The amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LPH-10) ships-out of Naval Station Subic Bay, Philippines, sailing for Operation Desert Shield/Storm. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Senior Chief Petty Officer McColley.
On 18FEB1991, the United States Ship (USS) Tripoli (aka Tripoli-2) LPH-10 (not to be confused with the new LHA-7 Tripoli) struck an Iraqi mine while sailing the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm. Four crewmembers were injured, and the Tripoli went into drydock for repairs.
This U.S. Navy photo claims to show the Tripoli being tugged into a dry dock in Bahrain, after the mine incident, however the date on the photo is two weeks prior to the incident. Photo by Journalist First Class Petty Officer Joe Gawlowicz.
Tripoli was sailing (news reports conflict, some say Tripoli was the flagship for a minesweeping operation while others say only specialized minesweepers conduct such operations, USN sources say Tripoli was acting as a “mine clearing platform”) along with USS Princeton, both hit mines. Tripoli was hit first, early in the morning before dawn (again conflicting times, some reports say 04:36, others say 04:40), two to three hours later Princeton was hit. The ships were more than 60 miles apart when they hit mines. Both ships were able to continue under their own power (one report says it took the crew of Tripoli seven hours to restore power).
As the water is drained from the dock, the damage is revealed. USN photo by Journalist First Class Petty Officer Joe Gawlowicz.
USN photo by Journalist First Class Petty Officer Joe Gawlowicz.
USN photo by Journalist First Class Petty Officer Joe Gawlowicz.
Size comparison of damage with puny humans. USN photo by Journalist First Class Petty Officer Joe Gawlowicz.
USN photo by Journalist First Class Petty Officer Joe Gawlowicz.
There are photos of the Naval Broadcast Service conducting video interviews about the Tripoli’s repairs, for Navy News This Week, but unfortunately I couldn’t find the videos.
USN photo by Journalist First Class Petty Officer Joe Gawlowicz.
Tripoli was an Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship, commissioned on 06AUG1966, and based in San Diego, California. Tripoli served several tours of duty off the coast of Viet Nam from 1967 to 1972. The assault ship had continuous problems with its propulsion system, in the first six months of 1977 Tripoli underwent propulsion system upgrades. Tripoli was decommissioned and stricken from USN records in September 1995. Tripoli got new life with the U.S. Army, from June 1997 to April 2015. Tripoli was scrapped sometime after 2018. For some strange reason, the USN History and Heritage Command does not mention Tripoli’s action during Operation Desert Storm on its official history page for the ship, the only ‘conflict’ they mention is Viet Nam. However, they do mention Tripoli’s mine incident on its February 1991 chronology page.
Captain Bruce McEwen, commanding officer of the amphibious assault ship USS TRIPOLI (LPH-10), removes a symbolic band-aid after the mine damage was repaired. USN photo by Journalist Second Class Petty Officer Hatzakos, photo dated 01APR1991.
The Combat Action Ribbon was awarded to the crew of LPH-10 on 17MAR1991.
USN photo by Journalist Second Class Petty Officer Hatzakos.
USN photo by Journalist Second Class Petty Officer Hatzakos.
Operation Desert Shield/Storm can be considered the last battle of the undeclared/unofficial Cold War.
LPH-10 departs Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on its way home to San Diego, July 1991. USN photo by Operations Specialist-2 John Bouvia.
Home again, Naval Station San Diego, 08AUG1991, USN photo by Journalist First Class Petty Officer Joseph F. Lancaster.
08AUG1991, USN photo by Journalist First Class Petty Officer Joseph F. Lancaster.
Robot Wars: 
SEAHAWK & SEA HUNTER
USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), 2020: 
INTO THE STEEL INFERNO!
Recovery Ops, 2018: 
USS/DKM PRINZ EUGEN
Cold War Battle Damage: 
THE HIND-END OF DESERT STORM
