Fall of Wroclaw

The Fall of Wroclaw, also known as the Battle of Wroclaw, was a major engagement between the and the Empire during the beginning of the March 2547.
It was fought on the Outer Colony planet of Wroclaw in the Mechova System and was one of the last Outers to be attacked during the war. While Wroclaw was home to approximately ten million people, it held a strategic advantage due to its close proximity to a Small Magellanic Cloud that provided a narrow window to "flank" neighboring Inner Colonies.
The battle was a disastrous defeat for the UNSC, due to their commanders unable to adjust their tactics while fighting against an unorthodox Covenant strategist. However, humanity still fought to the death over the colony and proved rather difficult to root out.
The future Ross Pine, participated in the battle.
== Prelude ==
With the ongoing war's fronts encroaching on other Outer Colonies, the Covenant's efforts to locate the human homeworld were stonewalled by the Cole Protocol.
Hoping to gain a surprise advantage, Covenant intelligence suggested that the Kaiser Passage through the Savas-Kinnear Magellanic Cloud would provide both a small opening and a lane for invasion to attack less defended colonies while a larger fleet would press on the primary front to maximize distraction to the UNSC Navy defending them. The Fourth Fleet of Luminous Allegiance led by Supreme Commander Xah 'Erranee was tasked with locating the route as well as annihilation of any human resistance in the sector. 'Erranee had gained notoriety from his different approach to battles and constantly changed his forces' tactics to remain at an advantage over his foes.
The sparsely populated colony of Selkirk was the first colony to encounter the fleet. 'Erranee and his forces led an attack on the undefended planet, slaughtering nearly ninety percent of its one and a half million people. At the end of the battle, many ships containing refugees escaped, however a Spec Ops team attached spy probes to some of the vessels and divulged their location. Despite their captains following the Cole Protocol with random jumps, the Covenant were still able to trace the ship's paths as they made their way to Wroclaw, leading to the discovery of the more heavily defended world. 'Erranee requested additional support and rallied his combined fleet over the glassed Selkirk to begin his attack.
On March 4, 2547, a scouting Covenant battlegroup consisting of two SDV class-corvettes and a CAR class-frigate were detected heading entering the Meschova System by a cloaked ONI Sahara-class Prowler. The Commander aboard sent a warning message to the fleet orbiting Wroclaw in preparation for a possible invasion. In case that the fleet continued in the direction of Wroclaw, the Prowler laid three M441 nuclear mines based on the Covenant's initial heading.
The Prowler's prediction proved correct, as the fleet headed right over the HORNETs and subsequently detonated, destroying both corvettes. However the frigate was able to make it out of the blast, heavily damaged.
Continuing its course onto Wroclaw, it was intercepted by the fleet protecting the planet and was eventually destroyed by three UNSC frigates at the cost of one of their own. Fearful that the Covenant would investigate their lost vessel, the UNSC Defense Force issued an increased threat level to the colony and mobilized its forces in both space and ground in preparation for an inevitable battle.
== The Battle ==
=== Covenant enters Mechova Space ===
Seventeen hours later, a much larger Covenant fleet consisting of nine CAR-class frigates, seven CPV-class destroyers, three CCS-class cruisers and the CAS-class assault carrier Sacrament's Abstinence exited slipspace close to Wroclaw and made a vector towards the planet. The UNSC fleet of 28 ships, commanded by Admiral Corbin Brady aboard the Marathon-class heavy cruiser Masada held its position as the opposing commander split his own fleet in a usual fashion, the carrier, four of the frigates and three of the destroyers broke formation, heading towards the planet for invasion. The rest of the fleet continued its course onto the UNSC fleet, opening up a salvo of plasma torpedoes.
The UNSC quickly utilized evasive action, losing 4 ships and regrouped, returning fire that decimated three frigates. Combined with another set of nuclear mines the prowler had laid, destroyed the remainder of the escort vessels save for a single frigate that was taken down by combined MAC and Archer fire from the Masada and two frigates.
Unbeknownst to them, 'Erranee had used the main engaging fleet to keep the UNSC occupied while he used his cruisers to flank and expose the unprotected sector. The Faith and Service and Steward's Fist had jumped into slipstream space behind the main fleet with their weapons charged before firing all batteries that annihilated seven more ships. The UNSC was completely caught off guard and had just a few seconds to register the other vessels' position before the plasma torpedoes vaporized them.
To keep the rest of the fleet busy while 'Erranee engaged planetside, he sent dozens of boarding craft to the disabled vessels, knowing that the UNSC would engage them in trying to save all combat-capable ships. Although the boarding crews had caused three more of the fleet to self-destruct as per the Cole Protocol, his distraction gave him enough time to move the Sacrament's Abstinence over Wroclaw's settled area just a couple miles northeast off the greater San Marco area.
=== Ground Battle ===
The Covenant took New Paez and Salta with almost zero resistance from the escort ships and within a full day of their first presence on Wroclaw, they moved on San Marco, which was already heavily entrenched with the UNSC defenders and awaiting the Covenant assault.
== Aftermath ==
Wroclaw's glassing spelled doom for the Inner Colonies located close to the Kaiser Passage and the Covenant opened up a second front just a year later, vastly spreading the UNSC Navy Defense thin.
In 2558, Ross Pine, now a Spartan-IV serving with Fireteam Eon was deployed in response to a rare distress frequency originating from the charred remains of San Marco.
== Trivia ==
* The Fall of Wroclaw is prominently featured in Halo: Helljumper's Tribunal, where it depicts Spartan Ross Pine recalling the event while being questioned by the Navy Internal Affairs.
* This was the only known engagement that a Covenant Typhon partook in.
== Appearances ==
* Halo: Helljumper's Tribunal