Warship
Vulnerability
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Surface warships and transport vessels are highly vulnerable - and
susceptible - to air and missile attacks. This ugly reality has
been demonstrated repeatedly since the early 1940s, but the message
seems to be forgotten with remarkable regularity.
The advent of modern anti-ship
cruise missiles, especially types with sea-skimming trajectories, adds
a
further dimension to an issue which was well proven during the Second
World War. It is worth observing that a large number of Allied vessels
were sunk
or damaged by German Fritx-X and Hs-293 guided glidebombs
during that period [Click for more ...].
The first 'modern' casualty of an antishipping missile attack was the
Israeli destroyer Eilat, sunk by four Styx ASCMs launched by Soviet
supplied fast missile boats, operated by Egypt.
It is also worth observing that the last major campaign involving
sustained aerial and missile attacks on a surface fleet was during the
Falklands conflict, 23 years ago. It represents the only genuinely
useful case study since the Second
World War. While AAW and ASMD systems have improved considerably
since then, so have the anti-ship cruise missiles in the global market.
British losses in
warships and lives would have been considerably greater were it not for
the persistent problems experienced by the Argentines with fusing in
the
Exocet ASCMs and 1,000 lb dumb bombs used in these attacks.
It is of importance that many of the key problems experienced in the
Falklands are inherent to the use of warships without protective
AEW&C, aerial refuelling tanker and fighter cover, and thus cannot
be wished away by putting bigger radars and more defensive systems on
warships. In this type of combat, the initiative always lies with the
attacker [Click for more ...].
Suffice to say the lethality of first generation sea-skimmers and 1,000
lb dumb bombs cannot compare against the contemporary weapons being
acquired across the Pacific Rim and Indian Ocean regions [Click for more ...].
This webpage will display
examples of damage effects inflicted on surface vessels by
anti-shipping
cruise missiles, and air delivered bombs.
Further Reading:
Air
Power
Australia - July
2007 - Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire C
Air Power
Australia - July
2007 - Soviet
Maritime Reconnaissance, Targeting, Strike and Electronic Combat
Aircraft
Air
Power
Australia - January
2007 - Regional Precision Guided
Munitions
Air
Power
Australia - January
2007 - Xian H-6 Badger
Australian
Aviation
- June/September 1983 - Antishipping
Weapons and Naval Air Defence
Australian Aviation - March 1988 - MDC AGM-84A
Harpoon and AGM-84E SLAM
Australian
Aviation
- July 1988 - Maritime Strike - The Soviet
Perspective
Australian
Aviation - September
2000 - Sunburns,
Yakhonts, Clubs and the Region
Australian Aviation - July 2004 - Asia's
Advanced Precision Guided Munitions
Air Power
Australia - July 2005 - Early
Tomahawk Variants - BGM/RGM/AGM-109 Tomahawk/GCLM/MRASM
D Day - The British Task Force lands at
San Carlos - 21st May 1982 @ MoD
Air Power
Australia - July 2006 - Dawn of the Smart
Bomb
Editor's Note: If you have material
to contribute, especially photographs or information on target damage,
please contact the APA webmaster @ webmaster@ausairpower.net.
Contributed
Links:
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Anti-Shipping Strike Combat Losses - Guided Munitions in World War II
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Warship/Vessel
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Type/Class
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Campaign/Operation
|
Year
|
Cause
|
Damage
|
Notes
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HMS
Bideford
|
Sloop
|
ASW
Patrol - Biscay |
1943 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Damaged |
-
|
HMS
Landguard
|
Sloop |
ASW
Patrol - Biscay |
1943 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Damaged |
- |
HMS
Egret
|
Corvette
|
ASW
Patrol - Biscay
|
1943
|
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb
|
Sunk
|
194
dead
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HMCS
Athabaskan
|
Destroyer |
ASW
Patrol - Biscay |
1943 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Damaged |
-
|
HMS
Intrepid
|
Destroyer
|
Aegean
|
1943
|
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk
|
-
|
RHS
Vasillisa Olga
|
Destroyer
|
Aegean |
1943
|
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk
|
-
|
HMS
Dulverton
|
Destroyer |
Aegean |
1943 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk |
- |
HMS
Rockwood
|
Destroyer |
Aegean |
1943 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Damaged |
- |
SS
Delius
|
Transport |
Atlantic |
1943 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Damaged |
- |
HMT
Rohna
|
Troopship
|
KMF-26
Mediterranean
|
1943 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk |
1152
dead |
HMS
Inglefield
|
Destroyer |
Anzio
|
1944 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk
|
35
dead
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SS
Elihu Yale
|
Transport |
Anzio |
1944 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk |
12
dead |
SS
Samuel Huntingdon
|
Transport |
Anzio |
1944 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk |
- |
LCT-35
|
Landing
Craft
|
Anzio |
1944 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk |
- |
USS
Herbert C Jones
|
Destroyer |
Anzio |
1944 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Damaged |
- |
HMS
Jervis
|
Destroyer |
Anzio |
1944 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Damaged |
- |
HMHS
St David
|
Hospital
Ship |
Anzio |
1944 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk |
- |
HMHS
St Andrew
|
Hospital
Ship |
Anzio |
1944 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk |
- |
USS
Prevail
|
Minesweeper
|
Anzio |
1944 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Damaged |
- |
HMS
Boadicea
|
Destroyer
|
Normandy |
1944 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk |
175
dead |
USS
Meredith
|
Destroyer |
Normandy |
1944 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk |
- |
| LST-282 |
Landing
Ship |
St
Raphael, France
|
1944 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk |
- |
| LST-312 |
Landing
Ship |
Salerno |
1944 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Damaged |
- |
RN
Roma
|
Battleship
|
Cape
Testa - Sardinia
|
1943 |
SD-1400X
Fritz-X glidebomb
|
Sunk
|
1352
dead
|
RN
Littorio
|
Battleship |
Cape
Testa - Sardinia |
1943 |
SD-1400X
Fritz-X glidebomb |
Damaged
|
-
|
USS
Philadelphia
|
Cruiser
|
Salerno |
1943
|
SD-1400X
Fritz-X glidebomb |
Damaged
|
injuries
|
HMS
Warspite
|
Battleship |
Salerno |
1943 |
SD-1400X
Fritz-X glidebomb |
Damaged
|
9
dead
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USS
Savannah
|
Cruiser |
Salerno |
1943 |
SD-1400X
Fritz-X glidebomb |
Damaged |
200
dead
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HMHS
Newfoundland
|
Hospital
Ship
|
Salerno |
1943 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk |
- |
SS
Bushrod Washington
|
Transport |
Salerno |
1943 |
Hs-293
rocket propelled glidebomb |
Sunk |
- |
HMS
Uganda
|
Cruiser |
Salerno |
1943 |
SD-1400X
Fritz-X glidebomb |
Damaged |
16
dead |
HMS
Spartan
|
Cruiser |
Anzio
|
1944 |
SD-1400X
Fritz-X glidebomb |
Sunk |
46
dead |
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Refer
Francesco Cestra - The Sinking
of the Battleship Roma
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Anti-Shipping Strike Combat Losses - Post 1966
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Warship/Vessel
|
Type/Class
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Campaign/Operation
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Year
|
Cause
|
Damage
|
Notes
|
USS
Liberty
|
AGTR-5
SIGINT
|
Arab/Israeli
Conflict
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1967
|
multiple
air attacks (+ torpedo boats)
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Damaged
|
34
dead
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Eilat
(Israel)
|
Destroyer
|
Arab/Israeli
Conflict
|
1967
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4
x P-15 Styx ASCM
|
Sunk
|
47
dead |
| PNS
Khaibar |
Destroyer
|
India/Pakistan
Conflict |
1971
|
P-15
Styx ASCM
|
Sunk
|
-
|
PNS
Muhaviz
|
Minesweeper
|
India/Pakistan
Conflict |
1971 |
P-15
Styx ASCM |
Sunk
|
-
|
| PNS
Shahjahan |
Destroyer
|
India/Pakistan
Conflict |
1971 |
P-15
Styx ASCM |
Damaged
|
-
|
PNS
Dacca
|
Fleet
tanker
|
India/Pakistan
Conflict |
1971 |
multiple
P-15 Styx ASCM |
Damaged |
-
|
| Venus
Challenger |
Transport
|
India/Pakistan
Conflict |
1971 |
P-15
Styx ASCM |
Sunk
|
-
|
HMS
Antelope
|
Type
21 Frigate
|
Falklands
/ Operation Corporate
|
1982
|
2
x 1,000 lb dumb bomb
|
Sunk
|
2
dead
|
| HMS
Antrim |
County
Destroyer
|
Falklands
/ Operation Corporate |
1982 |
dumb
bomb
|
Damaged
|
-
|
| HMS
Ardent |
Type
21 Frigate |
Falklands
/ Operation Corporate |
1982 |
multiple
dumb bomb/rocket
|
Sunk
|
22
dead
|
HMS
Argonaut
|
Leander
Frigate
|
Falklands
/ Operation Corporate |
1982 |
2
x 1,000 lb dumb bomb |
Damaged |
2
dead |
| HMS
Broadsword |
Type
22 Frigate |
Falklands
/ Operation Corporate |
1982 |
1
x 1,000 lb dumb bomb |
Damaged
|
4
injured
|
HMS
Coventry
|
Type
42 Destroyer
|
Falklands
/ Operation Corporate |
1982 |
2
x 1,000 lb dumb bomb
|
Sunk
|
19
dead
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HMS
Glamorgan
|
County
Destroyer |
Falklands
/ Operation Corporate |
1982 |
MM38
Exocet ASCM
|
Damaged
|
13
dead
|
HMS
Glasgow
|
Type
42 Destroyer |
Falklands
/ Operation Corporate |
1982 |
dumb
bomb
|
Damaged
|
-
|
HMS
Sheffield
|
Type
42 Destroyer |
Falklands
/ Operation Corporate |
1982 |
AM39
Exocet ASCM
|
Burned/Sunk
|
20
dead
|
RFA
Sir Galahad
|
LSL
|
Falklands
/ Operation Corporate |
1982 |
multiple
dumb bombs
|
Burned/Sunk |
48
dead
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MV
Atlantic Conveyor
|
RORO
Transport
|
Falklands
/ Operation Corporate |
1982 |
AM39
Exocet ASCM
|
Burned/Sunk |
12
dead
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USS
Stark
|
FFG7
Frigate
|
Persian
Gulf
|
1987
|
2
x AM39 Exocet ASCM
|
Damaged
|
37
dead
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Joshan
(Iran)
|
Combattante-II
FPB
|
Operation
Praying Mantis
|
1988
|
2
x AGM-84 ASCM
|
Sunk
|
-
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Sahand
(Iran)
|
Saam
Class Frigate
|
Operation
Praying Mantis |
1988 |
multiple
AGM-84 ASCM / GBU-10 LGB
|
Sunk
|
-
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Sabalan
(Iran)
|
Saam
Class Frigate
|
Operation
Praying Mantis |
1988 |
multiple
GBU-12 LGB
|
Damaged
|
-
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INS
Hanit (Israel)
|
Sa'ar
5 Missile Boat
|
Lebanon
Blockade
|
2006
|
C-802
(CSS-N-8 Saccade) ASCM
|
Damaged |
4
dead
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Combat
Damage Imagery
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The
first capital ship to be lost to a guided munition attack was the
45,000 tonne Vittorio Veneto class battleship RN Roma, which burned and
sank after being hit by two PC1400X Fritz X radio-controlled glidebombs
on the 9th September, 1943. The weapons were delivered by II/KG100
flying Do-217K-2 bombers from Istres in France, with the strike
credited to Major Benhard Jopp, Luftwaffe. This attack killed 1352
personnel, including Admiral Carlo Bergamini, Chief of Naval Staff of
the RN (RN).
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Type
42 Air Defence Destroyer HMS Sheffield burned to the waterline after
being hit by a single Aerospatiale AM39 Exocet ASCM launched by an
Argentinian Super Etendard strike fighter. Twenty sailors were killed
in
this attack. The warhead failed to explode but residual propellant
ignited an uncontrollable fire (UK
MoD image).
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Another Falklands Exocet casualty was the County Class Destroyer HMS
Glamorgan, severely damaged with thirteen dead
(Anonymous)
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Type
42 Air Defence Destroyer HMS
Coventry, sister ship to the Sheffield, capsized and sank after
being hit by two 1,000 lb aerial bombs, with nineteen dead
(UK MoD images).
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The Atlantic Conveyor burned out
after being hit by a single Aerospatiale AM39 Exocet ASCM launched by
an
Argentinian Super Etendard strike fighter. Twelve sailors were killed
in
this attack. It is unclear whether the warhead exploded or the damage
was produced wholly by residual propellant igniting the ships flammable
stores (UK MoD image).
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Type 21 Frigate HMS Ardent burning after
being hit by 1,000 lb aerial bombs, delivered by low flying Argentinian
A-4 fighters. The Ardent sank. Twenty two sailors died in this attack (unknown source, UK MoD images).
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Type 21 Frigate HMS Antelope explodes and
later sinks after being hit by 1,000 lb aerial bombs, also delivered by
low flying Argentinian fighters. An Army bomb disposal expert and one
sailor died in this attack (BBC, UK MoD images).
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RFA Sir Galahad burns after being hit by
three 1,000 lb bombs, delivered by Argentinian A-4 Skyhawks in dive
attacks. This attack killed 48 personnel (UK MoD image).
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FFG7
Frigate USS Stark lists after being hit by a pair of Aerospatiale AM39
Exocet ASCMs, launched by an Iraqi Air Force Mirage F.1 strike fighter.
Thirty seven sailors were killed in this attack (US DoD images).
The USS Liberty lists after being
attacked by Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats in June 1967. Thirty
four sailors were killed and many more injured (US Navy image).
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Other
Damage Imagery
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The
French oil tanker Limburg burns after a terrorist attack off the coast
of Yemen in October, 2002. Oil tankers were frequently targeted during
the Iran-Iraq war, repeating the Second World War experience where
tankers in convoys were high priority targets for submarines and
maritime strike aircraft (unknown image source).
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Trials,
Exercises and Sinkex Imagery
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North Korean
4,000
tonne freighter Pong Su after taking two 2,000 lb Laser Guided Bomb
hits,
delivered by RAAF F-111C aircraft, 23rd March 2006. The Pong Su was
siezed by Australian Federal Police in 2003, after a narcotics
interdiction operation in Victoria which resulted in the capture of 150
kg of heroin, being smuggled by the North Koreans. The unseaworthy Pong
Su was disposed of under Section 185(b) of the Customs Act 1901
(RAAF image).
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During the Resultant Fury exercise
conducted late November, 2004, the US Air Force trialed the use
of
AMSTE-modified 2,000 lb JDAM guided bombs, with datalink updates from
an
E-8C JSTARS, and laser guided 2,000 lb GBU-10/BLU-109 bombs targeted by
a Litening II pod on a B-52H. Upper - former USN LST Schenectady takes
a
hit by multiple JDAMs; Lower - damage effect produced by JDAM hits on
waterline. The vessel sank 1.5 hrs later.
Former LPH-9 USS Guam under
attack by the JFK's CVW during an exercise in October, 2001 (USN image).
The former FF-1057 USS Rathburne sank after being hit with two Harpoons
launched by a P-3C (USN image).
Harpoon strike on the former FFG-2 USS Ramsey during RIMPAC 2000
(USN image).
Former Spruance class DD-997 USS Hayler
takes a gunfire hit from a 57 mm shipboard gun during a 2004 Sinkex
(RCN image).
Former DDG-14 USN Buchanan was used as a
target for Hellfire missiles, three Harpoons and a GBU-10 during the
RIMPAC 2000 exercise (USN image).
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Post strike image of a destroyer target
hit by an AGM-84A Harpoon anti-ship cruise missile during trials. The
Harpoon, with a larger warhead, is more lethal than the Exocet.
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BGM-109B Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile (TASM)
impacting a warship target during trials. Russian equivalents such as
the Novator 3M-54E/E1 (SS-N-27) would produce similar damage effects
(GD).
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Rockwell
GBU-15 CWW glidebomb impacts a warship target during trials. Widely
exported EO guided weapons such as the Russian KAB-500Kr and
KAB-1500Kr/TK would produce similar effects to equivalent US guided
bombs (US Air Force image).
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