User:Phalanx Actual/Battle of Whitefall

{{TWD|Battle of Whitefall|

OPERATION: Crimson Sky was a codename used for the longest lasting UNSC military operation on the backwater colony of Whitefall. The engagement involved more than 50,000 UNSC Marines, 200,000 UNSC Soldiers and 21,000 Sailors. The Battle of Whitefall proved immensely disastrous for the UNSC despite destroying five CCS Class Battlegroups.

{{Triple Battle Infobox }}
 * prev=Battle of Juno IV
 * conc=Fall of Shadow
 * next=Battle of Belfast
 * name=Battle of Whitefall
 * image=
 * conflict=Human-Covenant War
 * date=December 21st 2538-May 3rd 2539
 * place=Whitefall
 * result=Covenant Victory
 * side1=UNSCDF
 * side2=Covenant Navy
 * side3=Independents
 * comm1=Admiral Benjamin Colson
 * comm2=
 * Khotta 'Moramee
 * Thel 'Vadamee
 * comm3=M. Reynolds
 * forces1=
 * Army: 200,000
 * Marine: 50,000
 * Navy: 21,000
 * Warships: 41
 * forces2=
 * Infantry: 1,500,000
 * Warships: 63
 * forces3=
 * Resistance: 15,000
 * Insurrectionist: 6,500
 * Civilian: 21,000,000
 * casual1=
 * Army: 150,000
 * Marine: 48,000
 * Navy 11,000
 * casual2=
 * 400,000
 * Vessels: 31
 * casual3= *18,500,000

The engagement opened on the morning of December 21st 2538 with a devastating attack on the Whitefall Home Fleet of 21 UNSC Frigates and Destroyers and the flagship carrier UNSC Archangel. In the chaos, it took almost six minutes before Winter Contingency was declared - a total of four frigates had been destroyed while still in drydock. Groundside anti-air defenses took over 40 minutes to completely prepare, allowing 2,500 infantry to swarm the capital before the Covenant corvettes were driven off by the UNSC Aegis Fate, UNSC Commonwealth and UNSC Alliance, leaving the 39th Infantry Brigade to mop up the survivors. Despite this, several thousand civilians were killed during the attack.

Massive Covenant landing sites were constructed in the remote Aspho Valley, using fortified tent cities and teleportation spires for clean insertions. The highly defensible location, only 45km away from a colonial era military complex which the 178th Mechanized would adopt as a base of operations.

Despite the chaotic engagement in orbit, the Covenant managed to drop a brigate sized force of Locusts outside the city's perimeter to lay waste to the UNSC Army's fortifications. Fortunately, with the AA defenses still intact and the three UNSC frigates hovering overhead the Covenant light armor brigade stood little chance against the UNSC's heavy armour regiments. After a mere 45 minutes of devastating combat, a local patrol arrived to air drop several companies of M808 Scorpion MBTs and SP42 Light Tanks. The UNSC air force arrived at the capitol with 75 Longsword fighters and hundreds of UH-144 Falcons, AV-22 Sparrowhawks, and AV-14 Hornets.

After 1:30 hours The arrival of the 166th Battlegroup reinforced the Capitol with 2 Divisions of Marines.

Space assets

 * Carriers
 * UNSC Hand of God
 * UNSC Trafalgar
 * Cruisers
 * UNSC Dawn Under Heaven
 * UNSC Pillar of Autumn
 * UNSC Centurion
 * UNSC Leviathan
 * Destroyers
 * UNSC Cthulu
 * UNSC Devil
 * UNSC Majestic
 * Frigates
 * UNSC Aegis Fate
 * UNSC Alliance
 * UNSC Commonwealth

Ground forces

 * 178th Mechanized Division
 * 33rd Armoured Regiment
 * 2nd Shock Troops Battalion
 * 39th Infantry Brigade
 * Mako Team
 * Copper Team
 * Cerberus Team
 * Delta Team
 * Alpha Team
 * Charlie Team

Navy

 * Outer Colony Defense Group A2

Personnel

 * Admiral Benjamin Colson
 * Vice Admiral Maria Menendez
 * Captain Gabriel Hood
 * Lieutenant Jacob Keyes
 * Lieutenant Carter-A259
 * Petty Officer Second Class Kai-A019
 * Warrant Officer Thom-A293
 * Warrant Officer Montes-A191
 * Warrant Officer Daemon-A301
 * Warrant Officer Emile-A239
 * Sergeant Edward Buck

}}