April 18, 1988 - Operation Praying Mantis
 

Operation Praying Mantis was an attack on 18 April 1988, by U.S. forces within Iranian territorial waters in retaliation for the Iranian mining of the Persian Gulf during the Iran–Iraq war and the subsequent damage to an American warship.

On 14 April, the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts struck a mine while deployed in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Earnest Will, the 1987–88 convoy missions in which U.S. warships escorted reflagged Kuwaiti oil tankers to protect them from Iranian attacks. The explosion blew a 15-foot hole in Samuel B. Roberts's hull and nearly sank it. The crew saved their ship with no loss of life, and Samuel B. Roberts was towed to Dubai on 16 April. After the mining, U.S. Navy divers recovered other mines in the area. When the serial numbers were found to match those of mines seized along with the Iran Ajr the previous September, U.S. military officials planned a retaliatory operation against Iranian targets in the Persian Gulf.

This battle was the largest of the five major U.S. surface engagements since the Second World War, which also include the Battle of Chumonchin Chan during the Korean War, the Gulf of Tonkin incident and the Battle of Dong Hoi during the Vietnam War, and the Action in the Gulf of Sidra in 1986.

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I was busy in college at the time, so maybe that explains why I never heard of this operation.

Oil tankers of Kuwait were being attacked by Iranian speedboats which used the two oil platforms as a home base. Plus there was the mine thing.

All very interesting.

Thanks, George.....I remember this happening....it was a pretty big deal back then. And would be now as well, of course.

I had been out of college for 11 years when it happened.

Our military is pretty bad ass...much respect to our brothers and sisters in uniform.

My builder friend same age as myself never heard of this operation either.

Lebanon, Grenada........remember those.

Perhaps air and naval exchanges don't get the same amount of press or rememberance as land based events?

I was in Norfolk attending MK38 school for the 16" guns on USS Wisconsin when this happened. Much of our class time was spent discussing this.

About a year earlier, in May 1987, I was in Fire Controlman "A" school when an Iraqi pilot fired 2 missiles at USS Stark in the Persian Gulf. The first struck the port side but did not explode, but missile fuel was spreading fire. The second entered the same area and detonated.
They lost 37 men and the ship nearly sank.
Many mistakes were made onboard Stark and men were lost. Lessons learned were implemented and the success of Praying Mantis was proof of the readiness improvements.

Later in 1988, the Stark was alongside Wisconsin in Pascagoula, MS for repairs.
Wisconsin was being refurbished and recommissioned.
That gaping hole was a stern reminder of our jobs as Fire Controlmen.

Hey Don...if you get a chance to watch the segment on the mine explosion and subsequent actions by the crew of the Samuel B. Roberts....you'll be impressed.

That explosion and subsequent flooding could have resulted with a sunken ship very easily. The captain and his crew really handled things intelligently.

USS Stark incident
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Stark_incident
What I recall about the USS Stark is the "stand-by" verses "ready" conditions being brought to the public's attention. Armed with great systems, useless in some cases because of long warm up or lead times in real world conditions. This is not what the Wiki article covers however.

April 1988 - I was at Fort Knox Kentucky.

i was there, VP Navy

Back when the USA actually had balls.