phibious assault. While sweeping further toward shore, the task group was targeted by Iraqi fire con- Soon after the Iraqi invasion, it became trol radars associated with Silkworm missile clear that Iraq was laying mines in interna- sites inside Kuwait. Task force ships moved tional waters. U.S. ships discovered and de- out of Silkworm range and worked to locate stroyed six mines during December. The U.S. the radar site. During those maneuvers on 18 Mine Countermeasures Group (USMCMG) February, Iraqi mines foundtheirmark. Within was established with the objective of clearing three hours of each other, TRIPOU and USS a path to the beach for a possible amphibious PRINCETON (CG 59) were rocked by explod- landing and battleship gunfire support. ing mines. As damage control teams success- fully overcame fires and flooding aboard TRI- TherrdnesweepersUSSADROIT(MSO POLl and PRINCETON, IMPERVIOUS, 509), USS IMPERVIOUS (MSO 449), and USS LEADER and AVENGER searched for addi- LEADER (MSO 490) along with the newly tional mines in the area. ADROfl led the commissioned mine countermeasures ship USS salvage tug USS BEAUFORT (ATS 2) toward AVENGER(MCM1)arrivedintheGulfaboard PRINCETON to tow her to safety. the heavy-ii~:t ship Super Servant ffi. More than 20 Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal TRIPOLI was able to continue her mis- (EOD) teams were also deployed to support sion for several days before she was relieved the mine countermeasures force. Allied mine- by USS LASALLE (AGF 3) and USS NEW sweepers from Saudi Arabia, Great Britain ORLEANS (LPH11)and proceeded to Bahrain and Kuwait, and the MH-53 Super Stallions of for repairs. NEW ORLEANS provided the Mine Count~~measures Helicopter Squadron helicopter deck while the mine group staff 14 joined the MCM effort. moved aboard LASALLE to coordinate the operati6n. PRINCETON restored her ThAM After months of training off Dubai, strike and AEGIS anti-air warfare defense ca- United Ai~ab Emirates, USMCMG staff em- pabilities within fifteen minutes of the mine barked in USS TRIPOU (LPH 10) on 20 Janu- strike, whereupon she reassumed duties as ary, and proceeded to the~northern Gulf wa- local anti-airwarfare coordinator and remained ters to perform their mission. As flagship for on station, providing defense for the mine - the combined operation, TRIPOLI's flight deck countermeasures group for an additional 30 was the base for the mine-sweeping helicop- hours, until relieved. ters. Six British minesweepers joined their U.S. counterparts, with British and U.S. war- Charts and intelligence captured from ships providing air defense. Iraq showed the mine field where TRIPOLI and PRINCETON were hit was one of six laid USMCMG began its work 60 miles east in a 150-mile arc from Faylaka Island to the of tile Kuwaiti coastline, working initially to Saudi-Kuwaiti border. Within that arc, there clear a 15-mile long, 1,000-yard wide path. were four additional mine-lines - a total of The mine-clearing task force spent the first few more than 1,000 mines - laid over a five weeks of DESERT STORM pushing 24 miles to month period. "Point FOX~ROt" a 10-mile by 3.5-mile box which became the battleship gunfire support Three days later, the massive 31-ship area south of Faylaka Island. amphibious task force moved north to assist in -42-
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