Battle of Bubiyan

The battle was completely one-sided. Lynx helicopters of the British Royal Navy, using Sea Skua missiles, were responsible for destroying 14 vessels (3 minesweepers, 1 minelayer, 3 TNC 45 Fast Attack Craft, 2 Zhuk-class patrol boats, 2 Polnocny-class landing ships, 2 salvage vessels, 1 Type 43 minelayer, and 1 other vessel) during the battle.[http://www.the-grey-lynx.com/at_war.htm "The Grey Lynx at War"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120913123651/http://www.the-grey-lynx.com/at_war.htm |date=13 September 2012}} The battle saw 21 separate engagements over a course of 13 hours. A total of 21 of the 22 ships that attempted to escape were destroyed.{{cite web | url = http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/dstorm/sword-shield.htm |title="The Navy in the Gulf War" |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101230128/http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/dstorm/sword-shield.htm |archive-date=1 January 2015 |website=history.navy.com| url-status=dead}}

A Canadian CF-18 Hornet fighter recorded an official victory at the beginning of the battle against the Iraqi Navy.{{cite book|last1=Morin|last2=Gimblett|first1=Jean H.|first2=Richard Howard|title=Operation Friction, 1990–1991: The Canadian Forces in the Persian Gulf|url=https://archive.org/details/operationfrictio0000mori|url-access=registration|year=1997|publisher=Dundurn Press|isbn=978-1-55002-257-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/operationfrictio0000mori/page/170 170]}}

Also related to the Bubiyan action was the Battle of Khafji in which Saddam Hussein sent an amphibious assault to Khafji to reinforce the city against the Coalition attack. That too was spotted by the Coalition naval forces and subsequently destroyed.

The last action of the Iraqi Navy was to fire a Silkworm missile from an inland launcher at the battleship {{USS|Missouri|BB-63|6}}. It was intercepted mid-flight by a Sea Dart missile from the British destroyer {{HMS|Gloucester|D96|6}} and successfully destroyed. That marked the first time that a ship-launched anti-air missile intercepted an incoming enemy missile in combat at sea.{{cite web

|title = Final trip for HMS Gloucester after Falklands' duties and Saxon Warrior exercise

|url = http://en.mercopress.com/2011/05/23/final-trip-for-hms-gloucester-after-falklands-duties-and-saxon-warrior-exercise

|publisher = MercoPress

|quote = In 1997, Gloucester took part in Ocean Wave 97. A deployment of 8 months which saw her visit countries including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UAE as well as taking part in Exercise Flying Fish as part of the FPDA (Five Powers Defence Agreement) She sailed as part of Task Group 327.01 along with the flagship {{HMS|Illustrious|R06|6}} and other ships such as {{HMS|Richmond|F239|6}} and support ships. Part of the role of the Task Force was to oversee the peaceful handover of Hong Kong to the Chinese. 11 January 2012

|archive-url = https://www.webcitation.org/64bLfD6e1?url=http://en.mercopress.com/2011/05/23/final-trip-for-hms-gloucester-after-falklands-duties-and-saxon-warrior-exercise

|archive-date = 11 January 2012

|date = 23 May 2011

|access-date = 17 June 2015

|url-status = dead

|df = dmy

}}

After the Bubiyan action, the Iraqi Navy ceased to exist as a fighting force at all,{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dm6pDwAAQBAJ |title=Middle East conflicts from Ancient Egypt to the 21st century : an encyclopedia and document collection |date=2019-08-27 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-4408-5353-1 |editor-last=Tucker |editor-first=Spencer C. |volume=1 |location=Santa Barbara, California |pages=244 |language=en |oclc=1099541849 |quote=The Battle of Bubiyan Island effectively destroyed the Iraqi Navy. |editor-last2=Roberts |editor-first2=Priscilla Mary}} which left Iraq with very few ships, all in poor condition.{{cite book |title = Gulf War of 1991 | publisher = Rosen Publishing | year = 1996}}{{pn|date=June 2021}}{{Full citation needed|date=June 2021}}

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{{coord missing|Iraq}}

Bubiyan

Bubiyan

Category:Maritime incidents in 1991

Category:History of the Persian Gulf

Bubiyan

Bubiyan

Category:January 1991 in Asia

Category:February 1991 in Asia

Category:January 1991 in Iraq

Category:February 1991 in Iraq

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