Key Words and Summary: Operation Praying Mantis, the largest US surface naval battle since WWII, offers crucial lessons for the current conflict with Iran.
-The one-day battle on April 18, 1988, was a swift and fierce US retaliation after an Iranian mine severely damaged the USS Samuel B. Roberts. US Navy warships and aircraft destroyed two Iranian oil platforms and sank or crippled several Iranian naval vessels, including a frigate and missile boats.
-While demonstrating overwhelming US firepower, the conflict also highlighted Iran’s willingness to engage in asymmetric warfare and the risk of rapid, unintended escalation, a danger underscored by the accidental downing of Iran Air Flight 655 months later.
Operation Praying Mantis: Lessons Learned In Naval War With Iran
Television news has been covering nonstop the bombing of Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities by United States Air Force stealth B-2 bombers dropping 15-ton bunker-busting bombs.
The B-2s, flying nonstop from their base in Missouri, flew a 36-hour mission with mid-air refueling, dropped their bombs undetected with about 125 other mission aircraft, and flew home without the loss of a single aircraft.
However, the 1988 US-Iran naval battle, Operation Praying Mantis, offers lessons for today’s conflict, highlighting the risks of escalation and the importance of understanding an adversary’s capabilities and motivations.
While the 1988 engagement demonstrated the US Navy’s superior firepower, it also revealed that initiating conflict with Iran is easier than ending it and that Iran is likely to retaliate asymmetrically.
Also, the incident with the downing of Iran Air Flight 655, though accidental, underscored the potential for unintended consequences and miscalculations in escalating tensions.
Operation Praying Mantis 1988
In mid-April 1988, the US Navy conducted Operation Praying Mantis in response to the mining of the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) by Iran. The operation involved attacks on Iranian oil platforms and naval vessels, and it is the largest surface naval engagement for the US Navy since World War II.
On April 14, 1988, the frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts struck an Iranian mine in the Arabian Gulf, which blew an enormous hole in the side of the ship. Iran had been mining the Gulf because the US had been leading convoys through the Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war.
The damage from the mine to the Roberts was extensive, breaking her keel, starting a severe fire, and flooding two main spaces—flooding a third main space would have sent her to the bottom.
That only ten crewmen were injured enough to require medical evacuation, and no one was killed was due to the alertness of the lookouts, the initiative of the Officer of the Deck, and sound decision-making by the commanding officer.
For several hours, the crew of the Roberts worked to regain electrical power, cable the cracked superstructure together, stop the flooding, and extinguish the fire in one of the most exceptional damage control efforts in the annals of US Naval history.
The Samuel B. Roberts had an extraordinary legacy. The first ship of its name was a destroyer escort sunk during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The Roberts made several daring attacks straight into the teeth of a Japanese task force with the largest battleship ever built, the Yamato, before finally being sunk.
US Reaction Was Swift … Deadly for Iran
The US response was fierce. Operation Praying Mantis was the largest of five major US Navy surface actions since World War II. It was the first, and so far only, time the US Navy has exchanged surface-to-surface missile fire with an enemy, and it resulted in the largest warship sunk by the US Navy since WWII.
In the one-day operation, the US Navy destroyed two Iranian surveillance platforms, sank two of their ships, and severely damaged another.
The operation began at 0800 on April 18. Surface Action Group (SAG) Bravo—the Merrill (DD-976), Lynde McCormick (DDG-8), and Trenton (LPD-14)—approached the Sassan oil platform.
Following a warning to evacuate, the ships commenced a bombardment with naval guns and Marine Cobra helicopters. At the same time, SAG Charlie—the Wainwright (CG-28), Simpson (FFG-56), and Bagley (FF-1069)—carried out a similar attack on the Sirri oil platform located to the east of Sassan.
Both platforms were soon on fire. Marines were able to board and gather intelligence from the Sassan platform, but on the Sirri platform, the fire was too far out of control to allow for boarding. With those two objectives complete, the first part of the operation was a success.
The third group of American ships, SAG Delta—the Jack Williams (FFG-24), O’Brien (DD-975), and Joseph Strauss (DDG-16)—was having no luck with its mission to sink one of the Iranian frigates that had been terrorizing the Gulf by attacking unarmed tankers.
The Iranian Blunder
Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, the Iranians decided to attack. It was a bold but reckless decision. The Iranian fast attack boat Joshan approached the fleet, carrying a Harpoon anti-ship missile. The USS Wainwright warned the Joshan four times to break off their advance, with the Iranian ship stating it had no hostile intent.
But the Joshan fired a Harpoon missile that, due to chaff and electronic jamming, missed the Wainwright by just 100 feet. The USS Simpson and the Wainwright also fired missiles, but these struck the Iranian ship. A fourth missile struck the Joshan. An Iranian F-4 Phantom approached and was hit by a surface-to-air missile and returned to base.
Other Iranian fast attack boats attacked a US supply ship but were driven off by an A-6 attack aircraft. The Iranians then launched the fast attack boat Sabalan, which was notorious for attacking unarmed merchant vessels in the Gulf.
An A-6 put a bomb down the stack into the engineering spaces, leaving the ship dead in the water. However, rather than forcing the attack and sinking the vessel, the Americans allowed it to be towed back into port.
The Iranians had taken a needless pummeling and soon sued for peace in the Iraq War that had gone so poorly. Later, the USS Vincennes mistakenly shot down an Iranian airliner with the loss of all on board.
Lessons Learned
The 1988 conflict started with a US response to Iranian mining activities. This event illustrates how quickly a conflict can escalate, even with a minor provocation.
Iran’s reliance on asymmetric tactics, such as using mines and targeting non-US-flagged vessels, shows that they may not engage in a direct, symmetrical battle, but instead use unconventional methods to challenge the US.
Iran’s actions were driven by a desire to assert its regional influence and respond to perceived US aggression, even if those actions were foolhardy.
Today, Iran has significantly improved its military capabilities, including missile technology, drones, and cyber warfare. Some analysts claim that Iran could potentially overwhelm US defenses with a sustained missile attack.
However, the airstrikes by Israel and the US have decimated their long-range missile launchers. Deterrence is a key aspect of US policy, but it needs to be carefully calibrated to avoid pushing Iran into a corner and triggering unintended escalation.
The 1988 experience suggests that a purely military response may not be sufficient to resolve the conflict with Iran. A comprehensive strategy that includes diplomacy, economic pressure, and regional cooperation is essential.
We have yet to see how this current situation plays out. But with its air defenses and air force virtually wiped out, Iran’s position is very weak.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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