Post-Iranian Revolution, Pre-Desert Storm, did US carriers routinely operate in the Persian Gulf? I'm pretty certain the Enterprise launched the Helos in the Iranian hostage rescue attempt from within the gulf. I recall the carriers supporting Operation Preying Mantis operated outside. I suspect that the carriers mainly operated in the northern Arabian Sea during the shooting phases of the Iran-Iraq Tanker War?

 

Can anyone point me to a reliable source(s)?

 

Thanks as always

Operation Earnest Will (in the late 1980's) was the beginning of sustained carrier deployments to the Gulf. Operation Praying Mantis (April 1988) served as a precursor for offensive naval operations, as the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) struck targets, including two Iranian frigates and sinking one of them.

Hope this helps.

 

FWFS,

Greg Emerson, DM1(SW), USN-Retired

Renton, WA, USA

Pete, your best bet might be to take each carrier in turn and examine their deployment history.

 

Bit of a chore, but there aren't that many and you will get a better feel for where they were at the time.

 

For example, the most basic research tells me:

 

USS Forrestal was in the Med for most of the early 1980s

USS Saratoga was in SLEP from 1980-84, and then returned to the Med until another overhaul in '87

USS Ranger was in WESTPAC during the early 80s, and appears to have operated in the IO regularly, and of course was involved in Op Earnest Will in 1987

etc

And two trascendental links for that:

 

To check carrier by carrier, as in the USS Enterprise example:

http://www.uscarriers.net/cvn65.htm

and go to deployments:

http://www.uscarriers.net/cvn65deploy.htm

 

And in the very dense Gonavy.jp website:

http://gonavy.jp/CVf.html

Post-Iranian Revolution, Pre-Desert Storm, did US carriers routinely operate in the Persian Gulf? I'm pretty certain the Enterprise launched the Helos in the Iranian hostage rescue attempt from within the gulf. I recall the carriers supporting Operation Preying Mantis operated outside. I suspect that the carriers mainly operated in the northern Arabian Sea during the shooting phases of the Iran-Iraq Tanker War?

 

Can anyone point me to a reliable source(s)?

 

Thanks as always

 

No, I don't have a source handy, but Desert Storm was the first time carriers deployed in the Gulf, are you sure about the rescue attempt? I seem to recall they were launched from the N. Arabian sea too, to avoid air defences around Bandar Abbas.

No, I don't have a source handy, but Desert Storm was the first time carriers deployed in the Gulf, are you sure about the rescue attempt? I seem to recall they were launched from the N. Arabian sea too, to avoid air defences around Bandar Abbas.

 

Yes, from what I've seen, it was actually Nimitz and she was operating in the Arabian Sea. This makes sense, as Desert One was located in northwestern Iran.

 

I have also seen references to an 800 mile trip from the carrier to that staging point. Working backwards from the nearest landmark (Tabas), this puts the carrier at more or less at the mouth of the Gulf of Oman, which I also understand is in the usual operating area for US Navy carrier strike groups in the theater.

Yes, from what I've seen, it was actually Nimitz and she was operating in the Arabian Sea.

 

Agreed, I have come across multiple map graphics since I originally posted. I stand corrected.