Battle of Cleveland

Previous:	Defense of Mars Battle of Havana (Battle for Earth)
Concurrent:	Attempted assassination of the Prophet of Truth
Next:	Battle of Sector Six
Battle of Cleveland
Conflict:	Human-Covenant War Battle for Earth
Date:	c. November 16–17, 2552
Location:	Cleveland, Ohio, United Republic of North America, Earth
Outcome:	UNSC victory Covenant forces repelled Remaining civilians evacuated Much of Covenant occupation of Earth successfully delayed
Details Belligerents UNSC UNSC Marine Corps UNSC Air Force Civilians Covenant Commanders SGT Twyker IOM Wesley Minister of Inquisition† Shipmaster Lepidus Strength 1+ ODST Fireteam M12 Chaingun Warthogs M12G1 Gauss Warthogs M831 Troop Transport Warthogs AV-14 Hornets D77H-TCI Pelicans 1 Moncton-class orbital weapon platform Armed civilians 1+ Ket-pattern battlecruiser Numerous T-52 Phantoms Numerous T-26A Banshees Numerous T-26C Banshees T-29 Shadows 1+ T-47B Scarab Many ground forces Jiralhanae Unggoy Kig-Yar Mgalekgolo Casualties COL James Ackerson Ruwan Ackerson Heavy infantry casualties Many civilians Much of Cleveland destroyed Heavy ground casualties Harbinger of Piety Minister of Inquisition

"I gotta know... how much of your Earth campaign did you lose trying to find it? Come on, I really want to know... how many of you idiots did it take to screw in an imaginary lightbulb?"

— Colonel James Ackerson on the Covenant's defeat shortly after the Battle of Cleveland.

The Battle of Cleveland was an engagement between the United Nations Space Command and the Covenant that took place in Cleveland, Ohio, on Earth during the Battle for Earth around between November 16 and 17, 2552. Civilians notably were a significant part of the war effort against the Covenant in this conflict. This battle was a turning point of the Battle for Earth and ultimately delayed the Covenant from pressing their overrunning onslaught of Earth but at cost of the UNSC's Home Fleet over Earth and most of surviving UNSC planetside forces being already routed by the Prophet of Truth's final overwhelming invasion forces despite particularly hard fighting.

Background

Colonel James Ackerson: "Good luck... you won't stand a chance."

Shipmaster Lepidus: "We're having our way with it. Right now. And you will be executed as part of the victory ceremony."

Colonel James Ackerson: "If you idiots...rrr...attack Earth... you will never find the Key."

— Colonel James Ackerson and the Shipmaster Lepidus.

Following the loss of Mars at the hands of the Covenant Fleet of Furious Redemption, the Covenant, now under command of the Prophet of Truth and Jiralhanae as of t