In the middle of the action, "Joshan", an Iranian "Kaman"-class fast attack craft, challenged the cruiser and Surface Action Group Charlie, firing a Harpoon missile at them. The frigate responded to the challenge by firing four Standard missiles, while "Wainwright" followed with two Standard missiles. The attacks destroyed the Iranian ship's superstructure but did not immediately sink it. The three ships of SAG Charlie ("Wainwright", "Simpson", and ) closed on "Joshan", destroying the Iranian vessel with naval gunfire. Fighting continued when the departed Bandar Abbas and challenged elements of an American surface group. The frigate was spotted by two VA-95 A-6Es while they were flying surface combat air patrol for "Joseph Strauss". "Sahand" fired missiles at the A-6Es, and the Intruders replied with two Harpoons and four laser-guided Skipper bombs. "Joseph Strauss" added a Harpoon missile. Most, if not all, of the U.S. weapons hit the Iranian ship. Fires blazing on "Sahand"s decks eventually reached her magazines, causing an explosion that helped sink the ship. Despite the loss of "Sahand", one of Iran's most modern ships, the Iranian navy continued to fight. Late in the day, a sister ship of "Sahand", , departed from its berth and fired a surface-to-air missile at several A-6Es from VA-95. Intruder pilot Engler dropped a laser-guided bomb on "Sabalan", leaving the ship dead in the water. The Iranian frigate, stern partially submerged, was taken in tow by an Iranian tugboat.