Friday, May 12, 2017

The USS Simpson (FFG-56)-- Part 2

In 1988, the Simpson escorted oil tankers during the Iran-Iraq War.

On April 18, 1988 it participated in the destruction of Iranian naval and intelligence facilities on an oil platform in the Persian Gulf.  Later that day the Simpson, along with the USS Wainwright and USS Bagley encountered the Iranian missile patrol boat Joshan which fired a Harpoon missile at the American ships which returned missile fire and sank the Iranian ship.

The other two ships were decommissioned before the Simpson which makes it the last U.S. ship to sink an enemy ship in combat (other than the USS Constitution, of course).

In 1990 it rescued 22 crew members of the tanker Surf City after it exploded.

Captain Gerald F. DeConto commanded the Simpson from September 1998 to April 2000.  He was killed at the Pentagon on 9-11.

The Simpson was the last ship of its class in service.  I was unable to find out if a foreign country has bought the ship or not.

--DaCoot

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