First Battle of Mombasa
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The First Battle of Mombasa was a sub-battle of the First Battle of Earth, taking place in late October 2552. Over the course of the battle, Covenant forces captured the city of Mombasa, Kenya and it was quickly taken in a matter of hours by the UNSC.[1].
Background
After decrypting Forerunner artifacts, the Covenant had been given Slipspace coordinates to a Forerunner facility highly important in their concept of The Great Journey. Unknown to them, this facility was on the human homeworld, Earth.
During the Raid of Reach, the Human AI, Cortana intercepted the Covenant's plans to move a large fleet to Earth. Unaware of the intentions of the Covenant's plan, the UNSC interpreted it as an attack against their homeworld and implemented Operation: FIRST STRIKE, destroying the invasion force that was intended for securing Earth.
The High Prophet of Regret, wishing to proceed with securing the facility despite the losses, took a force of 15 warships to Earth. Though surprised to find not only a human presence on the planet, but a planet more fortified than any previously encountered human-held world, the Prophet deemed his mission important enough to proceed and utilized many tactics to ensure his arrival safely on the surface. The coordinates provided by the Forerunner information indicated that his quarry was around the area of Mombasa.
Beginning
Covenant invasion of Mombasa
During the First Battle of Earth, a single Covenant Carrier (the High Prophet of Regret's flagship) broke through UNSC Home Fleet defensive lines and landed on Earth [2][3]. The ship landed at Mombasa in Kenya. The city was lightly defended, with only elements of the 77th Marines scattered around the city [4].
The UNSC activated the city's Colonial Militia to fight the Covenant invaders. The Covenant forces proved to be far superior and the Militia was eliminated [5]. However, this allowed for almost all of the citizens of Mombasa escaped the city using boats destined for Voi and other surrounding cities [6].
More UNSC Marine Corps units later poured into the region after the initial attack, including the 405th Marine Infantry Division and the rest of the 77th Marine Regiment.
UNSC Insertion
Three D77H-TCI Pelican Dropships were deployed by the UNSC In Amber Clad to board the Assault Carrier hovering near the New Mombasa Orbital Elevator. A Pelican carrying SgtMaj Avery Johnson and SPARTAN John-117 was shot down by a Scarab and the remaining crew hunker down at an isolated position and wait for extraction.
GySgt Pete Stacker and an Shock Trooper squad, were aboard a second Pelican, that was also shot down. They moved up the beach to the Hotel Zanzibar and set up a command post. They eliminated several Covenant units in the process.
Battle in the streets
After the Covenant made several attempts to eliminate Spartan-117's group including sending in a pair of Lekgolos, the third Pelican from their flight found the group and gave them coordinate of an extraction point. Commander Keyes ordered Johnson to regroup with the Pillar of Autumn so that he can coordinate further deployment of Infantry and Armor units while the Spartan continued on foot through the city to find the second squad.
A few minutes later, the pinned down Shock Trooper squad in Hotel Zanzibar are rescued by John-117, who then organized an offense by destroying Covenant infantry, armor, and anti-aircraft batteries on the beaches onlooking New Mombasa.
UNSC Offensive
Assault on the Bridge
John-117 and his makeshift Marine unit entered a blown-out hole in a tunnel, and destroyed the forces hiding inside of it. After the engagement in the tunnels, they advanced towards the bridge connecting Old and New Mombasa. Before the SPARTAN got there, the Marine unit at the Bridge had exhausted itself fighting the Scarab.
John-117 arrived at the bridge to assess the situation while Avery Johnson reinforced the Marines with equipment, including a M808 Scorpion MBT. The Chief traveled across the bridge with the armored unit, clearing it of both Covenant armored and mechanized forces.
City Center
After the engagement on the bridge, UNSC offensive force entered New Mombasa in large numbers. They then linked up in a in a tunnel with a squad of Marines riding in Warthogs. There, they eliminated Covenant forces setting up positions. The Marines and SPARTAN-117 then proceeded into a sewer leading out to a outdoor courtyard on the outskirts of New Mombasa. The Type-47 Scarab appears over the courtyard, and the Marines then engage Covenant infantry to get to the Scarab.
Conclusion
Destruction of the Scarab
The lumbering Type-47 Scarab appeared outside the City Center and destroyed a Scorpion MBT. Marines opened fire on the walker, but it was unaffected and just climbed over their position and moved into the Canals. However, it soon found itself trapped at the end of the Canal, giving the Marines a chance to attack it.
John-117 and Alpha Company followed the Scarab through the Canals and the Spartan boarded the walker. While the marines provided some cover fire, the Spartan defeated the forces manning the walker. After defeating its command crew, the walker was quickly disposed of. The Marine forces in the area and the Spartan were extracted by Pelicans to the UNSC In Amber Clad so that it could attack the Carrier.
Retreat
Lord Hood was hesitant to let In Amber Clad engage the Prophet of Regret's Assault Carrier, still above Mombasa and the Mombasa Orbital Elevator. However, when the Carrier began jumping into slipspace while still in atmosphere, Hood recognized that the only ship able to follow was the In Amber Clad and gave the ship the green light to give chase.
The Pelicans carrying SPARTAN-117 and the Marines enter the In Amber Clad, which followed the Assault Carrier into Slipspace. The Slipspace rupture caused the entire city to be demolished and completely destroyed the Orbital Elevator, making the Kenyan Savannah littered with pieces of the huge elevator [7].
Aftermath
The Prophet of Regret would arrive upon Installation 05 along with In Amber Clad. It is possible he acquired the location over the course of the Battle.
The UNSC would not discover the actual purpose of the Covenant's arrival on Earth until after the Battle of Installation 05. By this point, a second fleet of Covenant Loyalists had arrived and begun fighting the Second Battle of Earth. This, too, had a large amount of fighting in the general region - specifically around Voi where the Covenant began excavating the Forerunner structure.
Related Articles
Sources
- ^ Halo 2, levels Outskirts and Metropolis
- ^ Halo 2, level Cairo Station
- ^ Halo Graphic Novel, page 90
- ^ Halo Graphic Novel, pages 86 to 98
- ^ Halo Graphic Novel, page 92 and 93
- ^ Halo Graphic Novel, page 97 and 98
- ^ Halo 3, levels Crow's Nest and Tsavo Highway
