Operation Praying Mantis: US teaching Iran a lesson

[Pakistan Space Agency]

Operation Praying Mantis
18 April 1988

USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) underway after the ship struck a mine on 14 April 1988. A USMC CH-47 Sea Knight helicopter is on the helicopter pad. Naval History and Heritage Command photograph. Catalog #: DN-SC-88-08601.

On 18 April 1988, the U.S. Navy launched Operation Praying Mantis against Iranian targets in the Arabian Gulf in retaliation for USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) mining four days earlier, which blew an immense hole in the ship’s hull. Ten Sailors from Samuel B. Roberts sustained severe injuries. Four were seriously burned. Commander Paul X. Rinn was hurt as well. The ship should have sunk, but thanks to an extraordinary damage control effort by all hands of an extremely well-trained crew, Samuel B. Roberts was kept afloat.

The U.S. response was fierce. Operation Praying Mantis was the largest of five major U.S. Navy surface actions since World War II. It was the first, and so far only, time the U.S. Navy has exchanged surface-to-surface missile fire with an enemy, and it resulted in the largest warship sunk by the U.S. Navy since WWII. In the one-day operation, the U.S. Navy destroyed two Iranian surveillance platforms, sank two of their ships, and severely damaged another.

An aerial port quarter view of the Dutch heavy-lift ship Mighty Servant 2 underway with its cargo, the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58), secured on deck. Samuel B. Roberts is enroute to its home port of Newport, Rhode Island, after hitting an Iranian mine on 14 April 14 1988. Naval History and Heritage Command photograph. Catalog #: DN-ST-88-08272.

Marines inspect a ZU-23 23mm automatic antiaircraft gun on the Iranian Sassan oil platform. Marines attacked, occupied, then destroyed the platform as part of Operation Praying Mantis which was launched after the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) struck a mine on 14 April 1988. National Archives Identifier: 6482409.

Operation Praying Mantis, April 1988. Aerial view of the Iranian frigate IS Alvand (71) burning after being attacked by aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 11 from USS Enterprise (CVN-65). IS Alvand was hit by three Harpoon Missiles plus cluster munitions. Official U.S. Navy photograph. Catalog #: 880418-N-ZZ999-005.

PERSIAN GULF (18 April 1988) An air-to-air left side view of an A-6E Intruder aircraft bombing Iranian targets during Operation Praying Mantis. (U.S. Navy photo)

PERSIAN GULF (18 April 1988) The Iranian frigate Is Sahand (74) burns after being attacked by aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 11 from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65). The attack was part of Operation Praying Mantis. IS Sahand was hit by three Harpoon missiles plus cluster munitions. (U.S. Navy photo)

A view of damage to the hull of USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) while in dry dock in Bahrain. The damage was sustained when the ship struck a mine while on patrol in the Persian Gulf on 14 April 1988. Naval History and Heritage Command photograph. Catalog #: DN-SN-93-01455.

The main building of the Iranian Sassan oil platform burns after being hit by a BGM-71 Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) missile fired from a Marine AH-1 Cobra helicopter. The attack was part of Operation Praying Mantis. National Archives Identifier: 6482406.

Operation Praying Mantis, 14 April 1988. A view of an Iranian oil platform after being strafed by U.S. forces. Marines raided the platform to gather intelligence data and military equipment used by Iranians. The platform was later destroyed by gunfire from U.S. destroyers in retaliation for the Iranian mining of the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) in the Persian Gulf. U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. Catalog #: 330-CFD-DN-SN-89-03136.

Operation Praying Mantis, April 1988. An aerial view of the Iranian frigate IS Sahand burning after being attacked by aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 11 from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in retaliation for the mining of the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) in the Persian Gulf, 18 April 1988. U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives: Online Public Access. Catalog #: 330-CFD-DN-SN-89-03125.

Operation Praying Mantis, 14 April 1988. A view of Iranian oil platforms, the target of U.S. retaliation for the mining of the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) in the Persian Gulf. U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives. Catalog #: 330-CFD-DN-SN-89-03127.

https://www.history.navy.mil/browse...nd-operations/middle-east/praying-mantis.html

 

[Hezbollahi]

It was an interesting read. What are your personal thoughts?

At that time the pressure was on the Western theatre for Iran.

 

[Arminkh]

So what??!!! Should I also put a few links about how Iranians conquered Athens? Or gave a humiliating defeat to Julius Caesar??!!!

Stop posting irrelevant threads.

 

[mangekyo]

So what??!!! Should I also put a few links about how Iranians conquered Athens? Or gave a humiliating defeat to Julius Caesar??!!!

Stop posting irrelevant threads.

Look at his comments on different threads. He is always triggered by Iran. I bet it is because his family went to Syria and fought for ISIS but Iran killed them so he hates Iran now. All his comments are filled with sectarian hate

 

[Irfan Baloch]

So what??!!! Should I also put a few links about how Iranians conquered Athens? Or gave a humiliating defeat to Julius Caesar??!!!

Stop posting irrelevant threads.

its pointless
you don't need to respond to provocative posts.
Americans are terrorists and are spoiling for more war and violence.
no doubt Americans are superior in military technology, economic and diplomatic strength but despite all its destruction of middle east , its plans have failed and even if it defeats Iran militarily. what it can never do is defeat the resolve of the Iranian nation which can fight for centuries until American people themselves will beg its leadership to call truce with Iranians.

 

[Imad.Khan]

This guy believes that corruption is good for the country and supports the ousted ex-PM..........just ignore him.

 

[Mangus Ortus Novem]

its pointless
you don't need to respond to provocative posts.
Americans are terrorists and are spoiling for more war and violence.
no doubt Americans are superior in military technology, economic and diplomatic strength but despite all its destruction of middle east , its plans have failed and even if it defeats Iran militarily. what it can never do is defeat the resolve of the Iranian nation which can fight for centuries until American people themselves will beg its leadership to call truce with Iranians.

Brother mine,

Kindly, have a review of the OP activity ... we don't need Secterian crap here on PDF... in OurLand we have paid in blood for this fitna... and NO I am not Shia...

But this needs to stop... as we are looking for new fires in ME .. people like OP are throwing petrol on fire... which Pakistan cann't afford.

Upto your judgement... had I the authority.. I would branded the OP red many a times for his anti Pak and anti PakArmedForces crap...

I normally report and not this directly but we need to take stand for Pakistan!

Mangus

 

[Philosopher]

its pointless
you don't need to respond to provocative posts.
Americans are terrorists and are spoiling for more war and violence.
no doubt Americans are superior in military technology, economic and diplomatic strength but despite all its destruction of middle east , its plans have failed and even if it defeats Iran militarily. what it can never do is defeat the resolve of the Iranian nation which can fight for centuries until American people themselves will beg its leadership to call truce with Iranians.

The thread starter is trying to provoke Iranian and is constantly making comments that appear to not provide any substance but just to inflame the Iranians. He is in almost everyone of these Iranian threads and all of his posts are of the nature I described. Please give them a warning. Iranians are being very level headed and respectful, I am not sure why they're being treated this way...

Brother mine,

Kindly, have a review of the OP activity ... we don't need Secterian crap here on PDF... in OurLand we have paid in blood for this fitna... and NO I am not Shia...

But this needs to stop... as we are looking for new fires in ME .. people like OP are throwing petrol on fire... which Pakistan cann't afford.

Upto your judgement... had I the authority.. I would branded the OP red many a times for his anti Pak and anti PakArmedForces crap...

I normally report and not this directly but we need to take stand for Pakistan!

Mangus

Thanks Magnus. You and Iranians here are the type of level headed commenters we need here in these discussions and not like OP. I commend other Iranians here for being cool headed and not taking the bait of these trolls.

 

[MKALE1]

Iranian Government/military shouldn't have threatened Pakistan in 2017 and it's people shouldn't have cheerleader those threats.

Who said it's okay for Iran to make 6 million innocent Syrian civilians refugees in the name of greater good?

May Allah totally and permanently destroy the nation of Iran for the evil it has committed against so many Muslim nations. Ameen.

May Allah give you understaning ability. And May Allah unite İran, Pakistan and Turkey into one power

 

[Irfan Baloch]

The thread starter is trying to provoke Iranian and is constantly making comments that appear to not provide any substance but just to inflame the Iranians. He is in almost everyone of these Iranian threads and all of his posts are of the nature I described. Please give them a warning. Iranians are being very level headed and respectful, I am not sure why they're being treated this way...

middle east is divided by racism and sectarian hatred
there is no cure for this centuries old condition and its affecting people in Pakistan as well.
where some people are claiming that condemning American brazen attack is indirectly appeasing Iran and submitting to Iranian regime hence this assassination and violation of sovereignty of Iraq and murdering Iraqis along with that Iran general must be commended .

these situations bring the best and worse out of people and goes to show what they are.
I, as a neutral observer and and neighbor of Iran felt bad for Iraq and Iran due to this incident. it is depressing to see how a leader of the free world can violate all international norms and commits this murder and then continues to provoke and escalate the tension because its project on middle east didnt turn out its way.

 

[Microsoft]

Bro I think you ate too much Khota biryani. I know that is a favorite of patwaris but settle down.