The firing of a deck gun from the USS Spruance on a cargo ship off the coast of Iran is the first such incident for the US Navy in 38 years, The War Zone reported.
„The last use of a deck gun by a naval ship against another ship occurred during Operation „Mantis“, an unnamed US Navy official told the portal.
Operation „Mantis“ was conducted by the US military on April 18, 1988 in the Persian Gulf in response to the sinking of an American frigate that struck an Iranian mine.
As a result of the military action, the United States destroyed two Iranian oil platforms, a frigate, and a boat. At the time, Operation Mantis was the largest naval battle for the United States since World War II.
On April 19, the US Central Command reported the capture of the cargo ship Touska, which was heading for the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. According to them, Spruance fired several shells from a 127 mm Mark 45 gun into the ship's engine room.