Operation Praying Mantis: Sassan Oil Platform Attack

 military, historical layer / disappeared object

The Sassan Oil Platform was constructed in the late 1970's located in deep water over an oil field of the same name. Like the neighboring Sirri oil platform complex, the Sassan platform and its workers led an otherwise unremarkable existence until the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War in 1980, when their location on the edge of Iran's Southern border in the Persian Gulf made their location strategically valuable to the Iranian Military.

The Sassan oil platform like much of Iran's oil infrastructure became a prime target for Iraqi ships and aircraft after Iraq began attacking Iranian tankers at Kharg island in 1984. The oil platforms at Sassan and Sirri were subsequently armed and garrisoned to meet this threat, but soon proved their value in providing logistical support bases for naval operations. Forming a new front line in the Iran-Iraq War, the Iranian Navy began observing and striking out against Iraqi and Kuwaiti merchant ships and oil tankers transiting near the Sassan and Sirri platforms. In what would later be known as the "Tanker War", Sassan and other oil platforms aided in the damaging of 546 commercial vessels and deaths of 430 civilian mariners by November 1986 at the hands of the Iranian Air Force and Navy.

US involvement at the behest of the Kuwaiti government began in July 1987 with the United States Navy engaged in the armed escort of reflagged US Oil Tankers, known as Operation Earnest Will. After an oil tanker was damaged by mines on the first day of the operation, the US launched Operation Prime Chance and covertly attempted to disrupt Iranian minelaying and small-boat attack activities. Tensions between the US and Iran quickly deteriorated through late 1987 after another US-flagged tanker was damaged by Iranian arms and an Iranian Minelayer was captured and scuttled by US forces. Following the destruction of two Iranian oil platforms in the Rashadat oil field under suspicion they were orchestrating Iranian attacks on merchant shipping, US surveillance of the Sassan and Sirri platforms increased dramatically.

Through the end of 1987 and 1988 it became clear that the Sassan platform facility also was operating as a command and control center for naval attacks in the immediate area. While the US Navy was restrained from offensive operations against the facilities for a time, this restraint was rescinded on April 14th, 1988 after the Frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) struck a mine laid in international waters Southeast of the Sassan platform. After confirming that other mines in the area were Iranian, four days later the US Navy launched Operation Praying Mantis to neutralize the threat posed by the oil platforms.

Shortly after 0730hrs local time, troops stationed on the Sassan platform sighted the ships of Surface Action Group Bravo, consisting of the Guided missile Destroyers USS Lynde McCormick (DDG-8) and USS Merrill (DD-976) and the Amphibious ship USS Trenton (LPD-14) approaching the platform. Several helicopters lifted off from the USS Trenton and circled nearby as a radio message was dispatched to the crew on the platform; Abandon the platform immediately or risk being shelled when the ships opened fire. After dispatching a message to the mainland, crews on the platform opened fire with their anti-aircraft guns on the USS Merrill, which in turn returned fire at 0800hrs with her 5-inch gun. Moments later, the guns aboard the USS Lynde McCormick also began shelling the platform and a Marine AH-1 Cobra flew in and began firing its guns and missiles into the platform buildings.

The shelling continued unabated for over an hour before all resistance ceased and at 0925hrs. Two CH-46 helicopters dropped Marine Air-Ground Task Force troops by fast line onto the Sassan platform, where the marines found no opposition and quickly set about recovering sensitive items and intelligence from the platform and then planting detonation charges. By 1100hrs the Marines were back aboard their helicopters and the US fleet withdrew from the area around Sassan. Shortly afterwards, the Sassan Oil Platform was totally destroyed by demolition charges and left heavily aflame. After the Iran-Iraq War, the platform was scrapped and removed but presently the site is being prepared for oil drilling once again.

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