▁mine ▁explos ion ▁on ▁her ▁star board ▁bow . ▁The ▁explos ion ▁ri pped ▁a ▁ 1 6 ▁by ▁ 2 0   ft ▁hole ▁in ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁h ull ▁and ▁injured ▁four ▁sail ors . ▁The ▁Tri pol i ▁was ▁to wed ▁off ▁of ▁three ▁other ▁un expl oded ▁mines ▁by ▁two ▁MC M ▁ships . ▁After ▁ 2 0 ▁hours ▁of ▁damage ▁control , ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁stabil ized ▁and ▁was ▁actually ▁ready ▁to ▁res ume ▁operations . ▁However ▁her ▁H M - 1 4 ▁fuel ▁t anks ▁were ▁dam aged ▁by ▁the ▁mine ▁hit ▁and ▁she ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁deploy ▁her ▁H M - 1 4 ' s ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁fuel . ▁The ▁Imper vious ▁and ▁sister ▁M SO ' s ▁were ▁her ▁esc ort s . ▁USS ▁Imper vious ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁removing ▁these ▁mines ▁that ▁threatened ▁the ▁Tri pol i . ▁So on ▁after ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁invasion , ▁it ▁became ▁clear ▁that ▁Ira q ▁was ▁lay ing ▁mines ▁in ▁international ▁waters . ▁U . S . ▁ships ▁discovered ▁and ▁destroyed ▁six ▁mines ▁during ▁December . ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Mine ▁C ounter me asures ▁Group ▁( US MC M G ) ▁was ▁established ▁with ▁the ▁objective ▁of ▁clear ing ▁a ▁path ▁to ▁the ▁beach ▁for ▁a ▁possible ▁am ph ib ious ▁landing ▁and ▁batt les hip ▁gun fl re ▁support . ▁ ▁The ▁mines we ep ers ▁USS ▁Ad roit ▁( MS O ▁ 5 0 9 ), ▁USS ▁Imper vious