Direct proof of use
Sea mines are directly documented in the 1990 Gulf War through U.S. Navy history and postwar technical accounts of Operation Desert Storm. The Naval History and Heritage Command records that Iraqi mines damaged USS Tripoli and USS Princeton during February 1991 mine-clearance and naval operations in the northern Gulf.
A U.S. Navy Desert Shield and Desert Storm history states that Iraq was laying mines in international waters after the invasion of Kuwait, and that Tripoli and Princeton were hit by exploding mines within three hours of each other on February 18, 1991. Captured Iraqi charts and intelligence later showed the minefield where the ships were hit as part of a wider mine arc off Kuwait.
Sources: NHHC Desert Storm Mine Warfare, GulfLINK U.S. Navy Desert Storm History
Timeline
Coalition mine-countermeasures activity began before the February 1991 ground offensive. The U.S. Navy history says U.S. ships discovered and destroyed six Iraqi mines in December 1990, after it became clear that Iraq was laying mines in international waters.
On February 18, 1991, Tripoli and Princeton struck mines while coalition forces were clearing approaches for possible amphibious operations and naval gunfire support off Kuwait. The NAVSEA salvage report records that both ships detonated mines in the Arabian Gulf off Kuwait and required damage-control, salvage, and repair responses.
Sources: GulfLINK U.S. Navy Desert Storm History, NAVSEA Desert Storm Salvage Report
Narrative
Iraqi sea mines served an area-denial and amphibious-denial role in the 1990 Gulf War. Coalition mine-countermeasures forces were clearing a path for potential amphibious landing operations, battleship gunfire support, and movement near the Kuwaiti coast when the two U.S. warships were damaged.
The mine threat complicated coalition planning even where it did not determine every decision by itself. A National Research Council chapter on amphibious planning says the Iraqi minefields were laid in an arc roughly 50 miles east of the beaches around Ash Shuaybah, and describes the mine threat as one of several reasons the proposed landing was not carried out.
The February 18 strikes also showed the practical effect of the minefields on ships already assigned to mine-countermeasures work. GulfLINK's Navy history states that Tripoli continued its mission for several days before proceeding to Bahrain for repairs, while Princeton restored strike and Aegis air-defense capabilities shortly after the mine strike and remained on station until relieved.
Sources: GulfLINK U.S. Navy Desert Storm History, National Academies Gulf War Amphibious Planning, NAVSEA Desert Storm Salvage Report
