--- title: "USS Spruance Blasting A Ship With Its Deck Gun Is A First In Nearly Four Decades" date: "2026-04-21" modified: "2026-04-21" authors: - name: "Howard Altman" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/howard-altman.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/news-features/uss-spruance-blasting-a-ship-with-its-deck-gun-is-a-first-in-nearly-four-decades" categories: - "Arleigh Burke Class" - "Around The Globe" - "Cruisers" - "Destroyers" - "Frigates" - "Iran" - "Iranian Navy" - "Middle East" - "Naval Gun Systems" - "Navies" - "News & Features" - "Sea" - "U.S. Navy" tags: - "Sea Air Space 2026" --- # USS Spruance Blasting A Ship With Its Deck Gun Is A First In Nearly Four Decades ![When the USS Spruance fired its 5-inch deck gun at an Iranian cargo ship, it was the first time a Navy ship used its deck gun on another vessel since 1988.]() *(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jacob I. Allison)* A U.S. warship striking another vessel with its deck gun is a very rare occurrence in modern times. When the *Arleigh Burke* class guided missile destroyer USS *Spruance* [opened fire on the Iranian cargo ship]() *Touska* on April 19th with its [5-inch MK 45 gun](), it marked the first time in almost four decades something like that had happened. In fact, the prior incident took place almost exactly 38 years ago to the day in the same general vicinity against the same enemy. “From what we are tracking, the last known irrefutable instance of a Navy ship firing its deck gun at another ship was on April 18, 1988 during Operation Praying Mantis,” a U.S. Navy official told us, referring to a duel between the U.S. and Iranian navies in the Persian Gulf. That’s when the *Belknap* class guided missile cruiser USS *Wainwright*, *Knox* class destroyer escort USS *Bagley* and the *Oliver Hazard Perry* class guided missile frigate USS *Simpson* all fired upon the Iranian *Karman* class fast attack ship IRIS *Joshan*. ![]() *Aerial view of the Iranian frigate IS *Alvand* burning after being attacked by aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 11 from USS *Enterprise*. (USN)* In addition to launching anti-ship missiles at the Iranian ship, the *Wainwright* and *Bagley* engaged the *Joshan* with 5-inch deck guns while the *Simpson* used its 3-incher, the official noted. The three ships belonged to what was then known as Surface Action Group (SAG) Charlie. [Praying Mantis was part of]() the much larger Operation Ernest Will, which began in 1987 when Iraqi and Iranian forces increased attacks on merchant ships in the Persian Gulf during the latter stages of the Iran-Iraq War. Ernest Will involved [reflagging Kuwaiti oil tankers]() under the American banner, allowing them to be escorted by U.S. Navy ships. In July, 1987, [during the first such escort](), one of those ships struck a mine, setting off a chain reaction of events that led to Praying Mantis. That operation was in response to the *Oliver Hazard Perry* class guided missile frigate USS *Samuel B. Roberts* striking an Iranian mine. ![]() *USS *Samuel B. Roberts* underway after the ship struck an Iranian mine on April 14, 1988. (USN)* The mine's detonation against the *Roberts* “blew an immense hole in the ship’s hull,” [according to a Navy history of the incident](). “Ten Sailors from *Samuel B. Roberts* sustained severe injuries. Four were seriously burned. Commander Paul X. Rinn was hurt as well. The ship should have sunk, but thanks to an extraordinary damage control effort by all hands of an extremely well-trained crew, *Samuel B. Roberts* was kept afloat.” ![]() *A view of damage to the hull of USS *Samuel B. Roberts* while in dry dock in Bahrain. The damage was sustained when the ship struck a mine while on patrol in the Persian Gulf on April 14, 1988. (USN)* “The U.S. response was fierce,” the Navy history continued. “Operation Praying Mantis was the largest of five major U.S. Navy surface actions since World War II. It was the first, and so far only, time the U.S. Navy has exchanged surface-to-surface missile fire with an enemy, and it resulted in the largest warship sunk by the U.S. Navy since WWII.” At 10:48 a.m. local time, “an approaching Iranian frigate, *Joshan*, was identified,” according to [*Defense Media Network*](). “The *Joshan* ignored three warnings issued from the *Wainwright*, and launched a Harpoon missile that narrowly missed the cruiser.” The vessels in the U.S. Navy's surface action group returned fire with SM-1 and Harpoon missiles, heavily damaging the *Joshan*. The burning frigate was then sunk with gunfire. The *Joshan* wasn’t the only Iranian asset hit that day. “In the one-day operation, the U.S. Navy destroyed two Iranian surveillance platforms, sank two of their ships, and severely damaged another,” according to a Navy history of the event. ![]() *A view of an Iranian oil platform after being strafed by US forces. Marines raided the platform to gather intelligence data and military equipment used by Iranians. The platform was later destroyed by gunfire from US destroyers in retaliation for the Iranian mining of the guided missile frigate USS *Samuel B. Roberts* in the Persian Gulf. (USN)* Praying Mantis helped change the course of events. “Stung by its defeats, Iran decreased its attacks against merchant vessels after the US responses,” the [Modern Warfare Institute at West Point noted](). While the *Spruance* attack on the *Touska* is the Navy’s first use of a deck gun on another ship since then, there are more differences than similarities between these engagements. The *Touska* is an unarmed civilian cargo vessel that tried to evade the Navy’s blockade on Iranian ports. While the *Spruance’*s gun blew a hole in *Touska*’s engine room, the ship didn’t sink, but was instead boarded and seized. The vast majority of Iran’s navy has been destroyed during Epic Fury, leaving an array of small attack craft, but nothing the size of the *Joshan* still afloat. ***You can see video of the Touska being hit with a 5-inch gun below***: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzlhWVE4_LQ ***Here is a file video of a Arleigh Burke class destroyer firing its 5-inch gun:*** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbkG9k3Q2Dk The *Touska* encounter didn’t seem to have the same effect on Iran as Praying Mantis. If anything, [as we previously noted](), for at least certain factions within the fragmented Iranian power structure, it hardened the resolve not to enter a second round of negotiations to end the war. [Though Trump has extended the deadline]() for a ceasefire, Iran has yet to indicate it will return to the bargaining table. Iran, calling the *Touska* incident [an act of piracy](), has demanded the return of the ship and its crew and has [threatened retaliation](). However that has yet to happen. Regardless, now we know the last time the U.S. Navy has used one of its main deck guns against another ship in anger was 38 years ago. *Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com* ## Author Howard is a Senior Staff Writer for *TWZ*. He writes frequently about conflict, focusing heavily on the Middle East and Ukraine, and interviews with military and intelligence officials and industry leaders from around the globe. He lives near Tampa, Florida, home of U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()