ship's [[self-destruct]] sequence.{{Ref/Reuse|genesis}} Meanwhile, by [[2531#February|February 4, 2531]], Battle Group D had rejoined the rest of the Third Fleet to engage Covenant forces over Harvest.<ref name="timeline">'''[[Halo Wars]]''', ''[[Halo Wars Timeline Events|Timeline Events]]''</ref>

Despite incredible losses over the course of the five-year siege, the Third Fleet was able to finally drive away the Covenant forces at Harvest.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/locations/harvest '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Harvest'']</ref> Following the battle, most of the Third Fleet returned to [[Reach]] in the [[Epsilon Eridani system]] for drydock repairs.<ref>''[[The Spirit]]''</ref> Meanwhile, the crew of ''Spirit of Fire'' discovered that a [[Relic (location)|relic]] the Covenant had found on Harvest contained coordinates that led to the [[Outer Colony]] of [[Arcadia]]. With Cole's permission, ''Spirit of Fire'' broke from the Third Fleet and traveled to Arcadia. On [[2531#February|February 9, 2531]], ''Spirit of Fire'' arrived at Arcadia, where she promptly [[Battle of Arcadia|engaged]] Covenant forces from the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction.<ref name="arcadia">'''Halo Wars''', campaign level, ''[[Arcadia City]]''</ref> Cole soon led the Third Fleet to Arcadia to aid ''Spirit of Fire'' in battle, where he succeeded in driving Covenant forces away from Arcadia.{{Ref/Reuse|journal}} However, ''Spirit of Fire'' was lost when she pursued Covenant forces to an [[Korinth Prior system|unknown region]] of space.{{Ref/Reuse|timeline}}

===Battle for Earth===
Years later, in the final months of the war, the fleet was commanded by [[Vice Admiral]] [[Williams]]. Following the [[Fall of Reach]], the Third Fleet and all remaining assets of the [[UNSC Navy]] were recalled to the [[Sol system]], where they were consolidated into a single command grouping under the [[Home Fleet]], effective [[2552#September|September 5, 2552]]. As approved by [[UNSC High Command]] and the [[UEG Security Council]], [[Fleet Admiral]] [[Joseph Harper]] of the [[Fifth Fleet]] was given administrative and tasking authority of all fleet elements in the Sol system, though the Third Fleet and its fellow fleets retained administrative control over their [[battle group]]s.{{Ref/Reuse|loot2}}

On [[2552#October|October 10, 2552]], the Third Fleet's [[Battle Group Rhino]] detected twelve unidentified large vessels in the system broadcasting outdated [[civilian]] [[IFF]] codes. Upon approach, eleven of the vessels made unauthorized [[slipspace]] transits from the Sol system. Pursuant to standing orders to engage vessels not positively identified as friendly, Battle Group Rhino moved to engage the remaining ship. {{UNSCShip|Totem Lake}} was subsequently lost with all hands after reportedly suffering multiple hull breaches and [[boarding]] parties. The battle group then disengaged and regrouped at [[Phase Line Alpha]] above [[Enceladus]]. Williams requested permission from Harper to attack the ship, but permission was denied. The brief spout of violence in which ''Totem Lake'' was lost came to be known simply as the [[Battle of October 10]], and was later reported on by [[Captain]] [[W. Murray]].{{Ref/Reuse|loot2}}

==Known vessels==
*{{UNSCShip|Everest}} – A {{Class|Valiant|super-heavy cruiser}} commanded by [[Admiral]] [[Preston Cole]], served as the [[flagship]] of the Third Fleet in [[2531]].{{Ref/Reuse|genesis}}
*{{UNSCShip|Prophecy}} – A {{Class|Marathon|heavy cruiser}}, destroyed during the [[Harvest campaign]].{{Ref/Reuse|genesis}}
*{{UNSCShip|Roman Blue}} – A {{Class|Halcyon|light cruiser}} commanded by [[Captain]] [[Terrence Hood]],<ref>'''[[Halo: Escalation]]''', ''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 5|Issue #5]]''</ref> and later Captain [[William Webb]].<ref name="itf257">'''[[Halo: Fractures]]''', "[[Into the Fire]]", ''pages 257-258''</ref>
*{{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} – A modified {{Class|Phoenix|colony ship}} commanded by Captain [[James Cutter]] and attached to [[Battle Group D]], lost following the [[Battle of Arcadia]].{{Ref/Reuse|evg188}}
*{{UNSCShip|Totem Lake}} – A [[carrier]] attached to [[Battle Group Rhino]], destroyed during the [[Battle of October 10]].{{Ref/Reuse|loot2}}

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo Wars]]''
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
**''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Escalation]]''

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{UNSC Naval Fleets}}

[[Category:UNSC Navy fleets]]