British tanker attacked by Gulf aircraft

Press, 12 July 1984, Page 6

British tanker attacked by Gulf aircraft

NZPA-AP Bahrain An aircraft believed to be Iranian attacked a British oil tanker yesterday in international waters of the Gulf, and Iraq said that it had destroyed a ship near an Iranian oilfield. Two missiles struck the British vessel, but one bounced off and the other started only a small fire. In Bagdad an Iraqi military spokesman read a communique over State radio saying that Iraqi aircraft and Navy vessels had attacked and destroyed a “big

naval target" near an Iranian oil field in the north-eastern section of the Gulf, near Iran’s coast. The term “big naval target” in Iraqi military jargon usually refers to an oil tanker.

The communique did not give the nationality of the ship and said nothing about casualties. It did say that the ship was on fire and that the attackers had returned safely to their bases. Describing the attack on the British oil tanker, Bahrain shipping sources

said that the British Renown, owned by BP, was 116 km north-east of Bahrain when an “Iranian spotter plane” flew overhead. Moments later a jet had swooped low over the vessel, unleashing two missiles, the sources said. One missile had bounced off the deck and the other had hit oil-loading equipment, igniting a small fire that was put out by crew members, the sources said.

None of the 24 Britons and two Maltese aboard was injured.