European Reacts: America Obliterates Half Of Iran's Navy In 8 Hours! - Operation Praying Mantis

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✔️ European Reacts: European Reacts: America Obliterates Half Of Iran's Navy In 8 Hours! - Operation Praying Mantis
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[@european-reacts]

Feel free to hit the like button and subscribe for more content. I would also love to hear your suggestions for future reactions-drop them in the comments below!🙏

[@kevinmyers440]

Love your videos brother. I’d love to see you react to Toby Keith’s song after 9/11 called courtesy of the red, white and blue. It was such a patriotic song that showed how real Americans felt after that day. Have a great day.

[@SamGrant-jm6mz]

​@@kevinmyers440he should check out Dixie. Lincoln's favorite song was Dixie and we Southerners still love it.

[@stephenlovell9958]

if you're looking for another Fat Electrician video to watch, I would recommend his video on the battleship Texas. The Texas is one of the only surviving Dreadnoughts from the WW1 era, and his video on it is amazing.

[@thesarcasticliberal]

Here are a couple other good videos from the Fat Electrician: "World War Tree - Operation Paul Bunyan" "Bat Bombs - More Terrifying than Atomic Bombs" and "The Flying Ginsu - A Missile Full of Swords"

[@TrueHelpTV]

The Beesleys must love you replicating all their videos

[@TecniclyAwsm]

In Americas defense, it isnt our fault "half the Iranian Navy" = less firepower than some American civilians have.

[@shannonrhoads7099]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 🦅

[@Jixxyyy]

I can think of a number of people on KZbin who fit that description of having more firepower than the Iranian Navy

[@bobsyouruncle3075]

Very fair point.

[@tek512]

@@Jixxyyy Hell, my neighbor has more firepower than the Iranian Navy. .... *I* probably have more firepower than the Iranian Navy.

[@Dee-jq2ob]

@@tek512I am laughing, because my husband walked in the other night with some boxes and curious asked what’s in the box? With a huge smile “oh, two thousands rounds of ammunition” 🤣

[@proudamerican183]

We Americans have one simple rule: *Don't Touch Our Boats.*

[@Ultima115]

Japan found out the hard way.

[@proudamerican183]

@@Ultima115 Spain, Japan, Iran and possibly a few others I can't remember. But I know those three for a fact.

[@TheLanceUppercut]

@@proudamerican183 The Barbary pirate states

[@MrDumbledick]

@@TheLanceUppercutthe original don’t touch our boats lol, nice reference.

[@Rotorhead1651]

​​@@proudamerican183 Also, N. Korea (just ask the U.S.S. Wisconsin), and N. Vietnam.

[@michaeldesanta977]

Everybody knows that American portion sizes are bigger than the rest of the world, but many don't realize that American *_"Proportions"_* are bigger as well.

[@aDrummerThatisBored]

That is because we use 12ths not tenths.

[@RCM1212]

@@aDrummerThatisBoredthat right, America number 1

[@Phoenixgemgaming]

It was a culture shock for me to go to Europe your guys portions are a lot smaller 😂 but it’s funny it’s the same with military responses from the U.S. military (it depends but you know) edit: I had to edit this because it was worded poorly😅

[@Phoenixgemgaming]

@@aDrummerThatisBored freedom units

[@Cru128]

Yeah, mostly because us Americans to my knowledge are on average a bit bigger than the average European. Not entirely sure, though.

[@Justintime2GrowNetwork]

Nah as an American I can say this barely registers on the scale of battles we've had lol. Just a blip on the radar.

[@Mechabang]

Basically, we've been in constant warfare since our country's founding. We never knew the feel of actual peacetime.

[@RebelTvShka]

​@Mechabang yes, we have. We're currently living it. It's pretty frigging peaceful, but yeah. I get your point.

[@sandrabailey3966]

Right. But the 'war story' creds are MASSIVE!! LOL

[@ANunes06]

@@Mechabang "Peacetime", also known as "That mythical and paradoxical time in which the US Military is somehow *scarier* than when we are in active war."

[@willarth9186]

Meanwhile, Japan is screaming at Iran, "DON'T TOUCH AMERICA'S SHIPS!" Yea, that's a lesson Japan learned after December 7th, 1941, but apparently Iran never read a history book.

[@FearlessVid1]

As an American, I've never heard of this one, given we have had so many named operations, but after hearing what happened... yeah, that sounds about right for the US. Our idea of proportional isn’t "Eye for an eye." it's more like "What you do to us, we will return 10 fold. Have fun."

[@TheLanceUppercut]

America. If you fuck around, you will find out.

[@Brandonthesnifferofall]

🇺🇸

[@willarth9186]

Meanwhile, Japan is screaming at Iran, "DON'T TOUCH AMERICA'S SHIPS!" Yea, that's a lesson Japan learned after December 7th, 1941, but apparently Iran never read a history book.

[@SunwardRanger83]

@@willarth9186 Yup, to paraphrase an old joke I once heard, they drop over 1000 bombs to start thing, we drop two to finish it.

[@kierwest]

You have to remember, the US has an approach to combat. They always put the odds in the favor with men, equipment, and weapons at 4 to 1 compared to the enemy.

[@OmegaMTG]

"Proportional" does not mean one for one. When we get proportional, it's to make a point.

[@semperaugustus661]

The Russians were like the kids who heard there was going to be a fight at recess and didn't want to miss it.

[@MayaWaddington-x7n]

i think that's anyone when there's a fight. I've missed several since I couldn't find them or I found out after the fact.

[@gregsteele806]

Pass up a chance to see your main rival's first line weaponry in action? No way.

[@ralphm6901]

@@gregsteele806 exactly! The Russian ship was probably shadowing the Enterprise to observe ship movements, so they'd have been in the vicinity anyway.

[@amyhines4702]

😂😂😂

[@caryskaar4444]

I was on the USS BAGLEY FF1069 during Operation Preying Mantis. We were part of SAG "Charlie" along with the USS Simpson and the USS Wainwright..

[@Yuki_Ika7]

Thank you for your service!

[@Darkshizumaru]

I was just a toddler, excellent work and thank you for putting down that "proportional" display so everyone was too scared most my life to get bold enough to try something. Legends

[@aaron4504]

I was born 6 months before this operation went into effect. I bet yall had a blast! Pun intended 😂

[@The_Honcho]

Badass

[@carsoncasmirri3874]

Gonna assume that it was all proportional because the Corps never taught me math

[@paulkube3901]

"Proportional" **could** mean anything from 0 to 100%. Looks like we only went 50%. That's reasonable, no? 😂

[@Oklahoma_is_me]

🤣🤣

[@Armedredux]

To the US proportional means "remember this when you think about doing it again". Which never works out anyway because someone always does it again.

[@DavidSonofDavid]

There's always someone willing to fuck around. Too bad for everyone our "find out" budget is absurd

[@reuz5462]

The reason for the lack of casualties on the Sammy B was the quick thinking of the captain, they spotted a mine before the one they hit, and he ordered all crew above a certain level of the ship, I forget the term but they were basically all most all at deck level.

[@patrioticz2858]

5:50 Reagan: "There is nothing scarier then hearing 'I am from the government and im here to help'"

[@greatlegacyoftanks5511]

Best example of American “proportional response” is in the movie *John Wick*

[@Raggmopp-xl7yf]

Proportional = Overkill After all, a message needs to be sent to NOT mess with us again. This - BTW - is also why the Soviet captain wanted to "take pictures." They wanted to "see" what the US was made of and if they could take em. They got their answer which is why there was never a naval confrontation between the 2 superpowers.

[@daboss8590]

The idea of any country in the world, or honestly any combination of countries in the world, taking on the US military in a naval or air battle is fucking laughable

[@BomptonBillions999]

@@daboss8590or any kinda battle tbf

[@nunyabusiness9433]

There is no 'overkill.' There is only 'open fire' and 'I need to reload.' --The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries

[@carsoncasmirri3874]

Overkill is underrated

[@revgurley]

I adore The Fat Electrician. Not usually interested in military stuff, but his story-telling is fantastic.

[@cdpgeorge]

I would have learned soo much history if the Fat Electrician told the stories. I could imagine, "Elon got a wild hair up his ass and decided to return the send up rockets back to Earth for a second time run and in doing so recycle instead of tossing metal into the ocean as a once use option."

[@LibertyWolf1]

@9:07 "Baloney Mist Cloud #1." Every time I hear him say that, I lose it laughing.

[@PhycoKrusk]

For reference, "5 inch" refers to the bore diameter of the gun in question, so it is firing a 5-inch wide explosive projectile. This is 127 millimeters.

[@carlopi]

Yes, that's because stupid united statians didn't learn the metric system like the rest of the civilized world. They stuck to the medieval system, and their little minds are not capable of learning new things.

[@RCM1212]

And that poor man was hit with that round

[@PhycoKrusk]

@@RCM1212 Sure, but they're filled with 4 pounds of high explosive. Dude didn't even have time to reevaluate his life decisions before the lights went out.

[@wolfenrichtophen6010]

@@PhycoKrusk Probably felt something in the afterlife.

[@chrismaverick9828]

@@RCM1212 The fuse was likely set for variable time or VT, i.e. proximity triggered. Assuming it wasn't and was a standard contact fuse, the temporary cavity of the shell hitting the body would have been larger than the body itself, meaning he probably exploded before the warhead actually went off. More likely though the shell hit the gun mount and blew it all up with him.

[@kizunadragon9]

nobody ever said the proportion had to be 1:1 The US Navy learned a lot about damage control in WWII. The techniques learned 85 years ago are still being used today. Nobody can beat the US Navy when it comes to keeping things floating that should sink.

[@cdelapaz5]

They touched an American boat,,, you don’t touch an American boat.

[@Fyrebird721]

iirc, the official policy of most of the world nowadays in regards to touching American Ships is "Fucking Don't"

[@christopherhammond9467]

As an American I can confirm we really don't like it when you touch our boats. just ask Japan about our proportional response there

[@Minotaur-ey2lg]

Don’t poke the dragon when your country is made of kindling.

[@lanmandragoran8337]

You mean wake island, where we left our soldiers to die? XD

[@Oxley016]

@@lanmandragoran8337 I think he meant the annihilation of the Japanese fleet and the atomic bombing of their home islands.

[@catlady443]

I think Russia was interested in our current abilities and just how far we would go

[@nadjasunflower1387]

absolutely. while the cold war was in it's ' winding down ' stage, they were still interested in what and how we could do something. Soviets were there purely gathering Intel.

[@airplanemaniacgaming7877]

@@nadjasunflower1387I mean, I would've happily sat my ass there to watch too. Spend enough time needing to be ready to fight them, and you get a chance to see a taste of what your opponent is capable of? I'd gladly do it!

[@rsrt6910]

A golden opportunity to "find out" without having to "fuck around".

[@catlady443]

They got a peek at what happens when we exercise some restraint

[@patriciarossman8653]

Isn't that what the Russian Captain said? He was being flat out honest. "1 ping..."

[@koryu9924]

We never said we were great at Math, but we do love proportions.

[@lynnb6990]

Same as you don't touch my bike (motorcycle)!

[@frank1908]

🤣We like to just add a "proportional" tax. That's all. You get the original proportion, and then the tax proportion tacked on the back end that includes, time, resources, money, and manpower fees for hauling our asses all the way to the Persian Gulf. I mean you can't realistically expect us to go all the way there and not test out our shit, right? It is good experience ;)

[@Hosscoller]

Yes we did.... I was there with VA-94 on the USS Enterprise April 18, 1988

[@Rotorhead1651]

1st Iranian gunner on the 23mm AA gun: "GIMME A DARWIN AWARD!!"

[@Nine1215]

So I am 1) American and 2) super-old and I remember this happening in 1988. I was young and dumb and the joke that was invented at the time was "How does the new Iranian Navy view the old Iranian Navy? Answer: in glass-bottom boats."

[@Michael-im1vc]

I remember that too!

[@KimberlyCaldwell-xb2if]

😂

[@Oxley016]

Us British have that joke about the French too lol

[@jimbojones7163]

You need to check out "America Dismantles Pirate Nations For Touching Their Boats - The Barbary Wars" by The Fat Electrician. I know the US Navy interests you. This is the story of how the US Navy got started. Awesome story as well. It's my favorite one from him.

[@Estranged180]

It's also how the US Marines got started. It'd be an interesting reaction, to say the least.

[@Flakjacket96]

I think this was plently proportional. Not only does it account for the damaged ship, it also accounts the emotional damage suffer by the crew, other crew in the area, their friends, their families and the cost of the investigation and planning.

[@eitanaltman158]

And Reagan’s jelly beans 🫘

[@brendanrisney2449]

Also, mining international waters is definitely a bigger warcrime than anything that might've happened as a response.

[@sandrabailey3966]

We do LOVE to bean count ALL 'damage'.. in court .. out of court.. The emotional distress of our pets.. the health stress on our extended family 3 degrees removed.. I'd say we totalled up a nicely balanced settlement. 😉

[@Milleniumlance]

Keep in mind the USS Enterprise at over 100,000 tonnes outweighed Iran's "entire" functioning navy 😅

[@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14]

The USS Enterprise was parked there just in case the Klingons attempted to intervene. My brother was a combat photographer for the Navy, and filmed the Red Sea minesweeping operations. After he got out, he was hired to film all the new tech on San Clemente Island. I saw a lot of his footage on a show called "Firepower" back in the 90s.

[@nadjasunflower1387]

I remember that show!!! that's cool, props to your brother. 👍

[@Tar-Numendil]

Wonder how long it took Captain Kirk to adjust to a nuclear aircraft carrier.

[@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14]

@@Tar-Numendil It was a nuclear wessel.

[@Tar-Numendil]

@@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14 In Alameda right?! LOL The Voyage Home is the best!

[@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14]

@@Tar-Numendil It was! And they should have kept that blonde doctor in the series. I always wondered why they closed that door. I've written screenplays and TV scripts, and it violated the Prime Directive, so they should have made her character very important in the future. Oopsie.

[@jimreilly917]

Great reaction. Again. And YES Fat Electrician IS the best storyteller on the internet. The best part being it’s histically true. If you haven’t yet, watch his video on the Berlin Airlift of the late 1940s. The biggest middle finger to communism until Poland’s Solidarity movement in the 80s which caused the chain reaction that crashed the USSR.🇺🇸🦅⚓️

[@ThirdLawPair]

Fat Electrician and Mr. Ballen should do a collaboration.

[@snowgrave2475]

​@@ThirdLawPairthe fat ballen Electrician

[@airplanemaniacgaming7877]

the Berlin Airlift was a beautiful display of what happens when wizards of logistics are given free reign to give the middle finger to communism.

[@WorldsTallestLeprechaun]

5:45 A little bit of context, just for fun. Ronald Reagan’s full statement was, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are; _’I’m from the government, and I’m here to help’_ .” Now, Reagan MEANT that there needs to be LESS governement interfering with people’s lives, and deciding how a person should live their life, and etc. (That is the meme that American conservatives have pushed about their party for a long time, that “the government” should not be so big that a citizen can’t fart without finding out what color it’s allowed to be from a politician, bureaucrat, or etc.) But I think that quote ALSO applies to this situation, where Iran fucked around, and the USA would send lots of people from the Government to help Iran find out, lol.

[@Ryvaken]

There are times I wish I'd been old enough to appreciate Reagan instead of, you know, learning to walk and eat solid food. The closest thing to a "government needs to be small enough to leave people alone and big enough for the enemy to find out" president I get is Trump.

[@WorldsTallestLeprechaun]

@@Ryvaken I sympathize. I’d be in the same boat with you if I considered myself on the “Right”, when I’m definitely more on the Left side of things. (not NEARLY as much as I used to be. I think being a leftist depends on just how much time, energy, and money a person *thinks* they have to waste on being nosy, and they swing more to the right as they eventually learn to stop giving a shit about meddling on other people’s lives.) Anyway, I sympathize with only having that con-artist pedo as a “representative” (because everyone else in that party is too stupid, self-absorbed, greedy, or cowardly to say, “No, fuck off, we have STANDARDS, you bankrupt asshole”.)

[@brennanlangless8912]

How to irritate the USA Step one.) messing with there boats Step two.) increasing the price of the Dino juice

[@twanajoyhildebrecht9718]

🤣 😂 😅 🤭 🤗 😊

[@tobaobokoomi1693]

Their*

[@TheRealMirCat]

​@@tobaobokoomi1693 theyr'e

[@Rotorhead1651]

*their boats

[@EvilSnipa]

The most American story is " Angry Old Veteran vs. 700 Redcoats " from The Fat Electrician

[@RaderizDorret]

To give an idea of how outgunned those 23mm guns were, a 5 inch naval gun is 127mm. If I remember correctly, the 23mm mounts on the Iranian oil rigs were ZU-23s or similar anti-aircraft guns. While modern ships don't really carry armor like they did in the old days, a 23mm gun isn't going to do much more than annoy the warship unless those rounds find something vital.

[@Rotorhead1651]

It's kind of like a N. Korean artie battery vs a USN battleship with 9, 16-inch main guns. #USSWisconsin

[@AbbysalWarrior]

Temper, temper... ​@@Rotorhead1651

[@NEMESISATX]

It's not your definition of proportional, but it is America's definition.

[@sharonlahaye5803]

The thing is the US did not want war. Yet, the Iranians kept coming at them. If you insist on messing with the US, eventually you asked for the hell that follows.

[@BillSentry]

Another example of a foreign country attacking the US Navy? During the 'Korean war' a lucky shot from a North Korean 6" shore gun hit our battleship near a 40mm gun emplacement causing minor damage and lightly injuring 3 sailors. This was the 50,000 ton kind with 12 inch armor plate, not an aluminum missile frigate. The Battleship captain ordered the 16 inch guns to fire a full salvo at the enemy shooters. It destroyed the emplacement and all things nearby including the hill side. The DD USS Duncan was nearby and radioed like they were speaking to a child , "Temper." -- And much later in the Middle East a US Battleship captain of the same Iowa class, which was our latest and greatest class in WW II, was asked if he was worried about attacks from the enemy.. His response? "I'd worry about my paint job."

[@rudebuoy7]

That man is the best war story teller I’ve come across

[@donnyarmstrong9559]

Amigo, you are absolutely correct, this guy is the best story teller on KZbin. Nay on ANY social media platform period!

[@hiheeledsneakers]

I remember hearing about "proportional" on the news. I was in my early 20's. I loved Regan.

[@Rotorhead1651]

Really? Because I was a recent veteran in my late 20s, and I remember how he completely botched the Marine barracks fiasco in Beirut.

[@Ghost49590]

I wish my (American) history class taught me this kind of stuff. This stuff is freaking cool to learn about

[@BlueEyes0682]

There is an old military joke that says Marines suck at math and that is why they go overboard with their "proportional responses" 😅

[@Aiden_Mautino]

Samuel B. Roberts!? That ship was part of taffy 3 in WW2. known for hit and runs against multiple cruisers and battleships in center force off the coast of Leyte. It sunk but was one of the 5 destroyers to fend off the strongest naval power in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Major props to the crew off the sunken ship and glad they re used the name.

[@GenX1964]

14:20 You are correct. That DID escalate quickly.

[@PhantomSavage]

When they say "proportional" they probably mean loss in dollar value of military property.. that gets very expensive when you blow out the bottom of a half billion dollar boat. I'm sure the original list of targets added up to a close to equivalent value in damages dealt, but where they kind of cheated is the fact everyone's rules of engagement allowed them to rain hellfire down upon anything that fired on them first.. The problem with that is, when you have a giant boot crushing an ant you're going to get some very confused and panicked ants that will actually try and fight back and sting the giant human.. and you can guess how that turns out for the ant.

[@dystopianlucidity4448]

As the saying goes, “ask not what your country can do for you, but what me and the boys are willing to do to you for our country”.

[@mch000]

As an American, yes I knew about it at the time. I will admit that I am a tad unusual for Americans (I've been a history buff since I was 8 years old). Additionally, two of my brothers went through USNA (Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD) and one of those brothers was the naval gunnery officer on the Lynde McCormick (task group Bravo). A few weeks after this confrontation, he sent me a photo of his 5" gun with an oil rig painted on it.

[@maryogan215]

Ah that’s a unique piece of art there. I have a parrot shell from a reenactment. I used to help an old school buddy that builds them. I’m proud to say I’ve painted some canons made from scratch for museums around the US

[@martinoamello3017]

Some countries bring paper to a rock paper scissor fight. The United States brings an aircraft carrier..proportionally speaking of course.

[@jschock1607]

He's the best story teller.

[@Locke99GS]

"Who is running Iran?" Ayatollah Crazypants.

[@Tijuanabill]

This wasn't considered a big deal at the time, to the American public. There is always a little something going on over in the Middle East, and we just expected little skirmishes like this to happen, with regularity. But they usually were not navy battles, because most foreign leaders are not idiots.

[@domination1985]

The funny part is they fired 1st every time but the plane we blew up and the fast boat that locked on to Charley group

[@MrFelblood]

3:00 Okay, but not because I'm a Hoo-Rah. I just respect that delivery. 9:00 Iranian navy bro really thought he was Captain Becton, attacking a warship with an anti-aircraft gun. Unfortunately for him, the 155mm shells were still on the American side. 12:30 On the one hand, the Russian observers probably wanted to gather intelligence on what the US Navy's capabilities were, since they hadn't been in a real ship-to-ship fight in 20 years. On the other hand, Reagan knew this was his chance to show the world, including Gorbachev, that his Navy still had it. 14:00 "Following orders." Poor dudes probably knew they weren't going to get a warmer reception if they turned back. War sucks like that. 20:00 "Who is running Iran at this time?" Ruhollah Khomeini. Not so great at winning wars, but very good at starting wars and then milking the defeats for sympathy. A real politician. 23:40 America's attitude towards war actually ties pretty heavily to our civil war. General Sherman made sure that the American people had all they could stomach of the horrors of war with his Scorched Earth policy, and we are henceforth very careful to meet our enemies where they live, rather than over here where we live. It's nothing personal, but if the bombs have to drop near someone's families, and the flames have to take someone's homes, we'll pick yours over ours every time.

[@dejakiara8749]

Love watching your reactions to Fat Electrician. Just the whole "Do not mess with our boats."

[@JMM33RanMA]

This has been a thing since the Barbary Emirates [ref. the Shores of Tripoli] decided to attack US ships and kidnap our citizens. We built a navy precisely to respond proportionately [i.e with proportionately bigger and more numerous guns]. I do not glory in this, but if a country decides to go up against the most powerful country with the most powerful military in history, the blame seems to be on the people making the stupid decision not on the intended target.

[@j.b.victor]

Ay! You finally reacted to TFE's video on Operation Praying Mantis! I would recommend Operation's Room's video on "Desert Storm Air War Day 1." He's a great content creator on military history whose team doesn't get nearly the credit they deserve.

[@nastystang113]

Agreed! The Operation’s Room is such an amazing channel if you’re really interested in watching exactly how it went down but not as exciting or funny as TFE’s amazing story telling.

[@timharris7303]

I was 7 years old when this happened. But I learned about it the same way you did. Love this guy. Amazing story teller.

[@MikeF_44]

Always play video to the end, sometimes there is bonus footage. great react!

[@european-reacts]

That's true!

[@thebrewingsailor9172]

Yes, I'm very aware of this incident. I was about 10 years old at the time and wouldn't be serving in the Navy for another 8 years, but my older brother (11 yrs older) was in the Marines at the time. So, any time, anything popped off in the world with the US Military, it was a constant topic of conversation at our dinner table.

[@nr63kish]

I love his videos. I've seen them all, but I enjoy watching people react to them because they're that good.

[@leechowning2712]

"Do not touch our boats". This is rule one.

[@chiphazzard8173]

"Speak softly but carry a big stick"

[@Tijuanabill]

The part about the Russian ship, is another example of what I have said for years: Lord help us if the US and the Russians ever become great friends. The people of each country are so alike, and the "hold my beer" type of friendship that would ensue, would be a problem for the world. =D

[@Capsuleer7]

If Russia were to oust their corrupt government a partnership would be fantasies. Sadly, many U.S. and Russian politicians and policy makers can't get over The Cold War and empire building. Old fossils that care more about a dick waving contests than domestic improvements.

[@kaosuri]

thank god this won't ever happen in the next probably 100 years 😭

[@TheComicBookJoker]

In reality, the Soviets didn’t do this *just* to watch. They wanted pictures of what US ships were capable of. For them, it was a genuine intelligence gathering operation. That doesn’t make the fact it happened any less funny. It just better explains why it happened.

[@kaosuri]

@@TheComicBookJoker if people weren't dumb or didn't know history then i'd say 'a lot' of people know this

[@Tijuanabill]

@@TheComicBookJoker Same point though. Fear these two ever becoming friends, rest of the world.

[@davidlieberman6512]

I was 18 and getting ready to graduate from high school and do my civic duty and register for the selected service. I graduated with a pilots license ( a program called B.O.C.E.S. Board of Cooperative Educational Services) to go into the navy as an officer when tis happened. I knew about it but not a lot of detail about it.

[@nadjasunflower1387]

yup...I think I was as sophmore in high at this time. while i remember it happening / being in the news. Never remembered this amount of detail. Probably due to what Reagan told the Iranians. If we the public found out they were firing Silkworms there would have been a problem ( a lot of American public was still sore about the Embassy hostages from '78-'79 ). So it was basic coverage that I remember, but nothing remotely involving the kind of details FTE went into.

[@karenjayne24]

I appreciate that you let the channel get it's advertising view.

[@TheGelatinousSnake]

“Are you aware” yes. This happened around the time I was in the hospital giving birth to my daughter barely 35 years ago. This ain’t ancient history for me

[@apex_blue]

This is only one carrier group, a ampidious assault ship with an escort, and two destroyer squadrons. This only a fraction of the US Navy. Still overkill though.

[@krystalaura5634]

But you have to understand that Iran had kidnapped some of our people and held them captive for 444 days. They let them go when Reagan was inaugurated. Iran has been bullying us for a while

[@Milleniumlance]

Like 8% 😂

[@daboss8590]

This is still insane to me, we have more SUPERCARIERS than most countries have NAVAL VESSELS

[@Rotorhead1651]

"Overkill is underrated." - Col. John Hannibal Smith

[@manofacertainrage856]

@@Milleniumlance We had nearly twice the number of ships then than we have now since we were building for a 600 ship Navy in the 80's, so the math is something like 9+7 (B,C,D groups and carrier group) - so 16/550 => 2.9%

[@darcichambers6184]

My oldest cousin on my mother's side was in the Navy at the time and was deployed to the gulf for this operation. I recall watching this conflict and the 90s Iraq war live on TV because we were so worried about my cousin's safety. The relief that we felt that both operations took such little amount of time for our family was a great relief. My mother's family traces itself back to a mix of the local Iroquois tribe and Dutch settlers. Every generation has served the US military since the revolutionary war. We are proud of those family members who chose to serve, but we have lost so many to wars as well.

[@ADGarvey1]

Love your reactions. we use a term called FAFO which means Fucked Around Found Out. That was Iran... they fucked around and found out.

[@sandrabailey3966]

I belive that's their national motto since the Ayatollah took over.

[@zehfox2719]

This is the equivalent of your little brother slapping the back of your head and laughing, and then you stand up and he just starts screaming and running for his life

[@Rotorhead1651]

More like the neighborhood bully slapping your little brother.

[@phildicks4721]

"Its not a War Crime if nobody is left to report it." -Old Battletech Proverb.

[@MayaWaddington-x7n]

or its not a war crime the first time.

[@MichaelNaydeck]

TFE is one of the best story tellers on KZbin right now. Keep up the reactions

[@ryanweintraub9448]

This event is why I find it so funny that today, Iran is bothering the world by ordering the Houthis attack ships in the Red Sea. They just declared an operation to stop the Iranian backed groups

[@aganaom1712]

If youre studying american history, operation praying mantis does come up as a point of study in certain courses at the college level but in terms of the greater history of the US and the even the cold war, its largely an inconsequential footnote. However if you're studying the historical relationship netween the US and the middle east, operation praying mantis comes up quite often as a point of embitterment between the US and several countries in the region as iran and many of its allies largely see that event as "an unwarranted assault on iranian sovereignty and a subversion of peace and democracy perpetrated by the West in order for the West to maintain control of foreign industry."

[@NormalAmericans]

That definitely sounds like something Iran would say. They act like blowing up a U.S. warship in international waters is going to have zero consequences. They love to play the victim, when they are the perpetrators.

[@kokofan50]

I might give them some credit if they argued the US response was unjustifiably extreme, but everyone should know by now that the US always responds with overwhelming force.

[@kimkacer782]

Still, interesting.

[@artifact2835]

American education incredibly differs from place to place. Sometimes you know calculus by Sophomore (2nd) year of high school. Sometimes people graduate without knowing how to read.

[@joshbull623]

@@artifact2835 Which is why it is more important than ever that we drop the voting age to 16 before fixing education.

[@gergc4871]

My pops "partcipated". He had great photos.

[@Jim87_36]

America: The living embodiment of FAFO

[@kaosuri]

it's not even FAFO it's just find out 💀

[@bambamsmom7289]

Fact 💯💯🇺🇲

[@ThirdLawPair]

You went from "That is smart" to "That is stupid" in the blink of an eye.

[@KevinLockamy]

Moral of the story and common knowledge of every D&D player: You DON'T POKE THE DRAGON!

[@levidark4631]

If it makes you feel better, I was active duty Navy from 2009 to 2017 and I didn’t even know about this until the video came out

[@bobdole7697]

THINK HOW MUCH MORE TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED AMERICA IS NOW COMPARED TO 1988.

[@nadjasunflower1387]

night and day...twilight zone in comparison.

[@robertbarrieau4098]

Bologna mist cloud got me 😂

[@sandrabailey3966]

Oh Yeah. My husband was in the Navy then. Part of the battle fleet protecting the USS Enterprise. You tell the US Navy to 'explain it to them' if they act like Iran did.. You just whispered to a Pit Bull.."Go Get'um, Good-boy.." Pulling the Pit Bull off will be easier.

[@sykosocial]

YES more Fat Electrician! Love his story telling, and your reactions are entertaining as well!

[@stephensmith3708]

I definitely agree with you. He should have his own TV show!

[@tupelohoney622]

Yep, as an older American, I remember this. Afterwards, President Ronald Reagan was nicknamed RayGun!

[@PeaceLoveDolls]

As an American, I learned about this today.

[@robertraynj13]

"Congratulations, you've won an award." -The US Navy

[@Dagobah359]

Most Americans don't know about it. It happened long enough ago that most current American military members don't know about it. I happen to have an interest in history and an interest in the military (and an interest in so many other things, like understanding international relationships etc.), so I have been aware of this for many years.

[@mistyyoung5587]

The look on your face after the eagle cry and, "they are coming, oh no." I couldn't help but laugh. Then I thought about it for a moment, is that really how people feel when the USA Navy scrambles?

[@texanlady4]

When Americans say “proportional” remember we are the land of the Supersize. Our “portions” tend to run on the large side. Lol.

[@lorettacarroll6015]

My brother was in the Navy. He was a gunners mate on one of those ships.

[@Inquisitive.Rachelle]

My Uncle was on one of the US ships, too. Like you, I will leave out the details. Watching it play out was a little nerve racking, but we are a military family so we know what must be done. 🇺🇸

[@TheDylls]

I've long loved the phrase "the ship was limping", but I always tend to forget that that means you're STILL SAILING HER

[@caryd67]

Holy crap, I’ve never been more grateful to be Canadian

[@Chuck_Huckler]

I see this a lot. The "Thank fuck we're allies" mentality.

[@NavyVet4955]

Lol I liked and subbed at the reaction to America stepping in

[@charlesbryson7443]

“Proportional” is subjective , haha

[@Minotaur-ey2lg]

Can’t spell “proportional” without portion, and we’re the country that supersizes everything.

[@CrispyOkra]

I remember this in the media back then, but never knew the details or scale.

[@thegamingironman]

love your US military reactions. As a former Soldier in the US military and participated (in things i wish i never did) in Operation Iraqi Freedom, there is alot you are guessing at and coming close but at the same time missing the mark completely. As soldiers (at least when i was in) we believed we had something to prove. Before us were those who fought in WWI and WWII, along with other MAJOR US wars like Vietnam and Korea. Those generations showed the world what the United States was willing to sacrifice to protect our nation, and now to be honest like any sport the US has a reputation to uphold and we will fight to the last man to keep it. Yes the United States military is amazing now, but look at us during WWI or WWII and how small and unprepared we were.

[@stephaniestaley9811]

Highly recommend the Fat Electrician’s story about Reckless, one of the heroes of the Korean War…..

[@yuanxinwang8219]

As an American, the world war tree video is even MORE proportional

[@Minotaur-ey2lg]

South Korean Special Forces know how to party.

[@vincemac2223]

I'm 56 year old US citizen I remember this. I was a teenager.