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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 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. According to Bradley Peniston, the attack by the U.S. helped pressure Iran to agree to a ceasefire with Iraq later that summer, ending the eight-year conflict between the Persian Gulf neighbors.〔, p. 217.〕 On 6 November 2003, the International Court of Justice ruled that "the actions of the United States of America against Iranian oil platforms on 19 October 1987 (Operation Nimble Archer) and 18 April 1988 (Operation Praying Mantis) cannot be justified as measures necessary to protect the essential security interests of the United States of America." However, the International Court of Justice dismissed Iran's claim that the attack by United States Navy was a breach of the 1955 Treaty of Amity between the two countries. 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. It also marked the U.S. Navy's first exchange of anti-ship missiles by opposing ships. ==Battle== On 18 April, the U.S. Navy attacked with several groups of surface warships, plus aircraft from the aircraft carrier , and her cruiser escort, . The action began with coordinated strikes by two surface groups. One Surface Action Group, or SAG, consisting of the destroyers (including embarked LAMPS MK I Helicopter Detachment HSL-35 Det 1) and , plus the amphibious transport dock and its embarked Marine Air Ground Task Force and the LAMPS (Light Airborne MultiPurpose System) Helicopter Detachment (HSL-44 Det 5) from USS ''Samuel B. Roberts'', was ordered to destroy the guns and other military facilities on the Sassan oil platform. At 8am, the SAG commander, who was also the commander of Destroyer Squadron 9, ordered ''Merrill'' to radio a warning to the occupants of the platform, telling them to abandon it. The SAG waited 20 minutes, then opened fire. The oil platform fired back with twin-barrelled 23mm ZU-23 guns. The SAG's guns eventually disabled some of the ZU-23s, and platform occupants radioed a request for a cease-fire. The SAG complied. After a tug carrying more personnel had cleared the area, the ships resumed exchanging fire with the remaining ZU-23s, and ultimately disabled them. Cobra helicopters completed the destruction of enemy resistance. The Marines boarded the platform, and recovered a single wounded survivor (who was transported to Bahrain), some small arms, and intelligence. The Marines planted explosives, left the platform, and detonated them. The SAG was then ordered to proceed north to the Rakhsh oil platform to destroy it. As the SAG departed the Sassan oil field, two Iranian F-4s made an attack run, but broke off when ''Lynde McCormick'' locked its fire control radar on the aircraft. Halfway to the Rahksh oil platform, the attack was called off in an attempt to ease pressure on the Iranians and signal a desire for de-escalation. The other group, which included guided missile cruiser and frigates and , attacked the Sirri oil platform. Navy SEALs were assigned to capture, occupy and destroy the Sirri platform but due to heavy pre-assault damage from naval gunfire, it was determined that an assault was not required. Iran responded by dispatching Boghammar speedboats to attack various targets in the Persian Gulf, including the American-flagged supply ship ''Willy Tide'', the Panamanian-flagged ''Scan Bay'' and the British tanker ''York Marine''. All of these vessels were damaged in different degrees. After the attacks, A-6E Intruder aircraft launched from CVN 65 were directed to the speedboats by an American frigate. The two aircraft, piloted by "Lizards" Lieutenant Commander James Engler and Lieutenant Paul Webb, dropped Rockeye cluster bombs on the speedboats, sinking one and damaging several others, which then fled to the Iranian-controlled island of Abu Musa.〔Palmer, Michael (2005). ''Command at sea: naval command and control since the 16th century''.Harvard University Press, p. 310. ISBN 0-674-01681-5〕 Action continued to escalate. , an Iranian Combattante II ''Kaman''-class fast attack craft, challenged and Surface Action Group Charlie. The commanding officer of ''Wainwright'' directed a final warning (of a series of warnings) stating that ''Joshan'' was to "stop your engines, abandon ship, I intend to sink you". ''Joshan'' responded by firing a Harpoon missile at them.〔(''U.S.-Iranian Military Clashes in the Persian Gulf in the 1980s The Inside Story'' by David B. Crist 13 July 2009 )〕 ''Simpson'' responded to the challenge by firing four Standard missiles, while ''Wainwright'' followed with one Standard missile.〔"America's First Clash with Iran: The Tanker War" by Lee Allen Zatarain, Chapter 15: "Stop, Abandon Ship, I Intend to Sink You"〕 All missiles hit and destroyed the Iranian ship's superstructure but did not immediately sink it, so ''Bagley'' fired a Harpoon of its own; the missile did not find the target. SAG Charlie closed on ''Joshan,'' with ''Simpson'', then ''Bagley'' and ''Wainwright'' firing guns to sink the crippled Iranian ship.〔 Two Iranian F-4 Phantom fighters were orbiting about 48 km away when ''Wainwright'' decided to drive them away. ''Wainwright'' fired two Extended Range Standard missiles, one of which detonated near an F-4, blowing off part of its wing and peppering the fuselage with shrapnel. The F-4s withdrew, and the Iranian pilot landed his damaged airplane at Bandar Abbas.〔 Fighting continued when the Iranian frigate departed Bandar Abbas and challenged elements of an American surface group. The frigate was spotted by two Lizard A-6Es while they were flying surface combat air patrol for . ''Sahand'' fired missiles at the A-6Es, which replied with two Harpoon missiles and four laser-guided Skipper missiles. ''Joseph Strauss'' fired a Harpoon. Most, if not all of the shots scored hits, causing heavy damage and fires. Fires blazing on ''Sahands decks eventually reached her munitions magazines, causing an explosion that sank the vessel. Late in the day, the Iranian frigate departed from its berth and fired a surface-to-air missile at several A-6Es from VA-95. The A-6Es then dropped a Mark 82 laser-guided bomb into ''Sabalan''s stack, crippling the ship and leaving it burning. The Iranian frigate, stern partially submerged, was taken in tow by an Iranian tug, and was repaired and eventually returned to service. VA-95's aircraft, as ordered, did not continue the attack. The A-6 pilot who crippled ''Sabalan'', LCDR James Engler, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Admiral William J. Crowe, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for the actions against ''Sabalan'' and the Iranian gunboats.〔http://www.95thallweatherattack.com/operation-praying-mantis/operation-praying-mantis.html〕 In retaliation for the attacks, Iran fired Silkworm missiles (suspected to be the HY-4 version) from land bases against SAG Delta in the Strait of Hormuz and against in the northern central Persian Gulf, but all missed due to the evasive maneuvers and use of decoys by the ships. A missile was probably shot down by ''Gary''s gun. The Pentagon and the Reagan Administration later denied that any Silkworm missile attacks took place probably since it was the only way to keep the situation from escalating further as they had promised before publicly that any such attacks would merit retaliation against targets on Iranian soil.〔"America's First Clash with Iran: The Tanker War" by Lee Allen Zatarain, Chapter 17: "Multiple Silkworms Inbound"〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Operation Praying Mantis」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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