Polish Day ! There are probably four subjects regarding the remarkable performances of the Polish Navy (Marynarka Wojenna) in WW2 worthy of a standalone article: The Dragon class cruisers (ones and only Polish cruisers), the Piorun class destroyers for the free polish navy and the Orzeł-class submarine for the interwar, with of course the Grom class destroyers. This class is remarkable not only for their daring escape, wartime service, but also their caracteristics. Having no capital ship in 1939, Poland could count at least on four modern destroyers, two of which were massive for destroyer standards and only comparable to the British Tribal class. The other point is that Bryslawicka, which survived her sister (sank off Norway in May 1940) saw service as flagship of the cold war Polish Navy until 1965 and was preserved. Today exhibited in Gydnia, she is one of the rare interwar generation destroyer still around.
Development
The Polish destroyer squadron
In 1920, the just resurrected Polish Navy was young but lacked the budget to become comparable to the other heavyweights of the Baltic: The Soviet Baltic fleet, Kriegsmarine, or Svenska Marinen (Swedish Fleet). The objectives of the Polish Navy were to provide deterrence via submarines (2 Wilk, 2 Orzel) and mines (Gryf and others). But also to provide support to potential western allies, France and Britain by providing destroyers for Baltic operations, escorting larger ships and providing ASW defence. Procurement was very diverse: Two submarines were French, two Dutch, Gryf was French built as the two first fleet destroyers, the Wicher class.
Under the Władysław Grabski government in 1924 tried to obtain a large credit from France, with French stock owners and the new Caen shipyard. The Wicher class when ordered on April 2, 1926 were basically a repeat of the Bourrasque class, but with two instead of three funnels and other peculiarities. However for political reasons, France wanted these built at Caen shipyard, inexperienced for these ships at the time, resulting of many design issues which were made them an embarrassment. If ORP Burza survived the war and was active until 1960 (scrapped 1977), her sister was sunk during Operation Peking (see below). The final point was that when both were delivered in 1928, the Polish admiralty was not impressed by their lackluster performances.
1931 Expansion Plan
The Navy Command still wanted to include more destroyers in the fleet but financial capabilities led to balancing budgetary emergency in favor of the army and air force. This thwarted ambitious plans but after the two Wicher-class destroyers in France, further plans to expand the fleet with more destroyers were made. This went in opposition of recommendations from officers of the General Inspectorate of the Armed Forces. This went at odds with the Chief Inspector of the Armed Forces, Marshal Józef Piłsudski which took power after the May Coup.
The Marshal did not see the need to further expand the Navy and was reluctant to allocate funds. In February 1931, the head of KMW (The Polish Naval Command) Rear Admiral Jerzy Świrski, presented a new plan to expand the fleet with additional ships and this included two new destroyers. He requested allocation of funds with chairman of the board of the Maritime and Colonial League (General G. Orlicz-Dreszer) which tried to find justification for investing in the Navy. Despite the end results, the successful mission of ORP “Wicher” to Gdańsk in the June 1932 crisis contributed to a change in Marshal Piłsudski’s position.
After a meeting on November 24, 1932, Admiral Świrski obtained consent to implement his plan. By April 1933 the General Staff authorized a tender for building two destroyers and two submarines abroad. On August 29, 1933, at a meeting of the Chief of the General Staff and representatives of the Ministry of Military Affairs greenlight financial resources in the form of 6.5 million złoty with remaining costs to be covered from savings in the Navy… The Polish shipbuilding industry was just in its infancy and incapable of designing such class of ship, so a tender was made for foreign designs.
1st (French) tender
Chantiers de la Loire 1933 Proposal
Chantiers de la L’Atlantique 1933 Proposal
The first tender was announced in May 1933 and again to French shipyards, with results announced on 16 October. But the best offer was a 1,950 tons design, immediately rejected by the tender committee, as too expensive. It was 28.5 million zlotys for the two ships (10 million francs in French sources) by Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire which proposed another two funneled variant of the “Le Fantasque” class with alternating engine arrangement, five 130 mm guns but in single mounts. However, the Wicher themselves did not met Polish expectations as well as Wilk-class submarines and adding to the cost this generally prevented any further search for a French design altogether. Chief of Artillery, Commander 2nd Lt. Heliodor Laskowski wanted also 120 mm guns from Bofors, which had better parameters.
2nd (Swedish) tender
Götaverken 1934 proposal
The Grom class were initially planned to be a class of four vessels, built far apart in two funded tranches. On January 20, 1934, the KMW Shipbuilding Department issued technical specifications for these new destroyers and a second tender was announced. This time, Poland turned to nearby Swedish shipyards, given the need for Bofors guns. They asked for no less than six 120 mm guns, including two twin mounts, one on the bow. They needed to have better stability and speed than the Wicher-class and a much stronger anti-aircraft artillery. The turbines were to be placed in separate compartments, and crew quarters arranged according to combat assignments[8]. The specification of tactical and technical parameters of the ordered ships was developed in the KMW Shipbuilding Department.
A request for proposals went to Kockums Mekaniska Verkstad AB, Malmö and Götaverken AB, Gothenburg. Only Götaverken submitted a single offer on 14 May 1934 instead of the required three and this tender was cancelled. Plus the design submitted on 7 May did not fully satisfy the commission, with a three-funnel, smooth-decked hull, a significantly enlarged (1,610 t) version of the Göteborg Class. Two guns were located under protective mask at the bow deck, with a low and wide superstructure behind, the remaining four guns in two positions superfiring at the stern. The two ships were also proposed for 15,750,000 crowns and armament with ammunition about 4 million zlotys alone. The commission saw the technical shortcomings of the project, underestimations of the structure mass (and thus stability) and a too optimistic turbine power. They did not wanted the three funnels and lack of a double bottom under engine rooms/ammunition chambers. They were also estimated globally as too small with not very well planned living and utility rooms.
1934 3rd (British) Tender
In the summer of 1934, a third tender was announced, this time proposed to British shipyards: Thornycroft, Cammel Laird, Hawthorn Leslie, Swan Hunter, J. Samuel White, Vickers-Armstrong and Yarrow, exteded to France (see the Chantier de la loire proposal above as an enlarged Wicher class) submitted on 28 August. On 4 September 1934, the commission retained Thornycroft which submitted in three variants as requested, a two-funnel ship with long raised bow deck typical of its creations. The Four guns were placed in superfiring position, and in two proposals, the bow had a superfiring two-gun mount, believed to be better protected from waves. The commission did not liked this arrangement for obvious stability reasons and also criticized the 40 mm anti-aircraft gun mounts between funnels and four machine gun mounts on the aft superstructure for their reduced arcs of fire.
Swan Hunter, Wallsend rejected proposal
Thornycroft submitted proposals.
Despite this, the commissioned started to negotiate a better price. By December 1934 talks with J. Samuel White shipyard, Cowes (Isle of Wight) which came in second place had a better bid compared to Thornycroft. It was also less busy with orders and showed a far-reaching willingness to cooperate. However certain changes were then made to the design, like seventh main artillery gun in a single mount at the bow deck on the superfiring position. White also familiarized themselves with the Wicher-class destroyers and Polish observations and further polished the design. In the end ikt was condidered better than the Thornycroft design and with a contract signed by January 1935.
March 1935 Signing
Final Samuel White Huragon blueprints
On March 29, 1935, the Polish government concluded an agreement with White’s Director Arthur Thomas Wall and KMW Mikołaj Berens for two destroyers displacing 2,144 tons normal*, for a price of 388,233 pounds each ship (10,171,705 zlotis), exluding armament that was to be done in Poland, after purchasing Bofors guns. Total cost was 520 thousand pounds per ship. Construction schedule was 26 months from contract date, for the first ship and within 28 months for the second with payments were made in installments with 35% of the total paid at signing, 45% mid-way as the work progressed, 15% after trials acceptance, 5% after the end of the warranty with a builder’s one-year guarantee.
Contractual penalties were established of the ship failed to meet technical parameters on trials. But these turned out to be better than those required in contract and thus generated instead a financial reward. Workmanship was in line with the standards of the British Admiralty and for any disputes, the Court of Arbitration in London was judge. The Grom-class ended as the largest destroyers built at White shipyard ever, and probalby were among the largest destroyers of the time, to compare with French destroyers such as Le Triomphant, or the british built Dubrovnik of the Yugoslav Navy among others.
*see final specs: 1,975 normal (light), 2,144 standard (min. trials load), and 2,400t full load.
The Poles estimated the armament ordered in Sweden would be 26% of the total value, but it was largely done by “bartering”, in exchange for deliveries of coal from Polish mines. The Poles also sought to involve the Polish industry in their completion, so as to increase self-sufficiency and obtained a share or 8.15%, remaining part orders being placed by the Navy with foreign suppliers.
The artillery and torpedo design as well as the fire control system were prepared by Polskie Zakłady Optyczne S.A. under Contract No. 847/34 between the Polish Navy the integrator PZO S.A. without wiring at a cost of 1,084,991.00 zlotys for the two destroyers.
Construction 1935-37
Both vessels were laid down with a relatively large ceremony for a destroyer. On July 17, 1935 in presence of Polish and British officials, including king’s representative, “Grom” (construction number 1800) was officially laid down, on by October 1, 1935, “Błyskawica” (construction number 1801) follwoed. The first rivet for “Grom” was placed by Polish ambassador in London, Edward Raczyński, his wife later broke the bottle on “Błyskawica”. They were built udner two roofed halls on the river bank with sections assembled on the two slipways located next to each other and the space around gradually extended as work progressed. It was supervised by the Shipbuilding Supervisory Commission under Commander Stanisław Rymszewicz with MSc. Eng. Jan Morze, 2nd Lt. Mar. Eng. Stanisław Radogost-Uniechowski and a “flying engineers team” heded by Józef Wojtkowiak and experts appointed on an ad hoc basis. They approved technical documentation and solved problems. Control and supervision was performed by the shipyard’s subcontractors detached from the British Admiralty, paid 4,500 pounds.
On May 4, 1936, the names “Grom” and “Błyskawica” were registered in the navy’s list by the minister.
ORP “Błyskawica” during the naval parade on the occasion of the Sea Day in 1938: A view from the front, from the left quarter, of a slowly sailing ship, with more ships of the Destroyer Squadron behind her stern in the background. The ship’s commander’s pennant is flying on the mast, and the Navy’s pennant on the bow pole. Sailors are standing in two rows on the bow deck. There is a watch on the bridge, and a seagull is flying above him. The sea surface is slightly wavy, the sky is overcast, with the sun shining through the clouds behind the ship.
On July 20, 1936, “Grom” was ceremonially launched, and on October 1 “Błyskawica”, after which fitting out proceeded quickly. On November 4, 1936, the steamer SS Clive delivered Grom’s artillery from Sweden, and on December 8, the steamer “Wilja” delivered all equipment made in Poland, the eletctric wiring, piping, cables, boats, fire system and radio stations as well as their first crew. The ships were accepted from the contractor by the Commission in Southampton which was setup in January 29, 1937 under Cdr. Włodzimierz Steyer with secretary Jan Morze, to be valuated by Commander 2nd Lieutenant Stanisław Hryniewiecki and Captain and cheif engineer Tadeusz Dobrzyński. In February 1937, Grom’s builder’s sea trials started and she was completed in March. On May 11, 1937, she was accepted by the Polish Commission with the flag raised. She left for Poland on May 16, after receiving ammunition in Gothenburg, and arriving in Gdynia. She received her artillery fire control center with telemeters from the State Optical Works in the same city. Until June 1937, Grom received the pennant “G”, later removed.
By the end of September “Błyskawica” was completed a bit late as the date was July 29, 1937. The delay was due to subcontractors parts to be delivered and lack of manpower as the shipyard was struck by an influenza epidemic. After sea trials in October-November and fixes, the destroyer was handed over to the Polish commission. She was commissioned officially on November 25, 1937. On December 1, Błyskawica sailed via Gothenburg to load ammunition and arrived in Gdynia for final fitting out work and new trials. Total cost was 27,411,972 zlotys taking into account the bonus.
Design of the class
The stern’s ensign floating (artist’s rendition) for “Grom” displayed on first page of the popular review “Morze” of Febuary 1936.
I can’t stress enough how much the Grom class were a potent and remarkable design, which had shook things up in the Baltic. A 2,400 tonnes these fully loaded destroyers potentially capable of 39 knots based on 54,000 hp (44,000 for the Tribals) and armed with seven (just shy of the 8 guns from the Tribal class, just 100t heavier) guns and two triple TT banks (instead of one quad on the Tribals) were a match for anything that floated short of cruisers there. Nearby Soviet fleet’s puny destroyers were completely outmatched, Swedish ones as well (but for later designs), and only the Kriegsmarine’s new 1934 and Type 1934A were close. The 1936A type of WW2 with their twin 150 mm turrets were arguably better however, if that was not for their poor powerplant. But they were not there in 1939. In short, the Poles had the most powerful destroyers in the Baltic and they made them virtually the centerpeice of their fleet, seconded by the two Wicher class in a single squadron. They became a subject of pride and propaganda in Poland, often showcased in the news. They came also in sharp contrast to the Wicher class.
Hull and general design of the Grom class
The Grom class hull was made of high-strength steel (British type D, close to St35 steel). It was galvanized and painted with lead red primer before the main grey coat of paint. Both also had anti-ice reinforcements at the bow as per Polish request. They had also roll bars. The superstructures was light despite its bulk, made by thin steel sheets similar to Polish St3 steel. Architecture was typical of destroyers with a rather compact and harmonious silhouette. The silhouette was rather unique and did not resembled anything due to the large single funnel. The ships were compact yet gracious, with a clipper bow and rounded stern.
Overall length according to specification was 114 m overall (374 ft), 111 m (364 ft) at the waterline and a beam of 11.26 m (37 ft) and draft at the bow of 3.15 m (10 ft 3 in) and at the stern of 3.45 m (11 feet 3 in). Standard displacement was 2,011 tons with a normal displacement of 2,144 t and 2400full loaded (mor eor less). Metacentric height was 0.85 m with the range of positive stability determined up to 65 degrees (she still could recover when heeling to that level). The bow deck had a slight rise over 40% of the hull length for extra seakeeping. The stem was slightly arched and the stern was typical of British destroyers, rounded with vertical stem.
The forward superstructure comprised the superfiring artillery, with a large deflector over the deck twin mount lower. Behind was placed a rather uniquely shaped, quite high wheelhouse topped by an open bridge which resembled nothing in the RN. The open combat bridge created a protruding overhang forward, equipped with a wind deflector at the upper edge. The minelayer ORP “Gryf” under construction in France borrowed that superstructure, close to latter French rather than British ones. Aft of the combat bridge was located the rangefinder on a pedestal. Later on Błyskawica it was replaced with a more modern FCS rangefinder. At the end of the superstructure was the pole mainmast, connected to a the main platform for a searchlight on a truss base, which was later removed.
Cutaway and details of Blyskawica as completed in 1937
Behind the bridge structure was a narrow superstructure concealing the base of the funnel and ventilation ducts. This rather unique single and wide raked funnel amidships had exhausts from all three boilers truncated in. It had a streamlined cross-section to stay in line with the bow-faced cross section of the bridge. The initial massive cap was dismantled in 1939 in Great Britain to light the ship up, just like the searchlight platform. Three large lifeboats were on deck between the superstructure and funnel, served by a boom ancored at the rear of the mainmast, and two smaller ones under davits either side. The first three were later removed, replaced by life rafts all around the ship.
Behind the funnel was a first platform for a single large Bofors twin anti-aircraft mount. On deck, was placed then the first and second triple torpedo tube bank, with between them a small superstructure with a second Bofors AA mount, concealing ventilation ducts of the engine room. Behind the second torpedo bank wa slocated the quartedeck. Initially, there was a second tier with a blocky spare command post and searchlight platform on top, later removed to regain stability. It was also flanked by heavy AA machine guns, and the second rangefinder on a raised platform. At the end of the superstructure was placed “C” twon mount and on the deck “D” mount. The crew amounted to 192 in peacetime but up to 10-12 officers and 200 petty officers and sailors in wartime (as was ther case for Operation Peking).
Powerplant of the Grom class: World’s Fastest
The power plant installed was one of the largest ever put on a destroyer so far. It consisted of two Curtiss-Parsons turbines connecting the two shafts aft, located in a single room (longitudinally separated). In front of them under the massive funnel were the three Admiralty-type main steam boilers, all separated by bulkheads plus an auxiliary White Forster-type boiler with a total combined power of 54,000 hp. A figure that was only matched by the Type German 1936A (69,000 shp) and Fletcher class (60,000 shp) in WW2 as well as IJN destroyers like the 1943 Shimakaze (75,000).
Each main boiler comprised a superheater with an area of 177 m2, heating surface of 1,222 m2 to work under a temperature of 227 oC (331 oC after superheating) and pressure of 27 atm. The auxiliary boiler powered two turbogenerators, 80 kW each for auxiliary ship equipment such as anchor winches, heating, turbopumps and steering with a heating surface of 30 m2 and working at 27 atm. It was used only in port, with the main boilers cold to power all vital systems. Steam was transferred to the engine room via two main pipes port and starboard. Each turbine group was composed of a high-pressure turbine for forward top speed, a low-pressure one for cruising, and one stage for reverse. The latter two were mounted together on a separate shaft. Both turbine shafts drove a single propeller shaft via helicoidal reduction gear. Each shaft was then exiting the hull, supported by a Mitchell-type thrust bearing and strut. The propeller shafts entered the water at slightly different angles, port one one lower, due to the differences in distance from the stern between the forward and aft engine rooms. The bronze propellers were three bladed, each weighing 6,627 kg ( 14,640 Ibs).
The two boiler rooms and two engine rooms had a simple linear arrangement and this however posed the risk of losing propulsion from a single hit compared to an alternating arrangement. Still, each boiler room remained separated, and the two turbines had their own separate engine compartment separated by a thick longitudinal bulkhead, which was not standard at the time and better than the Wicher class and 1936 British destroyers, having both turbines in a single compartment. This was insisted upon by the Poles and proved a clever initiative. The transverse bulkhead between engine rooms in addition had an unusual broken shape as both engine rooms partially overlapped.
At the stern was located the steering gear compartment with depth charge launchers placed over deck above. Another Polish request was to relocated the officers’ quarters from the stern to the bow superstructure, close to the bridge, another innovation later copied by the British with the R class from 1941. In addition there were two steam turbo generators rated for 110 V, and a backup single diesel generator rated 25 kW for emergency power if the auxiliary boiler was shut. They were designed for a top speed of 39 knots and base don their power on trials, had the luxury to reach beyond 39.6 knots, hence the bonus given to the Yard. This was impressive at the time. For memory British destroyers were more conservative and rarely exceeded 37 knots (which was the case of the 1920s Amazon and Embuscae prototypes). The standard was 36 knots before and during WW2 for all classes. It much be compared however to German classes, which were also rated for 38 knots. This made still the Grom class, the fastest destroyers in the Baltic at least on paper. In reality when fully loaded at 2400 tonnes and in heavy weather, this was more realistically 34-36 knots at best.
The cruising speed was defined at 15 knots whuch gave them a range of 3,500 nautical miles based on a fuel tank capacity of 130 t which can be ported in wartime to 350 t. At 20 knots the wave lnght ciculation was 4.05 ship lengths and at 36 knots 8.08 ship lengths. Truly the greyhounds of their day.
Armament
The main artillery gun positions were very peculiar. In WW2 twin turreted ships were not that rare, the IJN “special types”, Italian interwar destroyers, the Tribals class areary spoke about and more afterwards in the RN, the USN’s flotilla leaders such as the Porter class and late WW2 Gearing-Sumners to name a few had their main armament in two turrets in 2×2, 3×2 or 4×2 arrangements. The Grom class were unique as having a 3×2+1 arrangement. For stability reason the only single mount was located forward on the superfiring B position. They were covered by light gun shield, rather anti-splinter masks, but in all they covered well the bow and stern and ensured a full seven gun broadside. Below their positions were the ammunition rooms and their separate elevators. Due to the lack of space, the mounts were solidary, no separate elevation. Fire was slightly delayed between gun to avoid interference. There were also two ready-rounds holders next to the guns, 24 each. The decks of the bow and stern superstructures were extended to shield the lower guns and crews from the muzzle blast of the top position.
Main guns
The initial artillery consisted of seven Bofors 120 mm L/50 wz. 36 guns. There were three twin mounts and a single mount with a rather a high rate of fire of up to 10 rounds/min. In prolongated fire however the use of complete rounds (unitary round-charge) made them heavier to load compared to separate ammunition. The crews had to man 41 kg, the shell alone being 24 kg and so were pretty worn out after a while. The twin mounts were quite hefty 20.5 tonnes and the decks needed reinforcements. Maximum range was at 30° some 19,500 m (12 miles). Ammunition was supplied manually from portable ammunition chariots, loaded from ammunition elevators, lifting these from the ammunition chambers, of French Sautte-Harle type like on the Wicher class, with an electric drive and emergency manual drive. Each main artillery station had four elevators located directly behing the gun position. They could fire 20 rounds per minute. Ammunition chamber no. 1 held 150 live rounds and 176 illuminating rounds, chamber no. 2 had 300 live rounds and 83 practice rounds, chambers no. 3 and 4 had 300 live rounds each, and chamber 4 had additionally 64 practice rounds. The entire stock amounted to 2,662 live rounds and 411 illuminating rounds.
Torpedoes: 2×3 550 mm M23D
The torpedo armament was moderately powerful, but standard for the time. Two triple tubes. These were two triple 550 mm Creole-type torpedo tubes with caliber reduction inserts (to 533 mm or 450 mm) in order to fire both British or French torpedoes. The tubes were manufactured by Peter Brotherhood Ltd from Peterborough and the whole bank weighted 9.11 t (18,200 Ibs), 6,25 m (20 ft 5 in) long, with a firing angle of 60-120° and 240-300° forward and aft. They could be traversed to manually at 0.4-7.6°/s or electrically with a 3.25 kW engine at 9°/s. A charge of black powder alternated to the compressed air method were used. The latter was stored in three bottles with a capacity of 100 L each, working pressure of 60 kg/cm². They were charged by two compressors with a capacity of 375 L/h).
The launchers were adapted to French 550 mm model 1923D torpedoes as standard but the inserts to the world standard 533 mm (21 inch) model AB torpedoes from Whithehead, Weymouth as well as adapter even for the 450 mm (six 533 mm, four 450 mm purchased) allowed to fire almost all types in existence. Aiming and launching was normally done remotely from the bridge with individual stations using a sighting scope if needed. As part of the class purchase some sixty six model 1923D torpedoes were purchased in France before the outbreak of the war. There were a total of 12 model 1923D with spare torpedoes on board when counting reloads, six in tubes plus six in two 3-torpedo stacked spares. Other sources states that 17 were delivered for each ship in all for operations, out of the 60 ordered. These were already old models, slow but with a heavy payload and average range.
Model 1923D original plans, credits navweaps.com
The standard French model 1923D torpedoes had the following specs:
4,560 lbs. (2,068 kg) for 27 ft. 2 in. (8.280 m) long
Explosive Charge: 683 lbs. (310 kg) TNT
Power unit: Schneider alcohol/air heater
Range/Speed settings: 9,840 yards (9,000 m)/39 knots or 14,200 yards (13,000 m)/35 knots
AA: 2×2 40mm and 2×2 13.2 mm
The anti-aircraft armament was another shining point of the design and exceptionally strong for the pre-war era.
This was thanks to the expertise of Bofors which was later to provide arguably the best “light” AA weapon system of WW2. The Grom class had two twin automatic anti-aircraft guns Bofors 40 mm L/60 wz. 36, the precedessor of the famous L/60 of WW2 fame. The mounts were located behind the funnel, one after the other.
Their weight was 3.5 t and they fired complete rounds in 4-rounds clips fed by gravity, each weighting 0.9 kg. Barrels were water-cooled and sights equipped with an inclinometer and stabilizing systems for accurate fire in rough weather. Traverse was 300°, limited by the funnel forward. Ammunition was stored in boxes of 20 clips each, attached to the deck at the gun mounts.
At first, 6 were provided for each mount, later 9 and 12 for the A and B mounts. Extra loaders carried crated clips from the ammunition chambers below. The guns had ring cams, adjusted separately for each mount, blocking triggers when entering a dangerously close angle to the structure.
The Grom-class destroyers were the forerunners of the use of 40 mm Bofors guns on destroyers in WW2, only ones in Europe apart on the Dutch Gerard Callenburgh-class destroyers and Klas Horn, Göteborg classes. The placement did not provide bow cover, typical for pre-war destroyers however.
In addition there were four 4 twin mounts Hotchkiss wz. 30 machine guns, 13.2 mm on R4SM type naval mounts on the bridge wings and main command station (GSD) and on the sides on the aft superstructure. They used 30-round magazines. Weight of each mount was 350 kg and they were fitted with Le Prieur DAC940 system sights, unstabilized. They had a 450 rounds/min cycle, and a muzzle velocity of 800 m/s (2,625 ft/s).
ASW armament
The Grom were provided a not stellar, but pretty standard anti-submarine suite: Two depth charge racks, manufactured by T.H. Dixon & Co Ltd. Engineers Letchworth Herts (UK) were placed under the afterdeck, with ten depth charges each. They were powered by electric motors through chain moving the chaged loaded on sockets towards the poop outlet. These outlets were opened remotely from the bridge. There was an emergency drive with manual crank gear in the steering gear room. An additional 10 depth charges were stored in the torpedo warhead magazine. They were transferred from there using davits through opening hatches in the deck above the launcher room. Some sources incorrectly says they had depth charge throwers before the war. They were added later.
Mines
The Grom class also had mainelaying capacity, with two pairs of mine tracks mounted on the stern deck, enough for 44 mines with some sources mention as much as 60 mines, probably of a smaller type. The mines were wz. 08 or SM-5 types.
Small arms
Each ship also comprised a “landing party” festive kit: Four wz. 08 heavy machine guns placed on portable and foldable tripod bases usually located when deployed on the stern deck. There were also two wz. 28 machine guns mounted on brackets on the corners of the fighting platform for AA support. The armory also of course contained 30 rifles and 6 revolvers for the crew usable for boarding actions but no polearms or cutlasses unfortunately, what a shame.
Prewar, the Grom class were loaded with a herft mix of 1,050 main artillery rounds, 2,400 rounds of 40 mm AA rounds, 20,000 for 13.2 mm heavy machine guns rouds, twelve 550 or 533 mm torpedoes and 40 depth charges.
Fire Control
The artillery fire control system was Polish, manufactured by PZO S.A. and developed from French St Chamond Granat relay system seen on the minelayer ORP Gryf built at that time. There were Polish Synchro type relays. The fire control system comprised the following:
-Main rangefinder (4 meters with altimeter by Optique & Precision, Levallois) forward.
-Course angle meter on the command bridge
-Stern rangefinder aft same type as above
-Artillery control center with calculators at the rear of the stern superstructure, below the fighting bridge.
This artillery analog computer was a French D1 from “La Precision Moderne” connected to an Anschutz relay.
Relays were provided at four main artillery positions, the two anti-aircraft artillery positions and two searchlight positions and information displayed via a horn and three-engine receiver of the circle (type OS3) and two-engine receiver for deviation (type OS2), two-engine receiver for sight (type OS2), single-engine receiver for commands (type OW1) and a bell and signal lamp, as well asn S.O. box and distribution box R (R6 to R8). These transmitted data on bearing of angles, distance to the target from the main rangefinder to the calculator.
Data from the stern rangefinder was also manually copied in order to support or replace the main rangefinder if hit. The remaining firing data (course, speed, wind direction) were entered manually.
The guns were guided to target manually based on this data. According to some authors, the system also generated data for the anti-aircraft artillery and searchlight stations. The stern rangefinder however was the one generating data for the anti-aircraft artillery.
The torpedo firing control system was integrated with the artillery fire control system. Its main elements were located on the navigation bridge on both sides of the bridge superstructure on the wings. The remote transmitters were located at the external bridge housings with the firing angle devices supporting telescopes for the torpedo sights. The system transmitted data to the launchers stations displaying the required firing angle. The system was considered better than on the Wicher-class, allowing immediate use even by the watch crew. Non remote operation was only meant in emergency situations.
Sensors & Communication
The Grom class were initially equipped with the following:
-SM1K type correspondence radio stations
-RKD/K type shortwave radio stations
-Y type alarm radio stations
-RJ type goniometric radio stations
-Radio direction finders
-Hydrophones, manufactured by Multispot co. in the US, with 6 microphones placed under the waterline either side. They could not detect a target submerged sailing at less than 9 knots at a distance of more than 4,500 m while underway at 15 knots. They were grouped with underwater microphones and a Fessenden oscillator transmitter for underwater communication.
Other Equipments
The Grom class came out with two reflectors with 90 cm mirror diameter initially placed on the aft superstructure and mainmast platform. Later for stability the rear one was removed and the forward one relocated much lower.
The crew if forced to abandon ship could be rescued usinf two eight-meter motorboats (used for shore liaison in ports), and an eight-meter lifeboat, smaller motorboat and a rowing cutter, as well as life rafts. Offset amidships, Mark. V screen trawls with davits were the only placed that way. The Grim class also had two Hall anchors forward, port and starboard.
Modernization
Modernization started already still under construction. It turned out that one of the port side fan, close to the 40 mm Bofors gun position, blocked rotation of the torpedo tubes on the port side. There was an undercut made so that the tubes could move. “Błyskawica” received a modified fan instead.
-After they were accepted for service, platforms and railings for the 120 mm wz. 36 guns were cut off as interfering with the gun’s traverse.
-On trials, it appeared necessary to strengthen the sides around the anchor hawse holes, as the anchor lugs did not fit into the recesses when raised, denting the lips.
-Ventilation was added to the crew’s provisions at the stern.
-Artillery clocks were installed (both a French and US practice) were installed on the hoods of the main artillery C position on both sides, to transmit data for the FCS to other ships in the formation.
Initially the stern rangefinder was limited to 210 degrees traverse due to the superstructure. First on “Grom” and later on “Błyskawica”, the rangefinder and searchlight were swapped to increas this arc and improved the ability of using it against air targets.
-The number of 40 mm Bofors guns reload crates was increased.
-The outlet of the voice pipe from the noise-finder’s cabin was modified to lead directly to the fighting platform.
Later in service, further modernisations were aimed at impoving stability and on Błyskawica only, their anti-aircraft armament was strenghtened while more modern British standards sonar and radio-electronic equipment were provided for allied operations.
Both ships destroyers had their initial refit just coming out from Operation Peking in Great Britain in September 1939. It turned out already their seaworthiness in the winter north sea conditions was insufficient. They underwent this refit on 2-22 October 1939 at Plymouth, included the following:
-Removal of lifeboats between the bridge and funnel
-Removal of the trawls under davits and mine tracks
-Removal of the “cruising” funnel cap
-Removal of the lattice base and its searchlight platform forward, and mast replaced by a lighter pole, searchlight moved in front of the funnel.
-Removal of the reflector base on the upper part of the aft superstructure, reflector and antenna extension (smaller mast+ small yard).
-Radio direction finder antenna moved to the main mast.
-Addition of two additional Thornycroft depth charge throwers at the stern.
She lost 56 tons which contributed to improving their metacentric height, and this was further amplified by the pouring of bottom concrete ballast.
The next next refit from 10 January to 19 March 1940 had them demagnetized with a degaussing system.
75 mm AA gun installed on Blyskawica in 1940
The third and last refits were only done on “Błyskawica” as her sister was gone.
June 1940: Installation of an ASDIC, extra depth charge throwers and extra 3-in (76 mm) HA/LA Mk II on Mk III mount replacing “B” torpedo tube bank in
February 1941: Installation of the type 281 radar. Installation of a Vickers 102 mm Mk XVI guns on Mk XIX mount and “B” torpedo tube bank replaced.
June to November 1941: Installation of a new, modern radio-electronic equipment and new turret for controlling main artillery, type 291 radar station for anti-aircraft FC.
June 1943: Hotchkiss HMGs mounted replaced on a per-mount basis by single 20 mm Oerlikon cannons, and two twin 7.7 mm Lewis LMGs on the bridge, New radio direction finder FM 12 MF/DF and of a type 252 IFF identification system as well as type 86 and 86M VHF radios.
March 1944: Type 271 radar on the aft superstructure, and IFF replaced with the new type 244, with “Headache” antenna to intercept enemy radio transmissions.
February-July 1944: Both torpedo tubes removed, new 533 mm bank on “B” , 7.7 mm LMGs removed, the type 293 radar replaced the Type 277.
1951: Overhaul meant rearmament with all main gun barrels replaced by Soviet 100 mm B-24 guns, and remaining armaments replaced with Soviet equivalents, mine tracks for 60 type 08 mines set in place. More details on the cold war Polish Navy page.
They had a rowing boat and motorboat on the main deck plus 10 life rafts.
April 1961: the radio-electronic equipment was modenrized with the installation of a Gjuis-1M4 and Rif radar stations, Kremniy-5N IFF system, Tamir-5N sonar.
1975: Last refit, to become a museum ship, with arrangement of exhibition halls and marking of sightseeing paths.
Appearance
Before the war, as delivered, both destroyers came up with medium grey paint with the vertical surfaces in a lighter shade, horizontal surfaces in darker shade. Names were painted on the sterns in red. Initially, Grom had the pennant “G” on her bow, but in July 1937, painted over in order to hide recognition letters on all ships. Błyskawica had no pennant. The interior of the superstructures was painted white and the interior floors received linoleum or rubber flooring in dark red. In sanitary rooms, floors were covered with stoneware with tiled walls. Walls paint included ground cork for soundproofing, reduce vibrations. The pipe network had painting and marking systems changed in service. From 1937, they came from Lepper+Karpiński, then British ones in wartime. The undrwater hull received the lead red lead “Rapidol” and tar-asphalt “Akumulina” but the above waterline saw a black stripe 25-50 cm high applied. In service, camouflage schemes changed. In RN free Polish service, a side number was painted at the stern in black according to the British standard for individual recoignition.
⚙ Grom class specs. |
|
| Displacement | 2,144 tons standard, 2,560 tons full load |
| Dimensions | 114 x 11.3 x 3.3 m |
| Propulsion | 2 shafts Pearson geared turbine engines, 4* boilers 54,000 shp |
| Speed | 39 knots (72 km/h; 45 mph) |
| Range | 350t oil, 3500 nm/15 kts |
| Armament | 7x 120mm, 4x 40 mm AA, 8x 13.2 mm AA, 2×3 550-533 mm TTs, see notes |
| Sensors | Hydrophones, see notes |
| Crew | 192 |
*3 main 3-drum, 1 auxiliary
Career of the Grom class
Prewar Service
In June 1937, Grom entered the Destroyer Squadron, she had initial training and squadron exercises with the Wicher class and later her sister, in order to achieve full combat readiness Grom became flagship of the Squadron, as her commander, Lt. Cdr. St. Hryniewiecki doubling as Squadron commander. On June 29, 1937, she was part of a naval parade (Sea Day) and August 20 sailed to Tallinn for a courtesy visit. On August 24-26, she visited Riga. By late November she was interned in Oksywie for the winter. In the spring inspection was made before end of the builder’s warranty until May 10, cleared for a new training season. By June 2–7 1938 she underwent minor fixes and modernizations. On June 29 she was in a naval for Sea Day.
Stern honor guard to receive the first captain, 1937 commission.
On August 22 the squadron visited Copenhagen until August 24, this time under Tadeusz Podjazd-Morgenstern, and winter in Oksywie. Next spring she covered landing exercises by February 28, 1939 but ran aground near the buoy of Babi Dół. Both propellers were damaged, as well as the propeller shaft fairings, and bent left shaft. The captain and commander of the Division were both held responsible. Podjazd-Morgenstern was stripped of command of the Squadron and had to pay for the repair cost (77,550 slotys), replaced by Lt. Cdr. Roman Stankiewicz. Grom was repaired in Gdynia but on March 7, while being docked she collided (she was rammed by) the tug Kaper. Her hull side plating was dented at frames 142-143. But with the annexation of Klaipėda, repairs were rushed and damage to the shaft never properly addressed, causing later problems during the the Operation Peking.
On 18 March she was declared in full combat readiness and on the 20th sailed for exercises with the rest of the division and combat patrols in the Gulf of Gdańsk and between Królewiec and Rozewie, spotting movements of the German fleet and transports to prevent a possible annexation of Gdańsk. She was present still for the Sea Days (28 June – 2 July) but on 20 June, Commander Hryniewiecki was replaced due to poor health by 2nd Lt. Aleksander Hulewicz. From 5 May 1939 Grom remained in 7-hour combat readines and in late August, went into full all-time combat readiness.
Wartime Service
Operation Peking
On August 30, the commander received an order to execute Operation Peking, an evacuation of the Polish fleet to Great Britain, rather than spending it in an unfair fight, at the mercy of the Stukas. At 1 a.m. At 4:15 all designated ships of the Division led by Grom sropped anchor and left Oksywie for Great Britain, trying to reach Leith in Scotland. Grom was second in formation, behind the new flagship Błyskawica. At midnight they entered the Sound, sailed into Kattegat on the morning of 1 September 1939 and later in the North Sea received news of the outbreak of war. At last they met the British destroyers HMS Wallace and Wanderer (Lieutenant Commander Reginald F. Morice) escorting them to Leith.
While underway in the Firth of Forth at 14:20, they received the signal “Smok”, meaning the start of military operations against Germany. The Polish squadron commander visited the Rosyth base CiC Adm. Ch. Ramsey to decide what next, and the ships were relocated to Rosyth on the night of 1-2 September. Great Britain was still neutral at the time, so the Poles were greeted as if it was a courtesy visit. When the British ultimatum was rejected on 3 September, the Polish ships were now able to start action alongside the Royal Navy with an integration already in the works since their arrival. English liaison groups cam on board. Capt. Mar. S. H. Dennis, telegraphist M. B. J. Dufty, signalmen W. T. Land, A. H. Trice and A. M. Ferrier. The captains met in London on 3-4 September and met the then First Lord of the Admiralty, W. Churchill and First Sea Lord, Adm. D. Pound. They agreed to assign the Polish Division to Western Approaches command, and soon the ships were loaded with Atlantic equipment,notably more appropriate clothing. On 6 September, the destroyers they set off on a cruise to Plymouth, northern coast.
The ships still steaming after Operation Peking in the Firth of Forth.
Arrival and first RN Assignment
On 7 September, at 3 p.m. in the Little Minch Strait (Scotland-Hebrides) they detected an U-Boat, depth charged by Błyskawica and Grom while the latter’s gunners fired at a posible periscope with the 40 mm anti-aircraft gun, and later identified a surfaced conning tower. A large oil slick was observed and the sub was at the time registered as a “kill” (not confirmed).
After refuelling in Milford Haven (Wales) on 8 September, they departed the next day for south-western coast when observers on Grom spotted another U-Boat periscope and again she was attacked with depth charges, no kill. On 9 September at 5 p.m., the Division reached Devonport, being welcomed personally by Admiral Martin Dunbar-Nasmith, visiting the destroyers while officers were invited to a welcome party in the casino. It was agreed that the Polish destroyers would escort convoys along the southern coast, Strait of Dover up to the western entrance to the English Channel. Grom departed for her first mission on 15 September accompanied by the HMS Jackal and Janus to cover convoys OA-5 and OA-5A from the Downs anchorage to the Atlantic.
During the mission, Grom was detached from the convoy to refuel and returned to the port of Plymouth on 19 September. On the 21–24th she departed with HMS Janus and Jackal to cover convoy OA-8 from Foreland until disbanded, and back on 25 September. On 27-29 September, she escorted four large transports between Cape Lizard and the Isle of Wight, in rough seas, suffering an alarming list to 42º, lasting for some time. A wave washed away the boatswain’s mate Władysław Szczur-Kalinowski, never recovered. Due to these stability issues Admiral Dunbar-Nasmith ordered an investigation and experts signalled the metacentric height was worse than British destroyers so it was suggested to improve it by around 50 tonnes of items and add concrete ballast in the hull. The Division commande was consulted and saw his chief engineer, but disagree to remove any armament, so other loads were removed instead and 56 tons saving were achieved for a metacentric height now of 75 cm made in October 1939 on both sisters.
Irish Patrol
Since the Admiralty suspected that Ireland’s waters were used by German U-boats and their suppliers it was decided to sent ships there on patrol. At the same time, warnings about a possible violation of territorial waters were to prevent worsening political relations between the two countries. To avoid these issues it was decided to sent the Polish Squadron on this “Irish patrol”. On 22 October 1939, Grom and the Squadron left Plymouth and at 13:30 reached their designated patrol area off Schelling Rocks lighthouse. On 24-26 October they patrolled from the south-western tip to Achilles Head, refuelling in Belfast on 28 October. While underway back to the North Channel both destroyers spotted a persicope and attacked a U-Boat with depth charges, which was ineffective and the hunt reported to nearby patrol boat P-36. On 29 October they were back in Plymouth. They learned their assignment to the 22nd Destroyer Flotilla with HMS Exmouth, Ilex, Imperial, Isis and Keith under command of R. S. Benson in Harwich, Nore Command under Admiral Sir H. S. Brownrigg. Both Polish destroyers and the flagship HMS Keith formed the 44th Squadron, leaving Plymouth on 30 October to escort coastal shipping off the southeastern coast and patrols in the North Sea.
Western Approach Operations
Their first patrol was from Dover to the Heligoland Bight on 1 November. On 6 November Grom and Błyskawica joined convoy FN-33 from Hull to Dover. While in the Dogger Bank a day later they were attacked by two German He-115s seaplanes woth torpedoes, but managed evaded them while repelling these with heavy AA. On 11–13 November, Grom and Burza escorted convoy FN-35 to Hull, on the 14th Grom and Błyskawica escorted another convoy from Dover to Harwich. On 17 November they were sent to Rosyth to be visited by an official delegation headed by exile Govt. PM General Władysław Sikorski. They were back to Harwich on 21 November and Grom, Burza and three British destroyers made another patrol when HMS Gipsy behind Grom struck a mine and sank, with the Polish destroyer rescuing part of the crew, as well as the also sunken Terukuni Maru. Next day they were sent to destroyer by gunfire drifting mines off Kentish Knock. On 27 November, Keith, Błyskawica and Grom escorted a convoy from London the eastern coast.
Between 1 and 12 December, Grom patrolled and escorted convoys along the south-eastern coast and on the 15th the division joined the RN 1st Destroyer Flotilla (G. Creasy). After basic maintenance at Harwich they were in escort operations again, until R&R for Christmas. On 6 January 1940, Grom, Błyskawica and four other in the flotilla went on patrol until one Grom’s boilers, failed, she was returned to Chatham for repairs on 10 January, having also depth charge launchers replaced and a demagnetizing device. She set sail on 19 March and back to Harwich on the 22th for exercises and on 29 March she joined Błyskawica, Burza, HMS Grenade and Gurkha to the Terschelling area, back on the 31st. On 1 April they were in the Thames Estuary and while back, placed at the disposal of the Home Fleet Commander, Rosyth.
Norwegian Campaign
Allied operations in Norwegian waters was now the new objective, and it was notably planned to block iron transport from Narvik to Germany with minefields on usual, routes in Norwegian territorial waters, Operation Wilfried. The other was to support Finland by landing expeditionary forces in northern Norway, plan R4, but it was dropped as soon as it was known the Germans had launched on their own Operation “Weserübung” to secure their own supply by occuping the country.
On April 4, 1940, the Polish Squadron under Lieutenant Commander Stanisław Hryniewiecki (flagship Grom) sailed out in rescort of the cruisers HMS Arethusa and Galatea of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, (Lt.G G. Edward-Collins) in the North Sea, to meet and escort cruisers HMS Berwick, York, Glasgow and Devonshire transporting landing forces for Bergen and Stavanger. But the operation was cancelled when detecting the Kriegsmarine’s operation which was believed to be a break of the North Sea blockade, commerce raiders’ exit to the Atlantic. The pla was changed for this, and the 2nd Cruiser Squadron plus Polish Division sailed on patrol but never encounter and returned back to Scapa Flow.
On 7 April, the Poles joined convoy HN-24 from Bergen to Scotland, arriving on 12 April. On 14-17 April, Grom patrolled the waters of the Skagerrak and Kattegat. On April 17, Grom and Błyskawica with HMS Tartar and Javelin escorted back home the crippled HMS Suffolk.
After the fierce Battle of Narvik six Allied destroyers were sunk, and the Polish Squadron was ordered there on April 19, in adverse weather conditions and Burza was badly damaged and had to return to port. On 20 April at 12:48 both remaining DDs were torpedoed by U-9 (Wolfgang Lüth) but the magnetic fuses failed, just one exploded way off Błyskawica.
On 21 April, both Polish destroyers entered Skjelfjord, Lofoten, as temporary base. They sailed deep into the fjords near Narvik, patrolled the southern part of the Vestfjord and covered HMS Warspite shelling German positions. Next they provided direct support to the Allied forces at Narvik, and on the 19th Grom remained alone as Błyskawica returned to Skjelfiord to refuel.
She ventured into the Rombakkenfjord and started shelling German troops guarding a strategic railway line from Narvik to Sweden, only route to be supplied in the area. Both Polish destroyers fired at the railway line, bridges and viaducts but soon also troops so well that local German soldiers called them the “cursed Pole”.
To drive away Allied ships, the Germans decided to create an ambush, preparing camouflaged positions of anti-tank and field guns and on May 2, Błyskawica entering Rombakkenfiord, was fired upon and damaged. Adm. Boyle ordered her to Skjelfiord for repairs. Commander Hryniewiecki proposed to be replaced by Grom and the following day, Grom entered the Rombakenfjord and like Błyskawica was fired upon but Polish artillerymen managed to destroy anti-tank gun position. She was hit on the starboard, boiler 3 damaged. By decision of the sqn. commander she left Rombakkenfjord for repairs in Herjangsfjord. She returned, spotted and silenced three more German field artillery positions. She destroyed the German observation post. Next she joined HMS Resolution, to shell railway tunnel. Grom spent 500 rounds on it. Both spent the night at the entrance to Rombakkenfjord and shelled any German attempt to repair the damaged railway line.
ORP Grom in 1937 and 1940 (pinterest)
Sinking
On the morning of May 4, 1940, at 8:00 a.m., Grom was preparing to sail into the Rombakkenfjord when at 8:30 a.m., two German planes were spotted at 5000 meters, air raid alarm sounded, and from the bridge, watch chief Konrad Namieśniowski gave order to move forward and start evasive action. A third bomber was soon also spotted, attacking from the sun from 5,400 m and dropping six bombs, two hits: One starboard midships close to the funnel, the other close to the torpedo tubes. The hull had a tear 20 m long close to boiler 2 while there was an explosion of compressed air tanks in torpedo tube. She liste to starboard and broke in half behind the funnel, sinking in 2-3 minutes. These were postwar reported as Heinkel He 111s from Kampfgruppe 100 stationed at Vaernes airport near Trondheim. The crew evacuated her the best thery could, but just three life rafts could be dropped. 17 officer were later rescued, including the commander and 137 non-commissioned officers and sailor (26 wounded). 59 went down with Grom, 1 officer, 25 non-commissioned officers and 33 sailors. Most were trapped inside notably in the boatswain’s room.
It was reported also that some that swam around were machine-gunned by the He-111s. One man which went down managed to secure the depth charges there was no underwater explosion. HMS Aurora, Enterprise, and the DDs Bedouin and Faulknor repelled the German troops on the shores firing on the Poles, and picked up survivors. Since the waters were at 3°C some sailors later died from hypothermia. The rescue operation lasted about 40 minutes and they were transferred to HMS Resolution, the wounded transported to the hospital ship Atlantis and back to England on the Monarch of Bermuda. From Greenock they traveled to the base ORP Gdynia in UK, to be affected on other ships later. There was an investigation into Grom’s loss but Lt. Commander Hulewicz was not found guilty but his career was undermined as he never obtained an independent command again. 82 members of the crew were awarded Polish and British decorations. Hulewicz had a DSO by King George VI and Lt. Aleksy Krąkowski was posthumously promoted to naval captain. Many of these sailors ended on the French destroyer Ouragan taken over by the RN during Operation Catapult.
Grom covered in her service 15,000 nautical miles, took part in 20 combat patrols, escorted 11 convoys, attacked enemy ships nd U-boats, repelled air attacks twice, and destroyed many land position at and around Narvik.
Prewar Operations
Błyskawica joined the destroyer squadron, the last ever Polish destroyer to do so. On January 4, 1938, new commander was Włodzimierz Kodrębski, completing the crew. Sge stayed in the 1st reserve initially while still completing works while underway, before the installation of her fire control devices from Polskie Zakłady Optyczne. Her first training campaign started on February 15, 1938, with intensive crew training and a courtesy visit to Copenhagen on August 22-24. On the night of March 18-19, 1939, the Squadron was on high alert as the Klaipėda region was annexed by the Third Reich and on 1-8 May, Błyskawica was inspected at the Gdynia shipyard for the end of the warranty, and on 9 May, she hosted Lieutenant Commander Roman Stankiewicz as the new flasghip. Mobilization procedures had her maintained constant combat readiness with limited stops and crew rotatioon on shores and leaves restricted.
In May 1939, Rear Admiral Świrski approached Marshal Edward Śmigły-Rydz to send the Destroyer Squadron to UK as war was possible. Polish-British staff met in Warsaw to work on this scenario and created a plan for operation Peking. The British admiralty presented a plan to use their own bases by Polish ships with preliminary approval from the General Inspector of the Armed Forces and Polish General Staff to the condition that sufficient forces was stil present to defend the Coast against any landing. In August, Rear Admiral Świrski tried to obtain permission from Marshal Śmigły-Rydz to send the ships which was eventually obtained, with British pressure thanks to the naval attaché Commander Eric Lloyd Wharton and the Mission in Poland under the famous (‘the immortal’) General Adrian Carton de Wiart.
Wartime Operations
Operation Peking
On August 30, at noon, Marshal Śmigły-Rydz consented to the launch of the operation anf the Fleet Command received a radio signal for “Peking”, confirmed by Order 1000/special from Rear Admiral Józef Unrug. The Destroyer Squadron under Commander Stankiewicz was informed to depart at 12:50, after a conferencewith all three captains on “Błyskawica”, with Grom and Burza. Wicher and Gryf were chosen to stay home and defend the coast. The division departed at 14:15 with Błyskawica as the lead ship, towards Hel, Bornholm and detected, shadowed several times on 30 August by German units and U-31, then flew over by He 59 aircraft from Kü.Fl.Gr. 506. At night, the Polish team was followed and shadowed by three German destroyers and later the light cruiser Königsberg and escort. On 31 August they passed through Kattegat, spotted by two U-boats, and then several Do 18 from Kü.Fl.Gr. 306. On 1 September on the morning, they received in international waters a radio message on hostilities just started. In the early afternoon they were met by British destroyers and sent to Leith, then Rosyth in “friendly internment” until 3 September when UK joined the war.
Early Operations
On September 4, 1939, Commander Stankiewicz reported to the British Admiralty his division was ready for action with the Royal Navy.
Polish destroyers had tactical numbers and Błyskawica became H34. On September 6, the division sailed to Scotland and the Irish Sea to Devonport assigned to the Western Approaches command under Admiral Martin Dunbar Nasmith. They spotted en route a probable U-boat and made an uncoordinated team attack, reporting a kill and later another on 10 September with no confirmation. On 13 September, Błyskawica sailed to Liverpool and from 18 September escorted by Clan Menzies with weapons for Poland still at war, transiting via Romania. On 22 September in Gibraltar, they received new that the situation in Poland after the Soviet aggression and withdrawal of Romania’s consent so on 26 September, she headed back to UK escorting convoy HG-14. During the Atlantic crossing she showed dangerous unstability and like her sister she was to be modified. At completion, her new commander was Captain Tadeusz Gorazdowsk and the squadron was sent to Harwich, for North Sea operation and integration into the 22nd Destroyer Flotilla and then 1st Flotilla until April 1940. On 7 November both were attacked in the Dogger Bank area by He 115 seaplanes.
On 17 November, CiC General Władysław Sikorski visited both. They also rescued crews of ships sunk by mines. Division Commander Kodrębski had serious health problems and was replaced by Lt. Commander Jerzy Umecki. On 15 December, Błyskawica covered ships laying a minefield near Borkum and went on patrols from Harwich for weeks. On 16 January 1940 she captured the Latvian ship Rasma, carrying contraband to Germany and on 17 January, she broke her anchor while on the Downs shallows, lost it. Later in January, her officers accused the commander of incompetence, including deputy, Captain Gorazdowski. He was transferred to the “Gdynia” base on 17 January, but an officer report from four more officers on 12 February to the Squadron Commander shook things up on 16 February. Part of her crew was disbanded and sent to the new transferred destroyer ORP Garland. New destroyer sqn became Lt. Commander Stanisław Nahorski, deputy Captain Romuald Nałęcz-Tymiński. On 22 March Błyskawica, Burza departed with HMS Codrington to escort the French sub tender Jules Verne and three submarines from Brest to Harwich. In April, the Destroyers reported to the Home Fleet command, sent to Rosyth and Scapa Flow.
Norwegian Campaign
From 9 to 12 April the division escorted convoy HN-24 from Bergen to the Firth of Forth and on 17 April, escorted back the damaged cruiser Suffolk to Scapa Flow. On 19 April they were ordered to proceed to Narvik and while at 12:48, 50 nm north-east of the Shetlands, they were abushed and torpedoed (but missed) by U-9 (Wolfgang Lüth) due to unreliable magnetic fuse. On 21 April, Błyskawica and Grom (Burza was amaged by a stirm and returned to UK for repairs) entered the Vestfjord to refuel. From 23 April they patrolled the Narvik area while shelling shore German positions. On May 2, Błyskawica was attacked by aircraft, and then shore-based 88 mm AA gun. Four hits in her hull, main steam pipe in the second engine room performed, 3 sailors wounded. She sailed for Skjelfiord for repairs, replaced by Grom. The latter was sunk on May 4 by the Luftwaffe. After repairs, her sister return to Narvik the day after her sister sunk, and on May 6, at Rombakkenfjord, she repelled an air attack, claiming one confirmed kill. She was in Skjelfiord on May 8, visited by Admiral William Boyle and due to a storm only departed later on May 10 while repelling other air attacks, claiming anotehe kill. Later she joined Burza and Gallant to Scapa Flow, May 12. She had her steering gear repaired, after being damaged by the storm. On May 18 she sailed to Harwich.
French Campaign
After a short refit on 26 May 1940 she joined Operation Dynamo, helping evacuatin the BEF and French troops from Dunkirk, and escorting the cruiser Galatea. On the night of 27–28 May she sailed with the destroyer Vega to Dunkirk for a direct evacuation. Her gunners reported anotjer kill. She then patrolled one evacuation route in the North Sea from U-Boat. On the night of 29 May, she spotted and tracked U-62, and were later attacked them twice with torpedoes at 04:13 and 08:00 by U-60. The second missiled her bow from 40 meters. Their depht charging proved ineffective and they were targeted by the Luftwaffe. Later she towed the crippled HMS Greyhound back to Dover, and on 30–31 May, covered the crippled French destroyer Cyclone, damaged by a schnellboat, and rescued 15 survivors from Sirocco sunk, by schnellbootes. She was back to Harwich on 2 June 1940 and from 11 June to 14 August, she was in repairs at Cowes and Southampton. When there, she repelled German air raids twice, claiming on kill on 12 August. So far, even the British admiralty was impressed by her records and had a more careful look at the Bofors as a prime AA weapon system. At the time the RN relied still on the Pompom 2-pdr, but and the US still had not integrated the Bofors in their own arsenal.
Channel Campaign
After repairs and refreshing exercises in Scapa, Błyskawica escorted a convoy from Greenock and on 1 September 1940, rescued a survivor from Star Sion. On 3 September at 13:55she detected and attacked U-101 twice, badly damaging her s reported since she went back to Lorient on 5 September for long repairs. Next the destroyer sailed to Plymouth to integrated a new Polish Destroyer Flotilla established by the RN to patrol the English Channel. On 22 October Błyskawica was back to Greenock and retur,ed with a convoy when colliding with the freighter Kyle Rhea, hitting her starboard side. Her hull was torn off from the deck line down to one metre below the waterline, repaired between 5 November to 3 December.
Next she left Greenock as an escort for an Atlantic convoy but was battered by a storm estimated 10-11 on the Beaufort scale. She was badly damaged, steering gear jamming, gyrocompass damaged, communication equipment torn off and washed over, smashing of boats and other isues, crack in the stern torpedo gear and inoperative intercom. The rudder was repaired by lieutenants Franciszek Czelusta and Zbigniew Węglarz and she returned to Greenock for two months of repairs, visited on 27 December by the Polish fleet CiC. During her sea trials her rudder jammed again, she was repaired in Glasgow when on 13 March 1941, her crew took part in the defense of the city against a German air raid, reporting one kill. On 8 June, she sailed to Plymouth, on 20 June Cowes, to be re-equipped with new 4 inches or 102 mm dual purpose British Guns, along with a major overhaul until 2 November 1941. She had trials and training and sailed to Plymouth and Scapa Flow.
The Defence of Cowes
From December 1941 to early April 1942 she took part in several North Atlantic escort of six convoys, via Iceland and cross-Atlantic, protecting notably the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth and aircraft carrier Eagle. On January 2, 1942, her crew finished off the crippled Swedish ship Shantung. On April 4, she was damaged in a heavy storm (hull, boilersà repaired in Southampton, Cowes and Portsmouth until mid-July. While in Cowes under Commander Wojciech Francki, her crew took part in the anti-aircraft defense in German air raids. On 28 April, 6 Me Bf 109 fighter-bombers, had two attacking the ship, probable damage.
A near-miss caused her gangway connecting to the quay to be thrown onto the ship, breaking the mast and damaging radars. Four injured, one seriously. The crew took part in extinguishing fires in the dockyard. Seven sailors were later nominated for the Cross of Valour. Her radars and rangefinder being samaged meant could could not repel another air raid even after the 102 mm, left on shore, were restocked on board and guns prepared. On the night of 4–5 May 1942, there were two waves of about 160 bombers, and the ship repelled them the best she could.
The crew also helped putting out fires, aiding injured people on the deockyard and around. Eventuallty their created a smoke screen for the ship smoke buoys to hide the docks despite dropped flares. Her AA fire was intense, forcing to pour buckets of sea water over the barrels while more ammunition were brought by a norria of boats from nearby Portsmouth. This fire forced the bimbers to seek a higher altitude and it was reported at least one shot down. This night she spent between 2,030 and up to 8,030 40 mm Bofors guns rounds, 10,500 Hotchkiss HMG rounds. Zdzisław Dutkiewicz was awarded the Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari and the commander received a commemorative medal from the town’s residents. On May 3, 2004, one squares was renamed Francki Place with anniversary still commemorated today in Cowes.
From August 1, 1942, Błyskawica she escorted vessels in the Atlantic and the Irish Sea. She attacked a detected U-boat, no kill. She took part in 17 convoy actions, the last on August 9 being convoy SC-94. On August 9, she was torpedoed but missed by U-256. In October she escorted the Queen Mary and her crew witnessed her ramming the cruiser HMS Curacoa.
Mediterranean Campaign
It was later decided to send her, under command of Lieutenant Commander Ludwik Lichodziejewski, to the calmer and warmer seas of the Mediterranean and she departed on 18 October, accompanied by HMS Bramham and Cowdray for Gibraltar. Sje was to take part in Operation Torch. From 28 to 30 October, she covered HMS Furious during Operation Train to deliver 29 spitfires to Malta. On 7 November, Błyskawica was present for the landing in North Africa as escort ship for convoy KMF(A)-1 alongside the Polish ORP Sobieski. She provided artillery support at Algiers and repelled Vichy French air attacks, conducted ASW patrols and on 9 November reported a probably kill of a Ju 88. Next she coverred a convoy from Algiers to Bougie. On 11-12 November she repelled Luftwaffe attacks off Bougie with at least two probable kills, two or more damaged on 12 November, loosing three sailors and a British signaller, 43 injured in strifing and bombong, near misses. A postwar source went as far as 20% of her crew wounded. Over 200 bullet holes were counted after the battle. She was repaired at Gibraltar and a sea funeral was held en route.
On 5 December, repaired, she joined Force H to escort convoys between Gibraltar and the North African coast. From mid-March 1943, she was in Algiers and Bône, preying on axis lines of communication in the Strait of Sicily, and repelled air attacks. On 27 March, she simulated a landing operation near Tunis. On 19 April, she rescued pilots from a downed Wellington near Tunis. On 7 May she was attacked by German bombers near Marettimo Island. Her rudder was damaged by a near-miss. Back to Bône, she had first repairs, sailed to Algiers and Gibraltar, overhauled and repaired between 12 and 22 May then to Great Britain, Cowes, drydocked for a major overhaul until late November 1943. On 21 December, she rescued survivors from a patrol vessel sunk near Cowes and later joined the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow for convoy duty, North Atlantic.
North Atlantic Campaign
Winter cruises to Iceland in challenging weather conditions claimed visctims like on 7 February 1944, mate Tadeusz Czerwiński was washed off and disappeared. On 24 February, while covering the HMS Furious during Operation Bayleaf she was rammed by HMS Musketeer and was in a month-long drydock repair at Newcastle. In May 1944 she took part in operations on North Norwegian German shipping lines twice. On 21 May with ORP Pioru she was sent to Plymouth and joined the multinational 10th Destroyer Flotilla to cover the western approach, English Channel, for Operation Overlord.
This unit combined the most powerful destroyers around, with HMS Tartar (Tribal class), flagship, Commander Basil Jones, HMS Ashanti together making the 19th Division with the Canadian Haida and Huron, and the 20th Division comprising “Błyskawica” as flagship, Piorun as well as HMS Eskimo and Javelin. From 29 May, they conducted patrols between Brest and Jersey and were deployed during the invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, Błyskawica under Konrad Namieśniowski reporting an U-boat nearby. On the night of 8–9 June she took part in the Battle of Ushant when clashing with three German destroyers and a torpedo boat of the 8th Flotilla, Kriegsmarine. The latter comprised two Type 36A Zerstörer, Z24 and Z32, and ZH1 (former Gerard Callenburgh) under Vizeadmiral Theodor Krancke.
Both groups located each other by radar and the battle started with a German torpedo attack at 1:30 a.m. towards the 19th Division, which doddge them. This was countered by effective artillery fire, hirring all three German destroyers. ZH1 was immobilized and later sunk. Z24 and the T24 escaped to Brest, Z32 tried to sail north but met the 20th Division led by Błyskawica and came under heavy artillery fire, firing a salvo of four torpedoes, turning south. The division lost contact but eventually regained it in the morning, finishing off Z32 washed up on the French coast, abandoned. This battle was certaibnly the last major surface engagement with the kriegsmarine of WW2, last major naval battle of the European theater.
On June 26, 1944, CiC General Kazimierz Sosnkowski for the bridge of Błyskawica, observed actions of D-Day. In July, the division operational area and of the 10th Flotilla became the Bay of Biscay. On the night of July 15, Tartar, Błyskawica and Haida attacked a German coastal convoy near Île de Groix, Lorient, sinking two armed trawlers (UJ1420 and UJ1421) with a probable thord. On 4 August, both Polish destroyers mistakenly fired at Canadian torpedo chasers MTB 726, 727 and 748 durin the night, killing a sailor. Błyskawica next contacted the French resistance movement for supplying weapons, ammunition and equipment. In November 1944 she joined the 8th Destroyer Flotilla at Plymouth in escort duty. She protected convoys along the south-west coast of the British Isles, and the ocean liners Île-de-France and Pasteur, British Aquitania and Polish Sobieski. While escorting Pasteur on 6 December 1944, Chief Petty Officer Albin Jabłoński was washed away by a wave.
On 26 January 1945, Błyskawica detected and depth charged an U-Boat while protecting a convoy. She was inspected on 28 January and divers found that about 70% her her rudder blade was gone. Ddecision was made to increase shipyard work, major overhaul of her propulsion equipment, radar and telecom modernisation in Cowes on 4 February. Most of the crew was sent to the Revstreet training cam until the end of the war in Europe. Repairs were completed on 25 July, she trained at Tobermory and from 15 October at Rosyth, transporting troops and mail to ports on the North Sea and in November had Fleet exercises with HMS Rodney, and sailed to Loch Ryan on 24 November for Operation Deadlight.
Operation Deadlight
Her role was to escort many of the 116 U-boats surrendering to the Allies. This not distributed to the victor were to be scuttled in the Atlantic, north of Ireland, in accordance with inter-Allied agreements. They were gathered in Loch Ryan in Scotland (92) and Lisahally, Northern Ireland (24). Błyskawica joined the first and the operation, took place between 25 November and 27 December 1945. She sank five U-Boats by gunfire when surviving to explosive charges. She made seven voyages (25-27 November), sank U-2321 and co-sank three more. From 28 to 30 November she sank U-481. On 3 December she lookd for U-299, which broke off the tow. Fou d her on 7 December. She escorted tugs led by Błyskawica for the last ones which went smoothly, but marred by poor sea state. On 17 December she sank U-295, U-368 and U-1198 by gunfire. Last was 20-23 December. On the 21st she sank U-155 and U-806. On 23 December she docked in Liverpool, her crew went in R&R for Xmas. On 29 December, she sailed into Lisahally, second group of U-Boats to be sunk. Sehe made eight voyages, sank U-861, U-278, U-363, U-2341, U-825.
Meawhile the Provisional Government of National Unity in liberated Poland was recognised by Great Britain on 5 July 1945 and started enquiring about the fate of Polish ships and crews abroad. Błyskawica, Conrad, Garland and Piorun were all stationed at Rosyth in 1946. Błyskawica left on 20 February for Oslo, as service ship until 16 March, carrying troops, supplies and mail and in April she as in Rosyth for exercises at sea, the Devonport and back. On 22 May, decision was made to demobilise the Polish Armed Forces and British Admiralty asked Admiral Świrski to consent the transfer Błyskawica to the care of the Royal Navy. On 28 May the crew in Rosyth was prepared to be disbanded (see the cold war).
Modified Grom class: As part of the six-year fleet expansion plan adopted in 1936, two more large destroyers were expected to join the fleet, with the names ORP Orkan and Huragan planned for them. It was decided that they would be built in Poland, in Gdynia, based on modified plans of the Grom class destroyers. The cost was planned to be 32.2 million złoty and planned completion by April–October 1942. They were slightly larger than their predecessors with a normal displacement of 2,214 metric tons, overall length 114 m, and a beam of 11 m. They would have improved turbinses from UK (as the bopoilers) for a power increase to 56,500 hp, for a top speed of 39 knots. They would have a similar armament to the earlier Grom-class and with a strengthened anti-aircraft armament with four 7.9 mm heavy machine guns and probably an extra 40 mm Bofors gun mount, plus replacing the Hotchkiss mounts by twin 20 mm Oerlikon guns. The main superstructure was made even more streamlined, as it was calculated the air resistance alone required 27% of the total power at maximum speed. Notably it was planned to create a fairing between the main mast and funnel. The Orkan sub-class was ordered on April 1, 1939, with a construction officially starting on May 1, 1939 with preparation of all needed material and equipment, and keels laid down in the autumn. According to some accounts, the first of ship’s keel was laid in August but suspended on the 31st.
Same comment as above. She wa slaid down allegedly in August, not started. The Germans had even not enough material to do anything with these and the artillery was recycled.
Grom class Legacy
Blyskawica In the cold war
Commander Stanislaw Hryniewiecki, 1st captain in 1937
The last ww2 Commander of Błyskawica, Wojciech Francki, read the last order to the crew on behalf of the admiralty and from the Chief of Staff of the Rosyth base, Commodore John Wentworth Farquhar. This short speech was concluded by lowering at 15:20 the Polish flag in aceremony. Most crew members left the following days, and with Commander Francki, completed final formalities by 5 June and prepared to depart for Poland, a drama out of itself. In all, the destroyer had crossed 148,356 nautical miles, took part in 83 convoys and 108 actions over nine years, commanded by a serie of 15 officers.
Post-war service was an issue given the last conference arrangements made between the allies and Staline, notably regarding Poland. On 4 June 1946, the Warsaw government via its military attaché of the embassy in London (Colonel Józef Kuropieska) approached the british government which extended its care to former allied ships used with the RN, to return all Polish ships in British ports. In December, the British government agreed to host a special Polish commission to discuss this repatriation and by February 1947, the Polish Minister of Defence established the Polish Maritime Mission under Stefan de Walden. Discussions started on 12 March at the Admiralty and it was decided that the first to return would be Błyskawica, in the best technical condition. On 21 March, the Mission inspected her in Rosyth and after technical and organizational details were agreed upon, notably how to complete crew among sailors still in repatriation camps.
Given what was happening in Poland and elative ease to find work in UK for these qualified sailors the Maritime Mission and naval attaché Jerzy Kłossowski managed only to persuade 177 sailors to join the crew. The first arrived on the 6th, remainder by June 19. She was prepared to depart despite cooperation issues with British authorities. Voluntary or not, there was an oil fire in the boiler room. On June 27, supplies, ammunition, torpedo warheads and depth charges were loaded and on June 30, engines tests, demagnetization and radio tests were done successfully. A British protocol of acceptance was signed and the mission appointed Commodore Bolesław Romanowski as captain assisted by Captain Zbigniew Węglarz.
On July 1, 1947, at 3 p.m. the flag was raised and she set sail for Poland, arriving in Gdynia on July 4 at 9:00 a.m. She was welcome in a ceremony by fleet Commander Rear Admiral Włodzimierz Steyer. On July 7, Józef Urbanowicz and Ludwik Szmidt took command and our of 177 sailors, only 32 re-enlisted. The remaining 145 were demobilized and returned to their families. The crew reached 116 with Lieutenant Commander Wacław Krzywiec at the helm and the ship started training students of the Naval Officers’ School.
In September and October 1947 Błyskawica sailed to Świnoujście and Szczecin, one of many training cruises for the next two years. In August 1948 her crew increased to 190 and she resumed firing exercises later in 1948, limited due to the lack of ammunition for the new British guns, prompting an overhaul and rearmament later. In the autumn of 1949 she was inspected by Rear Admiral Steyer and it was decided to return her to full combat duties. From September 1949 to April 1950 she was refitted but inder Soviet authorities, in 1950, the plaque commemorating her Royal Navy service and war flag were removed. On 24 June Commander Zbigniew Węglarz, was arrested on charges of sabotage, sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. On July 4, Lt. Cdr Zdzisław Studziński took command and she was tasked to return the hydrographic ship Żuraw, whose crew mutinied and defected to Sweden. In the autumn, Błyskawica became officiall flagship and by October 12–15 made a visit to Leningrad.
The winter of 1951–1952 saw her rearmed, and by order of June 20, 1952, she received the new pennant N-51 painted midships. She took part in Navy Day, visited by President Bolesław Bierut, PM Józef Cyrankiewicz and Marshal Konstanty Rokossowski. From April 1955, the older Burza (Wicher class) had to return to UK for repairs, leaving Błyskawica alone. On 24–25 July, both visited Baltiysk. From 8 to 11 September 1955 they visited Portsmouth, as a return visit to Gdynia of HMS Glasgow. She had engine room issued repaired there under Lieutenant Jan Przybylski. Błyskawica was classified as a destroyer, but Burza as rearmed became formally an AA defence ship as part of the Defence Brigade of the Main Base. The Polish Command setup tasks for them such as dealing with surface combatants with artillery and torpedoes, ASW, shore bombardment and distant surveillance, merchant convoy escorts, and AA cover. In July 1956, both Polish destroyers sailed to Baltiysk and later Błyskawica alone visited Stockholm.
Problems with the engine room were present albeit despite her hard service, sea trials in 1956 showed she still could exceed 33 knots. Her equipment and armament was obsolescent and lacked supplies. It was eventually decided to lease two former Soviet Project 30bis destroyers, Groma and Wichra, commissioned by December 1957 and June 1958. This freed Błyskawica for her major, long overhaul from October 1957, at Alfred Smoczyk Shipyard and Gdynia until April 1961. Program 117 was completed with new armaments and modernized FCS and radio, to Soviet standards and she returned as flagship on 15 April 1961, with the 7th Destroyer Squadron, leading the two other destroyers.
On 29 May, the Czechoslovak Minister of Defence General Bohumir Lomský[ visited her. From 25 to 29 September 1961 she sailed with the submarines “Kujawiak” and “Ślązak” to Helsinki. She took part in squadron exercises on 7 August 1962 and Warsaw Pact drills in February and September plus many visits notably to Western ports. On 3–6 July 1962, she visited London, on 6–10 September 1962, Stockholm, on 16–20 September 1963 Copenhagen[, on 6–10 August 1964 Chatham, on 21–25 August 1964 Gothenburg, on 5–10 November 1964 Leningrad.
From September 22, 1965 to March 4, 1966, she had another overhaul focused on her worn out machinery. The propellers were replaced, turbines were dismounted, all parts cleaned up anew, boilers cured and piping replaced. After completion she returned to training cruises. On May 20–24, 1966, she visited Copenhagen with the minesweepers “Albatros” and “Kormoran” for the last time. In 1964 and 1966, “Błyskawica” won the title of the best ship in the Navy. On August 9, 1967, at 9:02 a.m., boiler room no. 2 had high-pressure steam pipe bursting ope, with superheated steam killing four sailors, injuring others (3 more would die at Gdynia hospital). The fuel supply was immediately cut off, boiler room hatches opened to prevent overpressure and water sprayed in the room to cool it down. The officer that cut fuel supply was posthumously awarded the Golden Cross of Merit. “Błyskawica” was towed to the port of Oksywie and the boiler room was closed and disconnected. She would only see harbour training or be used for ceremonial purposessuch as on September 9, 1967, towed to the roadstead for a naval parade when President of France, General Charles de Gaulle came to visit the city, and on October 12, 1968 for the 25th anniversary of the Polish People’s Army.
A specially appointed commission was decide her fate. They determines it was time to replace her entire steam installation as excessive wear of most of devices without replacement was evident. She no longer met requirements also of modern naval combat overall. Her initial stabiliy limitation also prevented another major modernization. Decision was made on 12 December 1969, to make her an anti-aircraft defence ship, assigned to the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla, Świnoujście. Her accomodatons were revised for a smaller crew of 100. She was then stationed in the Coal Basin and later in the Piast Canal. In 1970 she became an accommodation hulk. In 1974, her role as AA ship was no longer valid. In addition the deteriorating Burza, now a museum ship at Gdynia pressed the decision to replace her with “Błyskawica”, signed on 22 November 1974. Early 1975 she was stricken and her conversion as a museum ship commenced.
ORP Blyskawica, various appearances 1937-1944 (pinterest)
Blyskawica as Museum ship
On the evening of November 6, 1974, Błyskawica was towed by Piast back to Gdynia, moored alongside Burza. In 1975 she was rebuilt into a museum ship at the local Shipyard under engineer Władysław Kuś with exhibition interiors created by engineer Edmund Roszak. Bow rooms officers’ mess were transformed into a representative Salon for leased use, and exhibition rooms created in the aft rooms, gangways and companionways modernized, and a route for visitors was led in a linear path going through the engine rooms, both engine rooms 2 and 3. By late 1975, her belly was repaitned in dry dock and propellers removed. Remaining shipyard work was completed by 24 April 1976 and she was towed to the President’s Basin at the Gdynia port’s Southern Pier. On 1 May she was exmined and certified by the department of the Polish Navy Museum, opened to public.
I will not go into detail of this visit, well covered already by no othr than Drachinifel, see below. In 1997 she passed the bar of four million visitors, five on August 26, 2005. In the 1990s she retook her WW2 camouflage, corresponding to her North Atlantic 1943–1944 service and after 2004 refit, she had the pattern Mediterranean 1942, judged more spectacular. In June 2009 this was the camouflage of the Normandy invasion and a new one in 2012.
On June 28, 1987 with her 50th year of service the State Council awarded her the Gold Cross of the Virtuti Militari Order. She is today the only Polish ship awarded that way.
For repelling the air raid on Cowes, in 1992 she received from the city a new commemorative plaque funded by the British city council. On 28 June 2006 and agreement was signed betwee Błyskawica and the Canadian destroyer Haida for exchanges in Hamilton as both were part of the same 10th Destroyer Flotilla, seeing the Battle of Ushant among other actions. A concert of the Canadian Royal Orchestra took place on board Błyskawica and a parade drill in the streets of Gdynia to commemorate the event. On 25 November 2007 (70th anniversary) her general state saw the prestigious Maritime Heritage Award given to her by the World Ship Trust ‘for outstanding contribution to the maritime history of the world’, joining the select club of Victory, Vasa, Mary Rose, Constitution and Mikasa. The ceremony was attended under Lord Ambrose Greenway and a delegation from Cowes.
On 25 November 2012, (75th anniversary) she received the “Pro Memoria” Medal.
In May 2018, she fired 21 shots salute in the Bay of Gdańsk for the 100th anniversary of the Polish Navy. In March 2021 she had a 3 months drydock conservation work for 7 million euros.
The destoryer was used in a representative role with important ceremonies held on board, such as the Armed Forces command takeover by President Aleksander Kwaśniewski on December 23, 2000 or later Admiral Roman Krzyżelewski in 2003. The Salon Kaprów also hosted VIPs at several occasions.
Promotions of cadets officers of the Polish Naval Academy are held and promotions/decorations awarded also on the ship. On 1–2 July 1997 (60th anniversary) a scientific conference was held on board. In 1998 (80th anniversary of the Navy) Admiral Ryszard Łukasik met veterans on board. On 1 September 2001 this was repeated, with veterans from Poland, Germany and Great Britain. She is today a museum ship but with a permanent crew standing watch around the clock and the flag is officially making her a “commissioned ship” in the same sense as Constitution in the US for example.
In 1985, the Society of Friends of the Museum Ship “Błyskawica” was created wit the monthly review “Morze” to raise funds and promote her preservation as national souvenir for future generations with a twin society (Friends of the ORP Błyskawica) in Cowes. Błyskawica was also well present in culture, documentaries, series, films and video games.
Read More/Src
Books
Encyklopedia II wojny światowej nr 6: Wojna na Bałkanach. Atak na Tarent – Obrona Malty – Operacja „Merkur”. Oxford Educational sp.
Dramat ORP Grom. W: Mariusz Borowiak: Plamy na banderze. Almapress, 2008, s. 270–279, seria: Nieznane oblicza historii.
Tadeusz Kasperski. Niszczyciele PMW w walce z U-Bootami. „Morze, statki i okręty”. XVIII (specjalne, nr 1), s. 2–12, 2015.
Tadeusz Kondracki: Niszczyciele „Grom” i „Błyskawica”. Warszawa: Edipresse Polska, 2013
Edmund Kosiarz: Na wodach Norwegii. Warszawa: Książka i Wiedza, 1982.
ORP Grom. W: Witold Koszela: Niszczyciele Polskiej Marynarki Wojennej. Wyd. I. Warszawa: Oficyna Wydawnicza „Alma-press”, 2013
Jerzy Pertek: Wielkie dni małej floty. Wyd. X. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, 1987.
Jerzy Pertek: Niszczyciele „Grom” i „Błyskawica”. Gdańska: Wydawnictwo Morskie, 1969, s. 63, seria: Miniatury Morskie
Stanisław Piaskowski: Okręty Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 1920-1946. Album planów. Gdańsk: Wydawnictwo Lampart, 1996
Marek Twardowski: Niszczyciele typu Grom. cz. 1, cz. 2; „Grom”, „Błyskawica”. Gdańsk: AJ-Press, 2002
M.J. Whitley: Destroyers of World War Two. An international encyclopedia. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1988
Tadeusz Kondracki: Niszczyciele „Wicher” i „Burza”. Warszawa: Edipresse Polska, 2013, s. 44–46
Polska Marynarka Wojenna. Dokumentacja organizacyjna i kadrowa oficerów, podoficerów i marynarzy (1918–1947).
Waldemar Nadolny, Artyleria Okrętowa. Wrzesień 1939; WLU tom Nr 143 WLU, 2018.
Maciej Tomaszewski, Działa 120 mm L/50 wz.36 Bofors z okrętów ORP Gryf, ORP Grom i ORP Błyskawica. (technika)
Links
https://museumships.us/poland/blyskawica
https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5428.html
https://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/thread.php?threadid=1520
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORP_Grom_(1936)
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/polish-projects.38305/
https://www.navypedia.org/ships/poland/pl_dd_grom.htm
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WTFR_Main.php
Videos
Model Kits
The list of kits on scalemates.com: Mirage Hobby; Niko Models
3D
