Operation: PROMETHEUS

Summary
DATE: July 27, 2537 - August 2, 2537

LOCATION: Unknown system, above asteroid K7-49.

Involved: UNSC Spartan-IIIs, Covenant forces.

Synopsis: This battle was a suicide mission which was necessary for the survival of the UNSC. It took place on K7-49, a volcanic asteriod which also served as a Covenant shipyard. The mission was to destroy its plasma reactors to disable the shipyard. The success of the mission would save countless lives.

Outcome: Alpha Company succeeds, but at a great cost. No Spartans survive.

Military Forces
UNSC

300 Spartans from Alpha Company

Covenant

Force strength unknown. Number above 1000 ground troops and 10 cruisers.

July 27, 2537:

 * 300 Spartan-IIIs of Alpha Company landed on K7-49 at 0700.

July 28, 2537:

 * The Spartan-IIIs manage to disable seven of the reactors on the surface.


 * The Covenant responds with the first heavy wave of troops. The first wave contains legions of Jackals.

July 31, 2537:

 * The Spartan-IIIs have disabled 20 of the 30 reactors.


 * The Covenant responds with a second heavy wave of troops. This time, groups of Elites and Banshees.

August 2, 2537:

 * 27 of the 30 reactors are disabled. The Spartan-IIIs have fulfilled their mission.


 * A third heavy wave of Covenant troops arrive.


 * The Spartan-IIIs are cut off from their Calypso-class Exfiltration Craft. The remaining Spartans are eventually overrun and killed.

Losses
All Spartan-IIIs from Alpha Company are killed. An unknown number of Covenant troops and vessels are destroyed.

Historical Significance
This is most likely an allusion to the Battle of Thermopylae. There were 300 Spartans at both battles, both were a suicide mission, both were fought in order to slow the enemy down enough for their sides to prepare and survive longer, and in both all the Spartans died.

Links

 * Spartan-Shane
 * Spartan-Robert
 * Spartan-Jane