On May 17, 1987, the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Stark (FFG-31) was on patrol when it was struck by two Iraqi Exocet missiles in the midst of the Iran-Iraq War. The missiles were fired from an Iraqi Dassault Mirage F1 by a pilot who thought the U.S. frigate was an Iranian tanker.
The first missile punched through the hull near the port bridge wing, eight feet above the waterline. It bored a flaming hole through berthing spaces, the post office, and the shipâs store, spewing rocket propellant along its path. Burning at 3,500 degrees, the weapon ground to a halt in a corner of the chiefsâ quarters, and failed to explode. The second missile, which hit five feet farther forward, detonated as designed. The fire burned for almost a day, incinerating the crewâs quarters, the radar room, and the combat information center.
Thirty-seven sailors died as a result of the missile strikes and the ship was sidelined for repairs for more than a year.
MILITAY HISTORY SOCIETY OF ROCHESTER
ROCHESTERMILITARY.COM
