Operation Praying Mantis

“Time is now against Iran.” –Chairman and de facto commander-in-chief, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s comment following Operation Praying Mantis.

Following the destruction of Iran Air Flight 655 by the US, fully loaded with pilgrims on their way to Mecca for the Haj, the Iranian military vowed revenge against the “Great Satan”. With Grand Ayatollah Khomeni gravely ill, there was no one in charge within the Iranian government or military who could or would thwart this dangerous escalation of force. On April 14 the FFG (guided missile frigate) USS Samuel Roberts struck a mine at the edge of the international maritime channel near the Gulf of Bahrain while escorting a fleet of oil tankers. While no one aboard the stricken vessel was killed or seriously injured, the mine blew a gaping twenty-foot wide hole in the ship. Only the quick and skilled action by its crew kept USS Samuel Roberts from sinking. It was quickly determined by investigators that the Iranians had deployed the mines, and National Security Advisor, General Colin Powell advised President Reagan that a massive demonstration of force was required to demonstrate once and for all that Iranian armed interference with the flow of ship traffic in the Persian Gulf would not be tolerated.

Operation Praying Mantis was the largest US fleet action since the Second World War. While the US had a preponderance of force, any error or serious loss could possibly embolden the Iranians, especially the hard liners who resisted any end to the war with Iraq or compromise with the US-led coalition that opposed them. Operation Praying Mantis is a solitaire play game with the active player taking on the role of the commander of the US naval force charged with implementing the operation. The game’s rules govern the Iranian response. Can you do as well or better?

Each copy of Operation Praying Mantis is composed of the following:

One 11 by 17 inch map
112 single-sided, mounted counters
One player's aid sheet
6 pages of rules

Players will also need a six-sided die and one standard deck of playing cards to play the game.