Marathon-class heavy cruiser: Difference between revisions

Built as a replacement for the aging {{Class|Halcyon|light cruiser}},<ref name="universe"/> the ''Marathon'' class is nearly 1.2 kilometers in length, making it one of the largest [[warship]]s used by the UNSC and often served as the backbone of a fleet. Due to their limited numbers, ''Marathon''-class heavy cruisers are typically commanded by officers of the [[Rear Admiral|rear admiral]] rate or higher.<ref name="ENC"/>

[[File:HFB-UNSCLeviathan.png|thumb|250px|left|{{UNSCShip|Leviathan}}, [[Michael Stanforth]]'s [[flagship]]]]

At {{Convert|1192|m|ft|sp=us}} long,<ref name="EVG"/> ''Marathon''-class heavy [[cruiser]]s are approximately three times the length of a typical [[UNSC frigate|frigate]]. Cruisers of the ''Marathon'' class were large vessels within the [[UNSC fleet]], though they were dwarfed by their [[Covenant]] [[Covenant cruiser|counterparts]].<ref name="ENC"/> At 100,000 tons,<ref name="goo53"/> ships of the ''Marathon'' class have approximately three times the tonnage of their predecessors—the {{Class|Halcyon|light cruiser}}s.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 270'' (2010)</ref> ''Marathon''-class heavy cruisers have a similar profile to most cruisers within the [[UNSC Navy]]. Unlike the ''Halcyon'' class, the ventral surfaces of a ''Marathon'' class are concave rather than flat. ''Marathon''s have 191 centimeter-thick layers of [[Titanium-A armor]], allowing them to sustain far greater damage than any frigate or [[UNSC destroyer|destroyer]].<ref name="ENC"/> Vessels of the ''Marathon'' class are renowned for their durability and extraordinary resilience.<ref name="universe"/> Their ability to withstand massive amounts of damage, even from numerous blasts from [[plasma]] weaponry, made the ''Marathon'' class popular among [[UNSC]] officers.<ref name="ENC"/> By [[2552]], ''Marathon''s were considered to be the most powerful [[warship]] ever built by [[human]]ity.<ref name="for188">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 188'' (2010)</ref>

''Marathon''-class heavy cruisers feature a standard complement of one thousand personnel. Due to their durability and firepower, ships of the ''Marathon'' class are often reserved for [[admiral]]s to use as [[Flagship|command ship]]s. Although, they are occasionally commanded by a [[captain]] or a [[Rear Admiral|rear admiral]].<ref name="ENC"/> Vessels of the class can also carry large [[UNSC Marine Corps|UNSC Marine]] complements.<ref name="for242"/>

[[File:Outcome of Second Battle of Harvest.png|thumb|250px|Several ''Marathon''-class heavy cruisers engaging the [[Covenant super-destroyer|super-destroyer]] at Harvest]]

The ''Marathon''-class heavy cruiser was commissioned and built as a replacement for the {{Class|Halcyon|light cruiser}},<ref name="ENC"/> a smaller and lighter armed cruiser with excessive production costs.<ref name="EVG"/> After a brief era of service,<ref name="universe"/> most ships of the ''Halcyon'' class were decommissioned, which led to the ''Marathon'' class rising to prominence. By [[2525]], the ''Marathon'' class was the most popular line of [[cruiser]] in service with the Navy.<ref name="EVG"/> Several ''Marathon''-class heavy cruisers served in [[Battle Group X-Ray]] under [[Preston Cole|Vice Admiral Preston Cole]] during the [[Battle of Harvest|Battle]] of [[Harvest]]. Throughout the early years of the [[Human-Covenant War]], Cole continued to command ''Marathon''s as part of his [[Third Fleet]]. Several ''Marathon''s from the fleet, including {{UNSCShip|Prophecy}}, participated in the [[Harvest campaign]].<ref name="Genesis"/><ref name="Timeline">'''[[Halo Wars]]''', ''[[Halo Wars Timeline Events|Timeline]]''</ref> At least one ''Marathon''-class heavy cruiser, {{UNSCShip|Dresden}}, participated in the [[Battle of Biko|Battle]] of [[Biko]], where it was destroyed by the [[Covenant]].<ref name="tug"/>

[[File:Fifth Fleet - H2A.png|thumb|250px|left|Numerous ''Marathon''s hold position over Earth]]

As their numbers were diminished by the onslaught of the Covenant, many ''Marathon''s were reassigned to the defense of the [[Inner Colonies]] and [[Earth]] during the later years of the Human-Covenant War.<ref name="page162">'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 162''</ref><ref group="note">According to ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'', as of July 2552, UNSC ''Leviathan'' was one of twenty cruisers left in the Fleet, presumably referring to the entire Navy. Even if one assumes that this refers only to [[FLEETCOM Sector One]], this number is clearly retconned in later media.</ref> ''Marathon''s were present at the [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV|Battle]] of [[Sigma Octanus IV]] in [[2552#July|July 2552]], including [[Vice Admiral]] [[Michael Stanforth]]'s [[flagship]] [[UNSC Leviathan|''Leviathan'']],<ref name="for188"/> which was severely damaged during the battle.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 224'' (2010)</ref> Numerous ''Marathon''-class heavy cruisers participated in the [[Fall of Reach|Fall]] of [[Reach]], many of which were destroyed, including Stanforth's ''Leviathan''.<ref name="ENC"/><ref name="fb"/><ref name="fs206">'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 168'' (2003), ''page 206'' (2010)</ref>

At least eight ''Marathon''-class cruisers—including {{UNSCShip|Canberra}}<ref name="h2a"/> and [[UNSC Say My Name|''Say My Name'']]<ref name="waypoint">[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/gallery/unsc-say-my-name/87da73b5-cede-44fd-906e-c3d1f57abf44 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''UNSC Say My Name''] (defunct, backup on [https://web.archive.org/web/20110424040357/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/gallery/unsc-say-my-name/87da73b5-cede-44fd-906e-c3d1f57abf44 Archive.org])</ref>—assigned to the [[Fifth Fleet]], a part of the [[UNSC Home Fleet]], were present at the onset of the [[Battle of Earth|Battle]] of [[Earth]]. Led by [[J. Harper|Fleet Admiral J. Harper]] aboard ''Canberra'' and supported by sixty-seven {{Class|Stalwart|light frigate}}s, these ships formed a defensive perimeter around the [[orbital defense platform]] cluster over the Mediterranean to prevent the [[Fleet of Sacred Consecration]] from reaching Earth's surface.<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Cairo Station (level)|Cairo Station]]''</ref> [[Carl Patterson|Admiral Carl Patterson's]] [[Patterson's battle group|battle group]], drawn from the Home Fleet, contained one ''Marathon''-class heavy cruiser that participated at the [[Battle of Onyx|Battle]] of [[Onyx]], where it was destroyed with the rest of its [[battle group]].<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''pages 292, 333''</ref> Several ''Marathon''-class cruisers of the Home Fleet were supposedly destroyed over the course of the battle for Earth, particularly after the final wave of Covenant reinforcements arrived.<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level ''[[Crow's Nest (level)|Crow's Nest]]''</ref>

Most remaining ''Marathon''-class heavy cruisers were decommissioned after the {{Class|Autumn|heavy cruiser}} was introduced, with only a handful staying in service.<ref>'''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]''', ''page 191''</ref> The ''Autumn'' class became slated to serve as the core of the reconstituted UNSC Navy's fleet, a role that the ''Marathon'' class had previously fulfilled.<ref name="universe"/> A ''Marathon''-class heavy cruiser served as the flagship of Admiral [[Tuwa]] during [[Operation: JOVIAN WHISTLE|an operation]] on [[Gao]] in [[2553]]. The presence of the cruiser prevented [[Minister of Protection]] [[Arlo Casille]] from taking naval action against the UNSC, realizing that the cruiser could easily decimate his entire fleet of [[patrol corvette]]s.<ref>'''[[Halo: Last Light]]''', ''page 71''</ref>

*{{UNSCShip|Canberra}} – Fleet Admiral [[J. Harper]]'s [[flagship]]; led the [[Fifth Fleet]] against the [[Covenant]] during the [[Battle of Earth|Battle]] of [[Earth]] on [[2552#October|October 20, 2552]].<ref name="h2a"/>

*{{UNSCShip|Dresden}} – Equipped with a [[saddle box]] drive. Destroyed during the [[Battle of Biko|Battle]] of [[Biko]] in [[2526]].<ref name="tug"/>

*{{UNSCShip|Hannibal}} – Destroyed during the [[Fall of Reach|Fall]] of [[Reach]].<ref name="ENC"/><ref name="fs206"/>

*{{UNSCShip|Leviathan}} – Vice Admiral [[Michael Stanforth]]'s flagship. Severely damaged during the [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV|Battle]] of [[Sigma Octanus IV]] in [[2552#July|July 2552]] and destroyed during the Fall of Reach.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/michael-stanforth '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Michael Stanforth'']</ref>

*{{UNSCShip|Prophecy}} – Destroyed during the [[Harvest]] [[Harvest campaign|campaign]] in [[2531|February 2531]].<ref name="Genesis"/><ref name="Timeline"/>

*{{UNSCShip|Say My Name}} – Deployed [[ODSTs]] to board ''[[Solemn Penance]]'' during the [[Battle of Mombasa|Battle]] of [[Mombasa]] on October 20, 2552.<ref name="ODST"/><ref name="waypoint"/>