War and Military Atlas

How Battles Were Fought
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Military Operation

Operation Praying Mantis

Contemporary

Operation Praying Mantis was a United States Navy retaliatory operation on 18 April 1988 against Iranian military targets in the Persian Gulf, launched after the frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts struck an Iranian mine. Carrier-based aircraft and surface groups destroyed two Iranian oil platforms and sank or damaged several Iranian naval vessels, in the U.S. Navy's largest surface engagement since the Second World War. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Operation Type
Naval retaliatory strike 1
Start Date
1988-04-18 1
End Date
1988-04-18 1
Location
Persian Gulf, Iranian territorial waters 1
Participants
United States Navy carrier battle group (USS Enterprise) and surface action groups, opposed by Iranian naval forces 1
Objective
Retaliate for Iran's mining of USS Samuel B. Roberts and degrade Iranian naval and intelligence facilities in the Gulf 1
Outcome
Two Iranian oil platforms destroyed, one frigate and a gunboat sunk, one frigate damaged and three speedboats sunk; two U.S. Marine aviators killed in a helicopter crash 1
Operation Type
Operation Type (category)
Naval Operation 1
Operation Type (category)
Strike / Raid 1
Connections

Associated With

Iran-Iraq War, Wars

Operation Praying Mantis, the 1988 US Navy action against Iran, arose from the Tanker War phase of the Iran-Iraq War

Source Wikipedia: Operation Praying Mantis

Commanders and Forces

Operation Praying Mantis was fought by United States Navy surface ships and carrier aircraft against Iranian naval forces

Source Wikipedia: Operation Praying Mantis
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Operation Praying Mantis
Wikipedia
  • Opening summary
    The attack destroyed, damaged, or sank two Iranian oil platforms, two frigates, a fast-attack craft, several armed boats, and two fighter jets.
  • In Category: Military Operations
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