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


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