Defense of Mars

Previous:	Battle of Mombasa
Concurrent:	Battle for Earth
Next:	Battle of Cleveland; Scramble onboard Forerunner Dreadnought;
Battle of Mare Erythraeum
	File:Fleet of Furious Redemption.PNG
Conflict:	Human-Covenant War Siege of the Inner Colonies; ;
Date:	c. before November 16, 2552
Location:	Mare Erythraeum, Mars, Sol system
Outcome:	Covenant victory UNSC forces on Mars crushed; Colonel Ackerson captured;
Details
Belligerents
United Nations Space Command	Covenant
Commanders
COL James Ackerson	Shipmaster Lepidus (post-Great Schism)
Strength
UNSC Army forces	1+ Covenant fleet Fleet of Furious Redemption 4+ CCS-class battlecruisers Triumphant Declaration; ; ; Unknown number of ground forces;
Casualties
Unknown - presumably heavy	Unknown

This article's title is a callsign, an alias, or a nickname, as no proper name for the subject has been revealed.

The Battle of Mare Erythraeum was an engagement of the Human-Covenant War in late 2552 where UNSC Army forces led by Colonel James Ackerson fought the Covenant on Mare Erythraeum on the surface of Mars. It occurred simultaneously with the Covenant's prolonged invasion of Earth and resulted in a Covenant victory. After the UNSC's eventual defeat on Mars, the Covenant began to concentrate more of their forces on Earth,^[1] although Ackerson's work in this battle helped buy UNSC ground forces on Earth precious time.^[3] During or after the engagement, Colonel Ackerson was taken prisoner and taken aboard the CCS-class battlecruiser Triumphant Declaration.^[2]

Although the Martian defense forces were eventually crushed, they are credited for delaying Covenant forces from pressing their siege on Earth.^[4]

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