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"Persian Gulf Conflict"

Operation Earnest Will

Iraq attacked Iran in September 1980, launching a war that would last eight years. By 1982, more than 100,000 people had died. The war was costing each side $1 billion a month and devastated both countries' oil industries. In the so-called "tanker war", both belligerents launched attacks on neutral merchant vessels transiting the Gulf, prompting several Gulf states to seek protection from foreign navies.  . . . More history at this link.

Operation Praying Mantis

On 14 April 1988, watchstanders aboard USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) sighted three mines floating approximately one-half mile from the ship. Twenty minutes after the first sighting, as Samuel B. Roberts was backing clear of the minefleld, she struck a submerged mine nearly ripping the warship in half. Working feverishly for seven hours, the crew stabilized the ship. Samuel B. Roberts was sent back to the United States for repair.

More Details at this link.

 

During the Iran-Iraq war there was the "Tanker War" in the Gulf.  The American presence began on 10 March 1987 as OPERATION ERNEST WILL.  Eleven Kuwaiti tankers were reflagged and put under U.S. protection.  In August 1987, Special Operations Command put OPERATION PRIME CHANCE I into effect.  Six Mk III PBs, other small boats, two SEAL platoons, and six MH-6/AH-6 helos were established on bases in the Gulf off oil service rigs Hercules and Wimbrown 7.

Units of ST-1 and -2, SBU-1 and -2, the Army's "Night Stalkers" spec ops helo unit, and 82nd Airborne were there and rotated in and out in four month tours.  Helo ops began on 8 October 1987 sinking three Iranian patrol boats. 

OPERATION NIMBLE ARCHER began on 19 October when an Iranian Silkworm missile hit the tanker Sea Isle City off Kuwait City's oil terminal.  Four U.S. destroyers shelled two oil platforms in the Rostram oil field.  SEALs and a unit from Force Recon destroyed one of the platforms and the SEALs searched a third.   

U.S. patrol boats began ops on 9 September.  Jim Gray commanded at Mk III PB from Hercules.  Hercules and Wimbrown 7 operated patrol boats and helos within 15 miles of each other in the waters around Karan Island.  

On 25 September the SEALs took down and captured the Iranian the Iran Agr that was used to drop mines in the paths of the tankers.  [The ship was scuttled in deep water by the SEALs the next day.] 

In November, two MH-60 Blackhawk helos were added for night-time search and rescue.

 On 14 April 1988, USS Samuel B. Roberts hit an Iranian mine.  On 18 April, U.S. forces launched OPERATION PRAYING MANTIS.  The Iranian frigate Sahalan and oil platforms in the Sirri and Sassan oil fields were hit.  The Sirri oil platform was set ablaze and was destroyed by secondary explosions.  U.S. units also sank two Iranian boats and damaged five in other strikes.  Iranians fired two Silkworm missiles at Hercules and Wimbrown 7.  The frigate USS Gray decoyed them with chaff and later discouraged an attack by Iranian F-4 jets and small boats when it illuminated them with its fire control radar.

 On 16 July, the AH-6/MH-6 helos were replaced by OH-58D Kiowa [Longbow] units.  On 18 July, Iran and Iraq accepted a cease-fire and the war ended on 20 August.  The last EARNEST WILL convoy was run in December 1988.  That same month, the Wimbrown 7 was sent to a Bahrain ship yard for conversion to civilian use.  Joint operations continued from Hercules until June of 1989, when the units were returned to their home bases.   

Bob Stoner

 
Operation Earnest Will - 1988 as experienced by Jim Gray

10/05/03   Jim, I commanded the 753 in the Gulf during Operation Earnest Will in 1988. The Army called it Operation Prime Chance. It was a interesting time, the first mission of the newly formed US Special Operations Command. We operated off converted Oil Rigs paid for by the Kuwaiti Gov.

They were called Mobile Sea Bases (MSB) They were set up as Naval Special Warfare Task Units (NSWTU). Commanded by a SEAL Commander. Each MSB had two dets of MKIII PBs, a Seal Platoon. Army Helo Gunships and BlackHawks from TF-118 and TF-160 (Nightstalkers) and we had Air Force Combat Air controllers. and Marines for Barge security. The MSBs were manned By Both East Coast and West Coast NSW Units, The MSB Barge Hercules was Manned by the East Coast units, West Coast units were attached to MSB Barge Wimbrown VII.

On WimBrown VII the MKIII were PBs 753 and 757 from Special Boat Unit 13, PBs 775 and 776 were from Special Boat Unit 12.

The Hercules had PB detachments from SBU-20 and SBU-24. I don't recall all there boat numbers , I remember the 777 and 758 for sure as I worked with them on a few occasions. Mostly Each NSWTU conducted there own missions both answering to Naval Special Warfare Task Group. PB Missions were primarily Coastal and Interdiction Patrols to stop the Iranians from mining the sea lanes for Oil Tankers and Small Boat attacks on Oil Tankers.

We also conducted SEAL Support operations, and escorting oil tankers to Kuwait. Threats we faced from the Iranians in this operation were Mines, Aircraft and Missiles and our personal nemmisis, Small combatant craft operated by the Pasadaren Guard. These boats included Armed Boston Whaler types and sizes, and the fast armed Bogghamer. the Iranian had MKIII PBs also!!!, left over from the Shaw of Iran. So when on patrol if you came across other PBs you took a real hard look at them. As we Operated in the Northern Persian Gulf The Iranians used Farsi Island and and Karge Island and Bushere as their boat bases as well as Iranian controlled Oil Platforms as launching points for attacks. The Iranian Navy had several European built FACs with Exocet missiles. Every Indigenous craft in area was looked at because Oll Platform support boats could and did sow mines. The Native Dhow we knew could and did sow mines, and gather Intelligence on us. We were very worried about a Suicide Boat attack on the Barge, and one of the duties of the PBs was to not let ANY vessel within a mile of the barge. This task was called Pouncer Duty. For us on the Wimbrown VII the normal duty schedule was Patrol a day, Patrol a Day, Maintenance day, and Pouncer day, then start over. Seal Support Ops and Escort duty were extra, and could screw up the schedule!

At first we only did Night Patrols but later we did day and night patrols That made a LONG DAY. Ask any Boat Guy there, sleep was a Blessing. Maintenance day to work on the boat and get some rest was often interrupted by a SEAL op. or escorting a convoy up to Kuwait. In the Northern Gulf it was divided, the Iranians had a mythical line called The Iranian Exclusion zone officially, their "Line of Death". No one could cross that line. and most of the time we honored it. We called it the Romulain Neutral zone, a spoof on Star Trek movies. Because the Gulf is very small, a tug often moved our barges so they couldn't be targeted. and operating ranges for patrols were not large, which makes for limited movement of the barges, I remember the Barge being anchored on a known Mine field on our charts, and on a another occasion being only 16 miles from Farsi Is. When an incident happened, ship attack etc, it went down fast and it didn't take long to get there. Don't get me wrong, most old warriors will tell you it 90% of time things are Boring! The other 10% your scared to death. It was no Different there in the Gulf.

The Biggest Thing I learned about was the awesome responsibilty of command in a war zone. Your decisions made could be Life or Death for your crew.

Well I rattled on long enough, If you want to read about Operation Earnest Will, read my Barge CO.s book Inside the Navy Seals, By Gary Stubblefield.

Best Regards, Jim Gray