Battle of the Belt

The Battle of the Belt, otherwise known as the Asteroid Campaign, was a lengthy series of engagements resulting in the pacification of the inner system of Sol by the United Nations Space Command.
==Notable engagements and events==
===Battle of Vesta===
The Battle of 4 Vesta, commonly known as "Bloody Vesta", was an isolated but costly engagement early in the Interplanetary Conflict. In August 2161, Frieden forces launched an attack against the 4 Vesta asteroid colony resulting in sizable civilian casualties and occupied the majority of the Vesta dockyard complex; the UEG deployed troops to 4 Vesta and retook the colony by assault, eradicating the Frieden occupation.
===114 Kassandra incident===
The 114 Kassandra incident started on May 7, 2162, and concluded on May 15. The spaceport of the 114 Kassandra colony was closed for seventeen hours by a strike by workers, widely presumed to be a pro-Koslovic action. In apparent retaliation, several independent freighters enacted a "blockade" of the spaceport, preventing the arrival of agricultural products on May 10 and May 11. The inability of colonial administrators to end the blockade damaged their credibility throughout the belt, and the crisis was only resolved by the approach of UNSA ships on May 15. While the 114 Kassandra incident was resolved without violence, the event highlighted the weakness of colonial authorities and the unchallenged power of the UNSA. 
===165 Loreley incident===
The 165 Loreley incident began on July 3, 2162, and was resolved in August of that year. The independent cargo ship Calypso Caravel suffered a mysterious explosion four minutes after departing the colony, with the loss of all crewmembers. Pro-Frieden and pro-Koslovic leaders quickly blamed each other for the explosion, calling it sabotage. Protests and riots occurred in the colony as early as July 5. Calypso Caravel was suspected of having Koslovic sympathies, but also accused of carrying weapons for Frieden militias. The UNSA ferried UEG troops to the colony on July 18, restoring public order. Following a detailed examination of the wreckage and of shipper logs, the UEG investigation team concluded that the explosion was caused by inappropriate storage of undeclared volatile materials. The shipping company was fined heavily, but the undeclared materials were determined to be an effort to avoid shipping expenses rather than an impromptu bomb. The UEG garrison would remain in place in 165 Loreley until replaced by UNSC forces in 2166. 
===77 Frigga incidents===
From August 2162 to January 2163, the 77 Frigga colony suffered a series of violent escalating incidents that resulted in the UEG military occupation of the colony. On August 5, while the 165 Loreley incident was still unresolved, tensions in the colony exploded: the Frigga spaceport was stormed by pro-Koslovic rioters, with corporate security personnel seized by the rioters and adjacent warehouses suffering moderate damage. Colonial administrators successfully brought the riot to an end, convincing participants to release their captives and go home; no charges were filed, with colony compensating those companies that had suffered damages. 
On August 21, two community centers with suspected Koslovic ties were bombed by unidentified organizations. No casualties were reported, but the attacks triggered a mass retaliation as Koslovics and sympathizers again stormed the spaceport; despite security forces being considerably strengthened after the August 5 event, rioters again overwhelmed security personnel and seized both cargos and crews. The timely return of the frigate UNSC Hughes-Valdez and the promise of an UEG-funded investigation of the bombings proved sufficient to quell the riot and end the occupation on August 24. Additional UEG troops were deployed to the colony and a small garrison was established with limited intervention authority. The August 21 bombings were ultimately tied to the Frieden organization "The Stronghold", but the apparent participants were no longer in the colony. 
On October 11, a BRVK warehouse was destroyed in a sizable explosion, the source of which was ultimately determined to be a bomb. No casualties were reported. Notably, the contents of the warehouse were in part contracted for the resupply of UNSA ships; this particular detail raised concerns that the bombing may have been premature, with the device actually intended to detonate aboard one the UNSA ships that patrolled the Belt. 
On December 31, a detachment from the Frieden organization Tigers of Sol attacked a fundraiser event for the victims of the ongoing Rain Forest Wars. Eleven fundraiser participants were killed in the attack and three of the attackers were subsequently killed by colonial security forces. The New Year's Eve Massacre triggered the last and largest of the 77 Frigga incidents. 
On January 1, 2163, pro-Koslovics and pro-Friedens openly clashed throughout the colony. One hundred and seven deaths were confirmed, with more than one hundred others hospitalized and another two hundred suffering minor injuries. The UEG declared martial law on 77 Frigga and reinforced the garrison. The colony remained under military control until 2172. 
===41 Daphne incident===
The 41 Daphne incident occurred on September 1, 2162. In the vicinity of the 41 Daphne colony, the container ship Stellar Serpent was violently rammed by the agricultural freighter Big Aeolus and was completely crippled, suffering the loss of three crewmembers. Further loss of life was prevented by the timely intervention of colonial emergency teams and the cooperation between the officers of both ships. This cooperation aside, on September 2, the captain of the Stellar Serpent publicly accused the crew of the Big Aeolus of deliberating attacking his ship and of having Koslovic sympathies. The officers of the Big Aeolus vehemently protested both accusations and claimed their ship had suffered a malfunction; this malfunction was subsequently suggested by some commentators to be either an outright lie or, worse, sabotage by a third party. Colonial investigations and a detailed examination of the Big Aeolus concluded that the ship had legitimately suffered a failure in its engine control software that trigger the sudden acceleration and prevented the crew from preventing the collision. However, investigators also located a cache of contraband weapons aboard the Big Aeolus that were apparently intended for the Sol Rocketeers, a pro-Frieden militia believed to operate out of 2 Pallas. The Stellar Serpent was repaired and returned to service in February 2163 and was destroyed during the Battle of Juno in 2167. The officers of the Big Aeolus were arrested; Big Aeolus was sold and resumed its normal route under the same name until its destruction during the Siege of Ceres. 
===146 Xanthippe disaster===
On February 17, 2163, the cargo ship Tycho Bradley suffered a fire and the failure of suppression systems and attempted to depart the 146 Xanthippe colony spaceport and get the ship and its cargo to a safe distance. While the freighter did get underway, it exploded massively before completely clearing the dock. The Tycho Bradley was completely destroyed by the blast with loss of all crew; the spaceport suffered major damage to the dock system, with multiple airlocks damaged or disabled by the blast. The spaceport was evacuated and shut down until March 5, and did not resume full operations until September. Both pro-Frieden and pro-Koslovic commentators blamed the other side for the disaster, triggering protests and riots in several colonies. 
===Bombing of the Dependable===
While docked at the colony of 48 Doris, the replenishment ship UNSA Dependable was damaged by a bomb attack on July 9, 2163. Prior to arrival of the Dependable, a sizable device had been smuggled into the dock within an inspection craft; the bomb was detonated seventy-six minutes after the arrival of the replenishment ship. Fifty-seven dockworkers and fifteen Dependable crewmembers were killed in the attack; Dependable survived and returned to service in late 2164. 
===Evacuation of the Trojans===
The Evacuation of the Trojans was began on November 5 and concluded on November 11. Following the assassination of Nadja Mielke on November 3 and the immediate increase of Frieden operations throughout the system, the UEG ordered the return of most of the Belt's capital ships and cruisers to the Inner System to guard Earth against potential Frieden assaults. As part of the redeployment, the Authority conducted a full withdrawal from the long-contested Jovian Trojans, removing what garrisons were deployed there as well as any administrative personnel and civilians that wished to depart. Also known as the "Quiet Evacuation", the withdrawal of all UN and sovereign forces from the Trojans was completed by November 11. The Jovian Trojans would remain under Frieden control until the conclusion of the Trojan Offensive in January 2170. (Trojan campaign)
===Battle of 201 Penelope===
On November 20, the Frieden organization Vanquisher Force attempted to covertly take over the 201 Penelope colony, deploying a force of nine gunboats against the colony and demanding its immediate surrender. The colony administration capitulated under threat of bombardment, but several independent freighters fled the colony and escaped the gunboat flotilla. The UNSA reaction force arrived near the colony on November 21, destroying seven of the gunboats outright. With the remaining two gunboats damaged and incapacitated, the small occupation force on 201 Penelope surrendered without further resistance. 
===Attack on the Human Kindness III===
On April 7, 2164, three Frieden raiding ships launched an attack on the hospital ship UNSC Human Kindness III after misidentifying it as a replenishment ship. Ninety seconds into the attack and after firing four missiles, the raiders abruptly realized their error and broke off the attack, successfully detonating three of the four missiles before impact. Twenty-eight hours later, a spokesperson for the Frieden command on Europa relayed a sincere apology for the attack to the UNSC. The attack was an accident, but the Europa organization took responsibility for the mistake and promised to compensate the UNSC for the damage and to provide for treatment or other expenses of any resulting casualties from the attack. The April 7 attack was the only action by Frieden forces against hospital ships during the war. 
===Battle of 1172 Aneas===
The Battle of 1172 Aneas occurred on May 10 and 11, 2164. The first of eleven major sorties into the Jovian Trojans, the UNSC Navy lost seven destroyers in combat with Frieden forces. (Trojan campaign)
*UNSC Mannheim, Berlin-class heavy destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Brest, Bordeaux-class heavy destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Sfax, Bordeaux-class heavy destroyer (crippled and scuttled)
*UNSC Zaragoza, Bordeaux-class heavy destroyer (irreparably damaged)
*UNSC Jeddah, Halifax-class light destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Riverside, Halifax-class light destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Xanthus Valley, Kyoto-class light destroyed (destroyed)
===Battle of Ceres===
The Battle of Ceres was fought from September 22 to October 17, 2164. Correctly believing the 1 Ceres colony to be a hub of Frieden-sympathetic shipyards and manufacturing, Koslovic forces attacked the colony and its yards in late September 2164. While damage was done to several shipyards, factories, and installations, the UNSC destroyed most of the Koslovic flotilla and scattered the survivors. The UNSC declared the victory on October 17. 
===Bombardment of 11509 Thersilochos===
The Bombardment of 11509 Thersilochos began on October 9 and ended on October 13, 2164. The UNSC Navy lost six destroyers. (Trojan campaign)
*UNSC Lyon, Bordeaux-class heavy destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Addis Ababa, Kyoto-class light destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Bari, Kyoto-class light destroyer (crippled and scuttled to prevent capture)
*UNSC Kyoto, Kyoto-class light destroyer (crippled and scuttled to prevent capture)
*UNSC Nippon, Kyoto-class light destroyer (crippled and scuttled to prevent capture)
*UNSC Skyresh, Kyoto-class light destroyer (destroyed)
===Fleet Action of 2165===
The Fleet Action of 2165 occurred in August of that year. Frieden forces in the Belt, based primarily out of the Greek and Trojan camps, repeatedly attacked and assailed UNSC forces underway to massively reinforce the Jovian garrisons. Losses on both sides were extremely heavy and UNSC forces arrived in Jovian Space on September 2. 
===Battle of 3451 Mentor===
The Battle of 3451 Mentor was fought in September 2165. Following the battles of August, the UNSC attempted to storm 3451 Mentor, a "Gibraltar of the Trojans", without success. The UNSC Navy lost fourteen warships at 3451 Mentor: 3 light cruisers, 9 destroyers, 1 heavy frigate, and 1 heavy sloop. (Trojan campaign)
*UNSC Approaching Storm, Accordance-class light cruiser (destroyed)
*UNSC Serenity, Accordance-class light cruiser (crippled and scuttled)
*UNSC Garibaldi, light cruiser (irreparably damaged)
*UNSC Heilbronn, Berlin-class heavy destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Tornarsuk-Brandt, Berlin-class heavy destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Antananarivo, Bordeaux-class heavy destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Belfast, Bordeaux-class heavy destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Le Havre, Bordeaux-class heavy destroyer (crippled and scuttled)
*UNSC Vilnius, Bordeaux-class heavy destroyer (crippled and scuttled)
*UNSC Swordsman, heavy destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Zvezda, heavy destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Pathfinder, light destroyer (destroyed) 
*UNSC Navigator, heavy frigate (crippled and scuttled)
*UNSC Owl, O-class heavy sloop (destroyed)
===Battle of 2920 Automedon===
The Battle of 2920 Automedon occurred on February 14, 2166. The UNSC Navy lost eight ships at 2920 Automedon: 1 light cruiser, 1 aviso, and 6 heavy destroyers. (Trojan campaign)
*UNSC Ever Towards Light, Accordance-class light cruiser (destroyed)
*UNSC Resolution, Resilient-class aviso (destroyed)
*UNSC Beijing, Shanghai-class heavy destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Cebu, New York-class heavy destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC New South Wales, New York-class heavy destroyer (destroyer)
*UNSC Jeanne d'Arc, Bordeaux-class heavy destroyer (destroyed)
*UNSC Milan, Bordeaux-class heavy destroyer (irreparably damaged)
*UNSC Sarajevo, Bordeaux-class heavy destroyer (destroyed)
===Action of 21 March 2166===
On March 21, 2166, Frieden space forces attacked a UNSC support group of fifteen ships. The attackers were driven off, though three UNSC auxiliaries suffered moderate damage: the mobile dockyard UNSC Titan IX, the repair ship UNSC Astraea Engineer, and the replenishment ship UNSC Gulf of Gabes.
===Battle of 87 Sylvia===
The Battle of 87 Sylvia was fought in June 2166. 
*UNSC Eilat, Alexandria-class light destroyer (irreparably damaged)
*UNSC Georgetown, Halifax-class light destroyer (undergoing repairs, destroyed in dock)
===Bombardment of 1870 Glaukos===
The Bombardment of 1870 Glaukos lasted from August 8 to August 11, 2166. (Trojan campaign) 
===Bombardment of 2223 Sarpedon===
The Bombardment of 2223 Sarpedon lasted from August 17 to August 23, 2166. (Trojan campaign)
===34746 Thoon Offensive===
The 34746 Thoon Offensive occurred from December 3, 2166, to February 9, 2167, and was the largest-yet UNSC assault on the Jovian Trojans. (Trojan campaign)
===Battle of Juno===
The Battle of 3 Juno began on April 2 and officially concluded on April 28, 2167. Frieden forces aggressively attacked and occupied the 3 Juno colony and the majority of its surrounding stations and shipyards. The UNSC established a perimeter force around the colony by April 5 and had fully blockaded Juno by April 9. Under tremendous pressure from the UEG to retake the colony quickly, the UNSC launched a massive assault on Juno on April 12 and bloodily liberated it in sixteen days. The tremendous losses suffered during the retaking of the colony caused considerable public backlash. 
===Bombardment of 659 Nestor===
The Bombardment of 659 Nestor occurred from June 1 to June 7, 2167, and was conducted as a brutal reprisal for the earlier attack on and occupation of 3 Juno in April. (Trojan campaign)
===Action of 7 July 2167===
A force of more than forty Frieden raiders and at least two cruisers successfully ambush a UNSC convoy of seven escorts and fourteen civilian ships. Sometimes called "the Battle of the Joyeuse Convoy" or the simply "the Last Stand", the action saw the loss of all seven escorts and twelve of the fourteen civilian ships. The arrival of the light cruiser UNSC Hyperion saved the remaining freighters and enabled the rescue of over a hundred UNSC and civilian personnel who had survived the destruction of their ships. Frieden losses for the engagement stood at a cruiser and fifteen raiding ship destroyed, and a few others suffering superficial damage. Subsequent convoys had considerably larger escort forces, and the Damascus heavy frigate lost its reputation as a reliable heavy escort against raids. 
===Siege of Ceres===
The Siege of Ceres began on July 4, 2167, and concluded on September 19, 2168. Frieden forces launched their largest attack of the war against Ceres in early July, crushing its UNSC defense forces and overwhelming the colony from without and within. Unwilling to repeat the recent experience at Juno, the UNSC instead initiated a lengthy siege of the occupied colony. The outer perimeter of stations and platforms were neutralized by early 2168 and the colony had been fully blockaded by December 2167. In July 2168, just three days to a year after the occupation began, the UNSC conducted a major raid, penetrating Frieden defenses and causing considerable damage. The rest of July saw regular UNSC sorties against the colony, culminating in a major attack on August 2 shattered the inner perimeter and opened Ceres to direct assaults by UNSC forces. On September 1, the UNSC successfully retook the remaining shipyards and drove the Frieden into their last holdout positions, accepting the surrender of half of the occupiers at the same time. Frieden holdouts were slowly worn down, with the last surrendering on September 19, 2168. 
===Bombardment of 3317 Paris===
The Bombardment of 3317 Paris began on April 1 and ended on April 7, 2168. Following a failed Frieden attempt to break the UNSC blockade of Ceres in March, the UNSC conducted a surgical reprisal strike on 3317 Paris. (Trojan campaign)
===Attack on 1404 Ajax===
The Attack on 1404 Ajax occurred in October 2168. The recently concluded Siege of Ceres freed up considerable UNSC assets, several of which were assigned to a sortie against the Trojans. (Trojan campaign)
===Battle of 81 Terpsichore===
The Battle of 81 Terpsichore took place over three days in November 2168. Frieden forces attacked UNSC ships in the vicinity of the 81 Terpsichore colony on November 10, successfully destroying the heavy cruiser UNSC Barbarossa, the light destroyer UNSC Podgorica, and the replenishment ship UNSC Bay of Lubeck. The UNSC began the reinforcing the fleet, but the Frieden force attacked repeatedly despite the growing strength of the UNSC presence. Frieden forces were ultimately totally destroyed on November 12.
*UNSC Faithful, Spirit-class light carrier (destroyed)
*UNSC Barbarossa, heavy cruiser (destroyed)
*UNSC Firecrown, Hummingbird-class light sloop (destroyed)
===Braam-Saburov Offensive===
The Braam-Saburov Offensive began on September 3 and ended on November 22, 2169. In part a retaliatory attack on the Jovian Trojans, the offensive laid the groundwork for a subsequent attack the following year. Named for its principal authors, Vice Admirals Otto Braam and Alexei Saburov, the offensive was conducted simultaneously against both camps of the Jovian Trojans. While costly, the campaign provided critical information on Frieden forces and capabilities throughout both camps. The withdrawal of the UNSC battle groups in late November was hailed as a major victory by the Frieden Marine, being seen as a costly rebuke of UNSC ambitions and was believed to have fundamentally blunted UNSC operations against the Trojans for more than a decade. Instead, the UNSC returned to the Trojans just forty-two days later in the titanic Trojan Offensive, crushing the Frieden Marine and liberating the Trojans entirely by the end of January 2170. 
===Trojan Offensive===
The Trojan Offensive began on January 3 and ended on January 22, 2170.