With the Iranian revolution in 1979 the sanctions against the new regime had begun to hurt . Then the Iraqi's attacked . For the Ayatollah and his government this was potentially catastrophic . in order to raise money and get support it was decided to close the Straight of Hormuz . One of the military advisers pointed out that the British had artillery capable of closing the Straight of Gibraltar and that was all that was needed to begin an incredibly ambitious construction program .
Within a month surveyor's had arrived on Larack island to work out suitable locations for construction of the new defences . At the same time the world was being scoured for suitable guns and installations . By a stroke of good fortune the Swedish 12 cm coastal artillery system design was acquired by espionage . With modifications to increase the armoured protection the system was seen as a backup to the Silkworm batteries . With construction done behind various camouflage measures by 1984 the battery was completed consisting of 4 turrets and fire control both by radar and observers . when in full use the batteries could place 100 120 mm shells per minute onto a target 27km away . the silkworm batteries and extensive AA guns completed the installation . Later a pair of Hawk batteries also got installed .
By the time the world found out about the batteries the first supertanker had been sunk while carrying Iraqi oil . in 30 seconds 18 shells had impacted the massive vessel starting fires that burned for a week while the massive tanker drifted out of control until the USN towed it out of the shipping lane and sank it . The announcement that the Straight's had been closed was met with a challenge immediately .
Within a month surveyor's had arrived on Larack island to work out suitable locations for construction of the new defences . At the same time the world was being scoured for suitable guns and installations . By a stroke of good fortune the Swedish 12 cm coastal artillery system design was acquired by espionage . With modifications to increase the armoured protection the system was seen as a backup to the Silkworm batteries . With construction done behind various camouflage measures by 1984 the battery was completed consisting of 4 turrets and fire control both by radar and observers . when in full use the batteries could place 100 120 mm shells per minute onto a target 27km away . the silkworm batteries and extensive AA guns completed the installation . Later a pair of Hawk batteries also got installed .
By the time the world found out about the batteries the first supertanker had been sunk while carrying Iraqi oil . in 30 seconds 18 shells had impacted the massive vessel starting fires that burned for a week while the massive tanker drifted out of control until the USN towed it out of the shipping lane and sank it . The announcement that the Straight's had been closed was met with a challenge immediately .