By the second half of the 1960s. the medium landing ships (SDK) of the Polish construction of projects 770, 771 and 773, which were in the combat composition of the USSR Navy, had already ceased to fully meet the requirements set by the naval command for amphibious assault forces, and could not ensure the conduct of amphibious assault operations by the Soviet fleet with a sufficient degree of efficiency - in the increased volume that was already required. In fact, the KFOR of these types could no longer provide transportation by sea and landing on an unequipped or equipped coast of a marine company in full force with personal weapons and reinforcements, which was required, according to the then concept of conducting amphibious operations of the USSR Navy. On the agenda, in the most serious way, the question arose of the need to create a new type of medium landing ship, one might even say new for the generation of that time.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION ARE CHARGED TO THE ALLIES

Taking into account the imbalance in the ship composition of the amphibious assault forces of the Soviet Navy, at the direction of the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy, Admiral Sergei Gorshkov, in 1968, the industry was issued a tactical and technical assignment for the design of a new medium landing ship, which was assigned the project number 775.

Due to the extremely high workload of domestic design bureaus, including those occupied by large landing ships of project 1174 () and landing craft and hovercraft, as well as due to the urgent need to strengthen military-technical and economic cooperation with the member countries of the Warsaw Pact (recall that with our allies in the socialist camp then there was a program for the division of individual programs with the aim of more uniform industrial and economic development of all countries), it was decided in principle to entrust the design work on the KFOR project 775 to Polish specialists. The Polish shipbuilding engineer O. Vysotsky was appointed the chief designer of the project, captain 1st rank B.M. Molozhozhnikov (he was later replaced by a civilian specialist M.I. Rybnikov), and L.V. Lugovin became the senior representative of the customer in Poland.

However, already in the process of designing the ship, the command of the Soviet Navy decided to abandon the very concept of a medium landing ship - to transport the heavier equipment that appeared in service with the Marine Corps and for more personnel (up to and including the reinforced half-battalion of the Marine Corps), larger displacement ships were required. As a result, it was decided to reclassify Project 775 amphibious assault ships from medium to large amphibious assault ships of the second rank, with a simultaneous significant increase in displacement.

For the serial construction of the BDK project 775, the Stocznia Polnocna shipyard (translated into Russian as the Northern Shipyard; director - engineer B. Standura), located in the city of Gdansk, was chosen. The lead ship, BDK-47 (building number 1), was completed in 1974. The first series was built according to project 775 and included 12 ships, the last of which was delivered to the customer in 1978. The next step was the construction of the second series of ships - according to a slightly modified project 775M (775.2), which includes 16 ships - the latter was commissioned after the collapse Soviet Union, in 1992. These last BDKs were equipped with new radars for detecting air and surface targets, and, starting from the third ship of the series, also other artillery weapons, consisting of one 76-mm automatic gun mount AK-176 and two 30-mm six-barreled automatic gun mounts AK-630 instead of Before that, two 57-mm AK-725 (ZIF-72) gun mounts were installed on ships, located one at a time in the stern and in the bow of the ship. The ships entered the combat strength only of the Navy of the Soviet Union, but later - in 1979 - one of the BDK, which was part of the Soviet Navy grouping in the Indian Ocean (Indian squadron), was transferred to Yemen.

In the US / NATO classification system, the new Soviet landing ships received the designation Ropucha (“toad”): Ropucha I class - for project 775 and Ropucha II class - for project 775M. In accordance with the plans for naval construction, the Soviet Navy, to replace the large landing ships of the 775 / 775M project, was to receive new BDK - the 778 project (sometimes also referred to as the "third series of the 775 project"), the development and serial construction of which were also entrusted " Polish comrades. The main difference between these ships is that they were originally adapted to transport the new Soviet T-80 main battle tanks. The lead ship of the new type, named "Rear Admiral Gren", was laid down on the slipway of a Polish shipyard, but after the collapse of the Soviet Union, our "friends" quickly got rid of the legacy of the "Soviet regime": in 1992-1993. the ship was cut into metal. By the way, some sources also state that two ships were laid down at the shipyard in Gdansk.

ARCHITECTURAL AND DESIGN FEATURES

Project 775/775M large landing ships are the last representative of the Soviet era ships of this class and are designed for transportation by sea and landing on an unequipped or equipped coast with a slight slope of the bottom of the amphibious assault forces (when providing fire support to the landing force), and can also be used for military transportation , providing ships and parts of the fleet at points of dispersed basing. The landing of amphibious assault forces is carried out through the bow device from the gangway (afloat or on emphasis). In addition, the ship can be used to lay minefields, deliver humanitarian aid and evacuate people from dangerous areas.

As a rule, Project 775/775M ships operate as part of a naval landing group or as part of a detachment of peacekeeping forces, but they can also perform their tasks with high efficiency on their own, without cover ships.

BDK project 775/775M is a multi-deck flat-bottomed landing ship of the ocean zone, with a forecastle and a developed aft superstructure. By type of design, this ship corresponds to commercial cargo ships made according to the “Ro-Ro” system, that is, it has a cargo - in this case, a tank - deck that runs along the entire length of the ship, which ensures loading and unloading of equipment and cargo both from the stern, as well as from the bow. This provides these landing ships with the ability to receive from an equipped - port, base, temporary base - or an unequipped coast of caterpillar, wheeled and any other military transport equipment and landing personnel suitable in size, and also allows you to receive from the water and launching floating equipment through an open bow or stern device.

As already noted, the cargo (tank) deck and, accordingly, the cargo (tank) hold with dimensions: length 95 m, bow width 6.5 m (the first 55 m of the deck length), aft width 4.5 m, height along diametral plane of 4.0 m and an area of ​​about 540-600 sq.m runs along the entire length of the ship's hull and is limited in the bow and stern by ramps that facilitate loading / unloading and ensure the landing of floating landing equipment afloat with sea waves up to 4 points and force winds up to 5 points. The bow disembarkation device includes a bow gate and a lowered ramp, which in the stowed position is located under the gate leaves and is lowered using a hydraulic drive. In the stern of the ship there is a lowered ramp, and in the bow there are several sliding hatches that allow loading equipment into the tank hold using port cranes (they are also used to ventilate the tank hold if the equipment is standing with the engines running).

Equipment and cargo - the mass of the latter is up to 480 tons - are placed in the tank hold, and the personnel of the amphibious assault units - in several landing cabins (with a three-tier arrangement of resting places) and four-seater officer cabins (command staff).

MAIN POWER PLANT

The main propulsion plant (MPP) of Project 775/775M ships is diesel, and includes two 16-cylinder Zgoda-Sulzer Type 16ZVB 40/48 diesel engines with a capacity of approximately 10,500 hp, each of which runs on its own propeller fixed pitch screw. Organizationally, the power plant is located on the ship in echelons, in two onboard compartments. Some of the ships are equipped with two auxiliary rudder propellers,

As sources of electricity, three Cegielski-Sulzer 6A25 diesel generators with a total capacity of 640 kW each are used.

The power plant provides the ship with an economic speed of up to 12 knots, at which, taking into account the normal fuel supply on board, the BDK project 775 / 775M can sail at a distance of up to 6000 miles (the autonomy of the ship in terms of provisions reaches 30 days - with a crew of 87 people and a landing force of up to 190 Human). The maximum speed that ships of project 775/775M can develop is 17.5-17.8 knots.

ROCKET AND ARTILLERY WEAPONS

The artillery armament of Project 775/775M ships differs depending on the series and includes either (on the first 15 ships) two twin 57-mm AK-725 (ZIF-72) gun mounts, installed one at a time in the stern and in the bow of the ship, or ( on all others) - one bow 76-mm gun mount AK-176 and two aft, located on the side, 30-mm six-barreled automatic gun mounts AK-630.

The AK-725 gun mounts were interfaced with the MP-103 Bars artillery radar fire control system (in the event of its failure, it was possible to fire by controlling the gun mount from a remote control panel with a ring sight), had a tabular ballistic firing range of 8420 m and 1100 ammunition shots on each of the two gun mounts. Artillery complex AK-176-MR-123/176 is an automatic system and includes a single-barreled installation A-221 of a closed type with remote and local control and a shipborne radar fire control system MR-123/176 "Vympel-A". Guidance of the gun mount is possible:

Remotely-automatically - using the ESP-221 electroservo drive according to data from the MP-123/176 station;

Semi-automatically - from a local post using ESP-221;

Manually - according to VD-221 double sighting devices installed in the gun mount itself.

Automatic 30-mm gun mounts AK-630 / 630M are located in the aft part of the ship, one mount on board. Ammunition - 6000 rounds for each installation.

The missile armament of ships of this family is represented by two systems: sets of MANPADS of the Strela or Igla type (the ship has four turrets for four MANPADS each - a total ammunition capacity of 32 missiles), as well as two MS-73 retractable launchers - each with 40 guides - from the composition of the A-215 Grad-M ship multiple launch rocket system, designed to fire 122-mm unguided rockets at a distance of up to 20 km. The ammunition load of one Grad-M installation is up to 180 missiles, which are stacked in drum magazines and fed upward to the launchers in two packages of 20 pieces each. These multiple rocket launchers were installed only on six ships of project 775 and all ships of project 775M.

In addition, ships of this type can take up to 92 mines on board instead of equipment in the tank hold. The setting of mines is carried out from an open ramp manually, using only winches.

RADIO EQUIPMENT

As radar means for detecting air and surface targets - a general detection radar - the MP-302 Rubka station was installed on the ships of the 775 project, and the newer radar MR-352 Pozitiv was installed on the ships of the 775M project. The latter is closed by a radio-transparent fairing. Navigation radars are represented by two Don-2 stations or two MR-212/201 Vaigach-U. To control the firing of artillery systems, the ships were equipped with either the MP-103 Bars artillery radar fire control system (for the 57-mm AK-725 gun mount), or the MP-123/176 Vympel-A shipborne fire control radar system (for 76 -mm AK-176 gun mounts and 30-mm AK-630 assault rifles).

LANDING

Project 775/775M large landing ships, according to the specification, are designed for use in one of the following loading options: either 150 troops and 10 main battle tanks of the T-55 type with a crew of 40 people; or 12 PT-76 amphibious tanks with a crew of 36; or a unit consisting of three main battle tanks of the T-55 type with a crew of 12 people, three 120-mm mortars with crews, three combat vehicles with crews (command and staff vehicles), four ZIL-130 vehicles, four GAZ-66 vehicles and one passenger SUV GAZ-69 with drivers in the state. The ship provides space for up to 190 troops. The ship is capable of carrying a cargo weighing 650 tons over a distance of 4,700 miles.

The landing of the landing forces is carried out with the help of a nasal landing device, which includes a nasal gate and a ramp. At the same time, landing forces with non-floating equipment can be carried out directly on the equipped or non-equipped coast with a minimum bottom slope of 2-3 degrees. - depending on the total mass of cargo taken on board, with a fording depth at the bow of the gangway no more than 1.2 m. loading / unloading of various cargoes transported by sea: due to the presence of a bow ramp and stern gates located approximately at the same level, it is possible to connect several ships to create a "floating bridge".

At one time, as a cadet of VVMU them. M.V. Frunze, the author of this material had to visit as a "paratrooper" on board one of the landing ships of this family - on the "Konstantin Olshansky". Our group of "students", as cadets of naval schools are usually called in the fleet, were placed in one of the multi-seat cockpits intended just for the personnel of the landing force. I must admit that being in such a room - and it is designed for a platoon of marines - for a long time, even for those 30 days that are indicated in the tactical and technical elements of the ship as its autonomy in terms of provisions, is a thing "not for the faint of heart" . Kubrick is very cramped, the height of the ceiling is approximately 1.9-2.0 m, and the places for the paratroopers to rest (for mere mortals - beds) are located in three tiers at the minimum allowable distance from each other. In fact, there was just enough space to lie down on it. If a rather “heavy” colleague was sleeping above you, then the spring net could hardly bend to yourself. And getting up on alarm was a very funny sight - there was never a time when, due to alarm, one of the upper comrades did not fall on the head or other parts of the body to those who slept on the lower or second tier from the bottom. In general, after this you are once again convinced that real men serve in the Marine Corps!

Naval Forces of Poland(Polish: Polska Marynarka Wojenna - PMW) - one of the types of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, which includes warships and boats, auxiliary fleet vessels, coast guard forces, naval bases and fleet bases, naval aviation and naval training institutions.

The formation of the naval forces began shortly after the declaration of Poland's independence. Already on November 28, 1918, by the decree of J. Pilsudski, the Naval Forces of the Republic of Poland were formed. The first units were formed in Modlin, they were a flotilla of river ships, a division of reservist sailors and a battalion of marines under the command of General Josef Haller (Józef Haller), formed from sailors of the former German fleet.

The formation of the navy

After the signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty, Poland received access to the Baltic Sea on a 70-km coastline with the ports of Hel and Puck. The latter became the cradle of the formation of the naval forces of the navy; it was on it that the hydrographic vessel ORP Pomorzanin, one of the first pennants of the Polish Navy, was based.

After the surrender of Germany, Poland received 6 small destroyers and 4 minesweepers from the German navy, 2 more gunboats were received from the Russian Imperial Navy. For the early 1920s, these forces were quite enough to protect the unextended maritime border.

During the Soviet-Polish war of 1919-1920, 2,500 sailors from the marine battalion, as well as the crews of the ships of the Vistula and Pinsk military flotillas, fought on the land front.

The first fleet development programs

In 1920, the first 10-year program for the development of military shipbuilding was developed, which provided for the construction of two battleships, six cruisers, 28 destroyers and a large number of small ships. The unreality of the program was so obvious that it was not even brought up for discussion by the Sejm.

In 1924, the so-called "small program" was prepared. According to it, in 12 years, the Polish Navy was to be replenished with 2 cruisers, 6 destroyers, 12 destroyers, 12 submarines. The following year, a request was submitted to the Seimas for the allocation of funds for the construction of 9 submarines (including three underwater minelayers). However, due to the difficult financial situation of the country, the purchase of only three underwater minelayers was approved. Later, it was possible to obtain the allocation of additional funds for the purchase of two EVs. The ships were ordered in France (destroyers) and Holland (submarines).

In parallel with the order of ships abroad, under the leadership of the fleet command in the person of Vice Admiral Kazimierz Porębski and Rear Admirals Jerzeg Świrski and Jozef Unrug, the development of the coastal infrastructure of the fleet was going on. Around the same time, the first squadron of naval aviation began to be based at the Puck naval base.

The outbreak of the "Great Depression" led to the abandonment of the implementation of the "small program" - until the mid-1930s, the Polish Navy received only 2 EM, 3 PL and 4 TS. The deplorable state of the fleet led to the fact that in Poland a campaign was launched by private individuals to raise funds for the construction of a submarine.

The last pre-war fleet rearmament program

In 1936, a realistic six-year program for the rearmament of the fleet was prepared, taking into account the possibilities of the country's budget. In accordance with it, until 1942, it was planned to build 8 destroyers, 12 submarines, 1 mine layer, 12 minesweepers and 10 torpedo boats.

By the beginning of World War II, the Polish Navy had 4 destroyers (ORP Wicher, ORP Burza, ORP Grom and ORP Błyskawica), 5 submarines (ORP Żbik, ORP Ryś, ORP Wilk, ORP Sęp and ORP Orzeł), 1 mine layer ORP Gryf, 6 minesweepers, 2 gunboats and a number of obsolete ships and vessels. Most of them were in the Hel naval base or patrolled coastal waters.

The fleet on the eve and in the first months of World War II

On August 30, 1939, three destroyers ORP Burza, ORP Grom and ORP Błyskawica were sent from the Baltic to the North Sea. According to the plans of the Polish command, these ships, combined into the Peking flotilla (the code name for the operation), could disrupt German merchant shipping, based on the ports of England.

The rest of the warships under the command of Rear Admiral Josef Unrug, until the surrender of Poland, resisted the German troops, protecting bridges and crossings in the lower reaches of the Vistula, and the sailors from the crews took part in the last battle of the Polish company as part of the Polesie task force near Kotsk. Several ships (including the destroyer Vikhr and the mine layer Vulture) were lost during the fighting in September 1939.

After the fall of Poland, the scattered ships of the Polish Navy, which had escaped destruction and internment, fell under the operational command of the British Admiralty, while retaining their crews and national flags. Already in the summer of 1940, the "Polish fleet under British control" received its first replenishment - at the expense of French ships captured in British ports in July of that year. They were followed by the ships of the English fleet - in just the years of the war, the Polish flag was raised over two cruisers, three destroyers, three escort destroyers, three submarines and 10 TKA of the British fleet.

Subsequently, Polish ships as part of the British Navy participated in the landing operation in Norway, the evacuation of the troops of the Western Allies from the Dunkirk area, escorting convoys, supporting the Allied landing operation in Normandy and other operations. In total, during the years of World War II, ships flying the Polish flag traveled 1,210,000 miles, escorted 787 convoys, and made 1,162 combat patrols.

On March 31, 1947, the existence of the Polish Navy abroad (in the UK) was put to an end. Most of the crew members of the ships chose not to return to their homeland.

Post-war years as part of the Warsaw Pact

On April 18, 1945, in accordance with the decree of the Craiova Rada of the People, the Ministry of Defense was created, on July 7, 1945, a decision was made to create the navy of the Polish People's Republic with headquarters in the city of Gdynia. The main tasks of the new military fleet of Poland were the clearance of coastal waters and the protection of the country's maritime borders, the coastline of which now had a length of 500 km.

In early April 1946, the USSR transferred 23 warships to Poland (9 minesweepers, 12 submarine hunters and 2 torpedo boats).

In 1955 - 1991 Poland was a member of the Warsaw Pact.

As part of NATO at the turn of the century

In March 1999 Poland joined NATO.

As of 2012, the Polish Navy had 41 warships and boats (including 5 submarines, 2 FRs, a corvette and 5 RKA), as well as 15 auxiliary ships and boats.

Development prospects

The Minister of National Defense of Poland, Tomasz Semoniak, on March 29, 2012, at a meeting with the leadership of the Polish naval forces, presented a plan for the development of the country's Navy for the period up to 2030.

The basis of the plan is the rejection of the modernization of existing ships and vessels and the transition to the acquisition of new-built ships and vessels for the Navy. The renewal of the Polish fleet will take place in three stages - by 2022, 2026 and 2030. The goal is to "get a quantum leap with limited financial resources" as the average annual procurement budget for the Navy will be maintained at the current level of PLN 900 million.

By 2030, the Polish Navy should be completely updated and receive three new submarines, three coastal defense ships (okręty obrony wybrzeża), three patrol ships with anti-mine capabilities, three new minesweepers, two rescue ships, two electronic intelligence ships and seven ships supply, including one supply vessel. None of the ships and boats currently in the fleet will remain in service in 2030.

From the composition of the Polish naval aviation by 2030 it is planned to keep 10 M-28 aircraft of various variants (out of 12 currently in service), as well as one (out of four) W-3RM search and rescue helicopters. It is planned to purchase six new anti-submarine and six search and rescue helicopters, as well as six unmanned aerial vehicles (including three ship-based helicopters). It is planned to purchase 10 modern ship-based anti-mine systems, as well as two air defense systems for the air defense of the main base of the fleet. The purchase of a division of a modern coastal anti-ship missile system (NSM) has already been made.

This concept involves the decommissioning by 2018 of most of the ships of the current composition of the Polish Navy. Already by 2015, one of the Polish frigates of the Oliver H. Perry (Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko) type is expected to be decommissioned, and by 2018, among other things, the second frigate Generał Kazimierz Pułaski, the Kaszub corvette, all four Kobben-class submarines, both missile boats should be decommissioned project 1241RE and five minesweepers. At the same time, it is assumed that in the specified period until 2018, the Polish fleet will be replenished with only two new ships - a submarine planned for acquisition, as well as a new minesweeper of the Kormoran II type, planned for construction. The combat core of the Polish Navy will be reduced to two submarines (one new and one project 877E) and three Orkan-class missile boats.

Locations

• VMB Gdynia (main base)
• Naval Base Swinoujscie (base of the Coast Guard forces)

Links on the web

Official website of the Polish Navy (period from 1998 to 2013 inclusive)

The first ship will be called "Lviv" (Lwów). This name was decided by the Polish Shipping Company to a new ship, which will soon be launched after the completion of construction at a shipyard in China. The ship will have a carrying capacity of 39,000 tons.

Context

Lviv is not Poland, Crimea is not Russia

Peter and Mazepa 09/25/2017

Poland wants to return Lviv

Haqqin.az 11.09.2017

Lviv turns into a garbage dump

The Guardian 04/26/2017

Lithuanians "conquer" Lviv

Delfi.lt 20.09.2016

Other ships will be named after the former Polish cities of Ternopil (Tarnopol) and Vilnius (Wilno), located today in Western Ukraine and Lithuania. This was announced by the representative of the state-owned company Polish Shipping Company Pavel Brzezicki (Paweł Brzezicki).

“We are changing the names of ships that are already ready at Chinese shipyards… For the whole of western Poland, these names are pleasant and nostalgic…” Brzezicki emphasized.

Before the outbreak of World War II, the Polish training sailboat was called Lviv. According to Brzezicki, the names of the new Polish ships will not provoke a scandal or disputes at the political level.

“A total of five ships will be built. The first one is Lviv. This is a politically neutral title. For many years one of our ships was called "Lviv Eaglets" (Orlęta lwowskie is the name of the Polish militias who, with weapons in their hands, took part in the defense of Lviv during the Polish-Ukrainian war of 1918-1919 - ed.). And it didn’t surprise anyone, the same can be said about the name “Lviv”,” says Brzezitsky. The German Navy has an icebreaker Stettin (named after the now Polish city of Szczecin. This city was part of Prussia from 1720 until the 20th century - ed.).

1.4.1. Polish campaign - war at sea (Polish fleet)

The composition of the Polish fleet in August 1939

By the beginning of World War II, the Polish Navy consisted of 4 destroyers, 5 submarines, 1 mine layer, 6 minesweepers, 2 gunboats and a number of obsolete ships and vessels. Most of them were in the Hel naval base or patrolled coastal waters.

DESTROYERS AND DESTROYERS

Wicher-class destroyers - 2 units

"Burza" (CNF, 1.11.1927/16.4.1929/7.1932 - scrapped in 1977),
"Wicher" (CNF, 19/2/1927/8/8/1928/7/1930 - died 3/9/1939)
1540/1920 t; 100.9/107.2x10.2x3.1 m; 2 TZA, 3 PCs, 33,000 hp, 33 knots, 330 tons of oil, 3,000 (15) miles. Ek. 155 people 4x1 - 130mm/40, 2x1 - 40mm/40, 4 bullets, 2 x 3 - 550mm TA, 60 min, 2 BS and 2 BM.
The first large ships of the Polish Navy. They were built according to the so-called "small program" of 1924. The order for the construction was placed on 2/4/1926 in France - the then main foreign policy partner of Poland. Since France had great influence on the Polish government, she managed to insist on the choice of the Chantier Naval Française shipyard in Blancville as the builder, which had few orders and did not have sufficient experience in building destroyers - just to acquire it. However, this did not save the shipyard from bankruptcy, and both destroyers were handed over to the customer belatedly.
The French Navy's "Bourrasque" class destroyer was chosen as a prototype for the Polish destroyers. The main differences from the prototype were some redevelopment of the interior (KOs were shifted a few spaces in the nose), the replacement of 37-mm French anti-aircraft guns with English 40-mm "pom-poms" and the installation of equipment for mine setting.
In the second half of the 1930s. the main mast was removed from the ships. On the eve of the war, it was decided to put in the early 1940s. "Wicher" and "Burza" for modernization, during which it was planned to standardize weapons with destroyers of the "Grom" type (switch to 120-mm Swedish-made guns and 533-mm TA) and strengthen air defense.
On the "Burza" in the middle of 1940, the aft TA was replaced with a 76 mm anti-aircraft gun and a 2x4 12.7 mm pool was installed. Vickers. In 1942, at the shipyard in Portsmouth, the ship was modernized: anti-submarine and anti-aircraft weapons were significantly strengthened - instead of the GK "A" gun, the Hedgehog RBU was mounted; the number of BMs was increased to four, which, together with two BS, provided the ship with the ability to carry out a "10-bomb salvo". The main gun "X" was replaced with a quadruple 40-mm "pom-pom", and 12.7-mm machine guns and 40-mm single-barreled "pom-poms" - with 4 x 1 20-mm "Oerlikon" (subsequently their number was increased up to six: two - on the wings of the bridge, two - on the sides of the third chimney and two - in front of the aft superstructure). After modernization, the total displacement of "Burza" reached 2430 tons.
Wicher was sunk 3/9/1939 by German aircraft at Hel Naval Base. "Burza" left for England on 30/8/1939 during the "Beijing" operation. 11/15/1944 put into reserve. In 1951 he returned to Poland. From 1960 to 1975 - a museum ship.


photo of the destroyer "Wicher"

"Grom" class destroyers - 2 units

"Blyskawica" (W, 9/11/1935/1/10/1936/11/1937 - since 1976 - museum ship),
"Grom" (W, 17.7.1935 / 20.7.1936 / 5.1937 - died 4.5.1940),
1975/2383 t; 109/114x11.3x3.5 m; 2 TZA, 3 PCs (+ 1 auxiliary PC), 54,000 hp, 39 knots, 350 tons of oil, 3000 - 3500 (15) miles. Ek. 190 - 200 people 3 x 2 and 1 x 1 - 120 mm / 60, 2 x 2 - 40 mm, 4 x 2 - 13.2 mm, 2x3 - 533 mm TA, 44 mines, 2 BS (40 GB).
They were built within the framework of a 6-year program adopted in 1936 (although the destroyers themselves were ordered before the formal approval of the program - 03/29/1935). They were built in England according to the original project, and not according to a revised existing one (as is the case with the first Polish Wicher-class destroyers).
Since Poland could not compete with its neighbors in the number of units under construction, in preparing the requirements for new destroyers, the path of individual superiority over the ships of this class of fleets of Germany and the Soviet Union was chosen. As a result, the White, Blyskawica and Grom shipyards designed by the designers turned out to be the strongest European destroyers of their time, second only to the latest French leaders (objectively speaking, ships of an intermediate class between cruisers and destroyers).
The artillery armament of the destroyers was Swedish-made by the Bofors company (the only exception was the 13.2-mm Hotchkiss machine guns). The presence of two twin 40-mm machine guns in the armament brought ships of this type to the first place in anti-aircraft armament - in 1937, when they entered service, not a single destroyer in the world could compete with Blyskawica and Grom for this indicator.
The torpedo armament was made in England, and the torpedoes had the ability to launch both regular 533-mm and 457-mm torpedoes. At the same time, the British Mk.X torpedoes, which were equipped with Polish ships, had one serious drawback - a poorly thought-out fuse blocking system. According to English experts, this is what caused the death of "Grom".
The 1936 program provided for the construction of two more ships of this type. In order to develop the domestic industry, it was decided to build them in Gdynia. The order for "Huragan" and "Orkan" was issued on May 1, 1939, but only a part of the materials was prepared before the start of the war, and the matter did not come to the bookmark.
After the ships moved to England in 1939, the Polish destroyers were under the operational control of the Admiralty. The stability of "Blyskawica" and "Grom" did not fully comply with British standards, so in the winter of 1939/40 they underwent modernization aimed at reducing the "upper" weight - the searchlight platform of the foremast, the aft searchlight post were dismantled, the visor was removed from chimney, the number of boats has been reduced. In addition, the stern TA was removed from the ships, in its place, a 102-mm anti-aircraft gun Mk.V.
In December 1941, "Blyskawica" underwent a thorough re-equipment - all 120-mm Swedish-made guns were replaced with 102-mm Mk.XVI guns in four twin universal Mk.XIX mounts. First of all, such a replacement was explained by the desire of the British to get rid of "non-standard" foreign-made ammunition, which, moreover, turned out to be quite inconvenient in practice (a unitary shot weighed almost 41 kg). Replacing the artillery of the Civil Code with a universal one required the replacement of the fire control system. In addition, a single 102-mm anti-aircraft gun was removed from the ship and returned to the regular place of the TA. Instead of 13.2 mm machine guns, 4x1 20 mm Oerlikon were installed. Anti-submarine weapons were strengthened by installing two BMs. In the middle of 1942, the number of BMs was increased to four, the bow TT was removed to compensate for the increased weight of anti-submarine weapons, and at the same time the aft three-tube TT was replaced by a four-tube one. The total displacement reached 2440 tons.
"Blyskawica" and "Grom" 30/8/1939 went to England during the operation "Peking". Grom was sunk by German aircraft off the coast of Norway 4/5/1940. The ship was hit by two bombs, one of which caused a TA explosion, after which the ship broke and sank.
After the war "Blyskawica" returned to Poland. Since 1.5.1976 - a museum ship (replaced in this capacity "Burza").


photo of the destroyer "Grom"

"Mazur" type destroyer - 1 unit
(in 1939 - artillery training ship)

"Mazur" (V, 1914/26.8.1914/1.1915 - died 1.9.1939)
360/421 t; 62.6x6.2x2.5 m; 2 PTUs, 2 PCs, 5500 hp, 20 knots, 1400 (17) miles. Ek. 80 people 3x1 - 75mm, 1x1 - 40mm, 1x2 and 2x1 - 13.2mm pool.
In 1921, Poland received two destroyers of the former German fleet, V-105 and V-108. At one time, these ships were ordered in Germany by Holland (a series of four units), but after the outbreak of the First World War they were confiscated and included in the Kaiser fleet. "Kasub" (former V-108) died on 20/7/1925 as a result of a boiler explosion. "Mazur" (b. V-105) in 1931 was rebuilt into an artillery training ship - TA was removed from it, and the number of 75-mm guns was increased from two to four. The forecastle was extended to the bow superstructure. In 1935, one boiler room was liquidated on the ship (as a result, the speed decreased from 29 to 20 knots), the aft chimney was removed and the superstructure was redesigned. One of the 75 mm guns was replaced with a 40 mm pom-pom machine gun.
Mazur was sunk by German aircraft 1/9/1939.

In addition, by September 1939, the former Germans, actually withdrawn from the fleet, remained. mm type "A" (received by Poland in 1921) "Kujawiak" (b. A-68), "Podhalanin" (b. A-80) and "Slazak" (b. A-59). They had no combat value and were used as watercraft.

SUBMARINES

Underwater minelayers type "Wilk" - 3 units

"Zbik" (CNF, 1927/14.6.1930/2.1932 - 27.9.1939 interned in Sweden),
"Rys" (ACL, 28.5.1927/22.4.1929/8.1931 - 17.9.1939 interned in Sweden),
"Wilk" (N, 1927/12.4.1929/10.1931 - scrapped in 1954)
Surface - 980 tons, underwater - 1248 tons; 78.5x5.9x4.2 m; 2 diesel / 2 ED, 1800/1200 hp, 14.5 / 9.5 knots, 139 tons of solarium, 7000 (10) / 100 (5) miles. Ek. 54 people 4 x 1 + 1 x 2 - 550 mm TA (4 bow and 1 twin swivel, 10 torpedoes), 1 x 1 - 100/40 mm, 2 x 13.2 mm, 38 min.
They were built according to the "small program" of 1924. They were ordered on 12/1/1926 in France and were an enlarged version of the French boats of the "Saphir" type. They were distinguished by good seaworthiness, but were noisy, fuel tanks in a light hull leaked water at the slightest damage, which led to pollution of the solarium. The Norman-Funod mine-laying system used was complex and had poor reliability. Of the six TAs, four were placed in a strong hull, two more were outside the strong hull in the aft rotary installation.
Double-hulled, maximum diving depth - 80 m. Autonomy - 35 days. Initially, in addition to the 100-mm Schneider guns, they were armed with one 40-mm pom-pom machine gun. In 1935, the latter was replaced by a coaxial 13.2 mm machine gun.
"Rys" and "Zbik" were interned in Sweden on 17 and 27/9/1939 respectively. After the war in October 1945 they returned to Poland, scrapped in 1956.
"Wilk" with the beginning of the war went to England, arrived in Rosyth 20/9/1939. It was used for training purposes from September 1940. On May 2, 1942, it was put into reserve. In 1951 she returned to Poland.

Submarines of the "Orzel" type - 2 units

"Orzel" (DS, 14. 8.1936 / 15.1.1938 / 2.1939 - died in May - June 1940),
"Sep" (RD, 11.1936/17.10.1938/4.1939 - interned 16.9.1939)
Surface - 1100/1473 tons, underwater - 1650 tons; 84x6.7x4.2 m; 2 diesel/2 ED, 4740/1100 hp, 19.4/9 knots, 123 t solarium, 7000(10)/100(5) miles. Ek. 60 people 8 x 1 and 2 x 2 - 550 mm TA (4 bow, 4 stern and 2 twin swivel, 20 torpedoes), 1x1 - 105 mm / 41, 1 x2 - 40 mm, 1x2 - 13.2 mm pool .
In the early 1930s in Poland, a campaign was launched to raise funds among the population for the construction of a large submarine. By the middle of 1935, the required amount was collected, and a submarine was ordered in Holland, called "Orzel". At the same time, funds were allocated from the budget for the construction of the same type "Sep". The starting point in the design was the Dutch O-16. Compared to the original, Polish submarines were larger, faster and had more powerful weapons. Already on their basis, the O-19 submarine was subsequently built for the Dutch fleet.
Double-hulled, maximum diving depth - 80 m. Autonomy - 90 days. During the construction, welding was widely used. Of the 12 TAs, eight were in a pressure hull, four more were outside the pressure hull in two rotary twin installations in front of and behind the wheelhouse. An interesting feature of this type of submarine was that it was possible to launch both 550-mm and 533-mm torpedoes from 550-mm torpedoes.
"Orzel" with the beginning of the war left for England (with a call due to a malfunction in Tallinn), arrived in Rosyth on 10/14/1939. From 25/5/1940 she went missing in the North Sea (according to various sources, she either died on May 25 in an English mine, or - approximately on June 8 - in a German mine). "Sep" interned 17/9/1939 in Sweden. After the war in October 1945 she returned to Poland, scrapped in 1971 - 1972.
In 1938, two submarines of the improved type "Orzel" (surface - 1175 tons, underwater - 1550 tons; 86.9x8x5.2 m; 2 diesel / 2 ED, 5400 / 1200 hp, 20/9 knots, 3850(10) miles 60 man 12 -550-mm TA, 2x2 - 40-mm) were ordered in France (shipyards ACL and N), their main difference from the prototype was the abandonment of the artillery gun in favor of the second anti-aircraft machine. Construction began in 1939, but already on April 22, 1939, the order for the construction of boats that did not receive a name was canceled. The unfinished buildings were subsequently destroyed on the stocks by the Germans.

MINE LAYERS AND MINESWEEPERS

Minelayer type "Gryf" - 1 unit

"Gryf" (N, 11/14/1934/11/29/1936/2/2/1938 - died 9/3/1939)
2227 t (standard); 103.2x13.1x3.6 m; 2 diesels, 6000 hp, 20 knots, 310 tons of solarium, 9500 (14) miles. Ek. 162 people 2 x 2 and 2 x 1 - 120mm/50, 2x2 - 40mm/60.4 x 2 - 13.2mm pull, 600 min.
This peculiar ship was ordered by the Polish government in France in 1934. According to the terms of reference, in addition to its main purpose - a minelayer, "Gryf was supposed to serve as a training ship and a presidential yacht. The desire to place on it the strongest possible artillery weapons while limiting displacement (for financial reasons) led to the fact that too little space was allocated to the power plant, which predetermined the tightness of the MO.
Artillery - manufactured by Bofors (except for 13.2-mm machine guns).
Damaged by German aircraft 1/9/1939 and put in floating dock for repairs. Sunk by German aircraft 3/9/1939 (together with floating dock) at Hel Naval Base.

Jaskolka type minesweepers - 6 units

"Jaskolka" (WPM, 1934/11.9.1934/8.1935 - died 14.9.1939),
"Czajka" (PSM, 4.1934/10.4.1935/2.1936 - captured by Germany in October 1939),
"Mewa" (SG, 1934/10.1.1935/10.1935 - died 3/9/1939),
"Rybitwa" (PSM, 5.1934/26.4.1935/12.1935 - died 3.9.1939),
"Czapla" (WPM, 1937/22/8/1938/8/1939 - died 14/9/1939),
"Zuraw" (WPM, 1937 / 22.8.1938 / 8.1939 - captured by Germany in October 1939)

185/203t; 45x5.5x1.6 m; 2 diesel engines, 1050 hp, 18 knots Ek. 30 people 1x1 - 75mm/35 ("Czapla" and "Zuraw" - 1x1 - 13.2mm pul.), 2 pul., 20 min.
The largest warships of the Polish fleet of their own construction. Four of these were ordered in 1933 to replace the former German minesweepers of the FM type. Two more minesweepers ("Czapla" and "Zuraw") were ordered in accordance with the 1936 program.
Jaskolka and Czapla were sunk by German aircraft 14/9/1939 at Yastran. Mewa and Rybitwa were sunk 3/9/1939 by German aircraft at Hel Naval Base. Raised by the Germans in November 1939 and renamed "Putzig" and "Rixhoft". Reclassified to auxiliary ships in 1940 and renamed TFA-9 and TFA-8 respectively. "Czajka" was captured by German troops at Westerplatte, joined the Kriegsmarine as an auxiliary vessel under the name TFA-11. In May 1945, TFA-8, TFA-9, TFA-11 surrendered in Kiel and in 1946 were returned to Poland. "Zuraw" was captured by German troops in October 1939 and under the name "Oxhoft" became part of the Kriegsmarine. After the war, returned to Poland.

OTHER COMBAT AND AUXILIARY SHIPS

"General Haller" type gunboats - 2 units

"General Haller" (CV, 1916/n.d./5.1921 - died 6.9.1939),
"Komendant Pilsudski" (CV, 1916/N.D./1921 - scuttled 30/9/1939)
342/441 t; 50.1x6.8x2.3 m; 2 PMU, 2 PCs, 1150 hp, 15 knots, 70 tons of coal, 700 (15) miles. Ek. 49 people 2 x 1 - 75mm, 1x2 - 13.2mm pool.
The former patrol ships of the Russian fleet of the "Vodorez" type (a series of 6 units), by the beginning of the revolution, were under construction, after which they were captured by the Finns and included in their fleet under the names "Turunmaa" (former "Vodorez") and "Karjala" ( b. "Lun"). Bought by Poland in 1921 and renamed "General Haller" and "Komendant Pilsudski" respectively.
Initially, in addition to 75-mm guns, it also carried 2x1 47-mm guns, but before World War II, the latter were replaced by a 1x213.2-mm anti-aircraft machine gun.
"General Haller" was sunk 6/9/1939 at Helgerm naval base by aircraft.
"Komendant Pilsudski" was scuttled by the crew on 30/9/1939 in the naval base Hel. Raised by the Germans and under the name "Heisternest" included in the Kriegsmarine. Renamed M-3109 in 1943. 16/9/1943 sunk at Nantes by Allied aircraft.


Photo of the gunboat "Komendant Pilsudski"

Monitors type "Krakow" - 2 units

"Krakov" (Z, 1924/N.D./8.1926 - scuttled 21.9.1939),
"Wilno" (Z, 1924/ n.d.L 0.1926 - scuttled 19/9/1939)
70/90 t; 35x6.1x0.4 m; 2 diesel, 140 hp, 7.3 knots Booking 5 - 8 mm. Ek. 29 people 1 x 1 and 1 x 2 - 100mm howitzers, 1 or 2x2 - 13.2mm zen. pool.
Ordered 12/31/1923. The first ships designed and built in Poland. Initial armament consisted of two 75 mm cannons in a turret rotating around the conning tower and a 100 mm howitzer in a much smaller second turret. Rearmed in 1932. "Wilno" was scuttled by the crew on 19/9/1939 near Osobowice.
"Krakov" was scuttled by the crew on 21.9.1939 on the river. Pinay. In the same month, it was raised by Soviet troops and commissioned by the RKKF on 10/24/1939 under the name "Smolensk".

Warszawa-type monitors - 4 units

"Horodyszcze" (DW, 1920/1920/8.1920 - scuttled 18/9/1939),
"Pinsk" (DW, 1920/1920/10.1920 - scuttled 18/9/1939),
"Torun" (DW, 1920/1920/12/1920 - scuttled 18/9/1939),
"Warszawa" (DW, 1920/1920/8.1920 - scuttled 18/9/1939)
110/126 t; 34.5/34.7x5.1x0.8 m; 3 diesel, 200 hp, 8.6 knots Booking 8 mm. Ek. 41 - 44 people 1 x 1 and 1 x 2 - 75 mm, 4 pools.
River monitors. Initially, the armament consisted of 2 x 1 105 mm guns. In the 1930s rearmed.
"Horodyszcze", "Pinsk", "Torun" and "Warszawa" were scuttled by crews on 18/9/1939 on the river. Pripyat. Raised by Soviet troops in September - October 1939 and became part of the RKKF under the names "Bobruisk", "Zhytomyr", "Vinnitsa" and "Vitebsk", respectively.

Other river ships
In addition to monitors, the Polish river flotillas included armored boats of the same type "Zuchwala" and "Zawzieta" (built in 1932 - 1933, 32 tons; 18.1x4.6x0.6 m; 1 diesel, 120 hp, 5 , 6 knots 17 people 1x1 100-mm howitzer, 1x1 37-mm, 2 bullets - scuttled by crews 19/9/1939), similar to them in the "Zaranda" type (built in 1933 - 1935, 35, 2 t; 18.1x4.6x0.5 m; 2 diesel engines, 120 hp, 5.6 knots 15 people 1x1 100-mm howitzer, 1x1 37-mm, 2 bullets - sunk by crew 09/19/1939) and 6 armed paddle steamers with a displacement of 48 to 146 tons and equipped with 37 or 75 mm guns

Soon, Poland will have only one submarine left - the Soviet one, the Kilo class.

By 2015, Poland may be left without a navy. This conclusion is contained in a secret report of the Polish Navy to the National Defense Commission of the lower house of the Polish Parliament. Ships and submarines are rapidly becoming obsolete, and there is no money to modernize and replace them due to the purchase of American F-16 fighters.

In total, the Polish naval forces now have 41 ships. The core of the fleet's combat potential consists of two large missile frigates, three small missile ships, a corvette and five submarines.

In a confidential report, the text of which was obtained by journalists from Gazeta Wyborcza, it is said that over the past twenty years the Polish Navy has not received a single new ship. According to the authors of the report, by 2015 the Polish Navy, most of whose ships were produced in the second half of the 1960s, will be forced to decommission most of its combat units. In seven years, two missile frigates, two small missile ships and four submarines will come to the end of their service lives. This will lead to the "loss of combat capability" of the fleet.

The report states that the main striking power of the Polish Navy is the two large missile frigates Pulaski and Kosciuszko. Both were launched in 1980. In 2001, Poland received them from the United States. They are armed with relatively modern Standard and Harpoon missiles. The problem, according to the report, is that in 2014 the United States is stopping the production of spare parts for ships of this class. Difficulties are also associated with the fact that the frigates use Kaman Super Seasprite helicopters. The US Navy abandoned them back in 2001. Keeping old helicopters in service, according to the authors of the report, is very costly.

It should be noted that even now the operation of these ships is not a cheap pleasure. According to the Polish edition of the NIE, putting the American "gifts" in order cost Polish taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. The fact is that after twenty years of use, the frigates needed a major overhaul. The Americans saved on it by handing over the ships to the Poles and at the same time earned on spare parts, technical assistance and personnel training.

The situation with submarines is no better. The youngest of the four Cobben-class submarines that were handed over to Poland by Norway is 40 years old. Initially, the expected period of use is 25 years, but they are still in operation today. Now the fleet is experiencing serious problems with spare parts for submarines: those that are already coming to an end.

The report says that the repair of most submarines is no longer possible. Over the years of operation, due to the fight against rust, the walls of the hulls have become seriously thinner. In a few years, it may happen that the only Polish submarine on the move will be the Soviet Kilo-class Oryol submarine of 1986.

According to the authors of the report, in order for the Polish Navy to remain combat ready, $ 8-10 billion should be invested in it within 10 years. However, according to the Polish media and members of parliament, until 2015 there will be other priorities in the budget in relation to military needs : it is necessary to pay several billion dollars for the F-16 fighters bought from the USA. Therefore, there will be no free funds.

In addition, there is another problem: the lead time. The construction of an average warship takes about five years. That is, the decision to start work must be made now.

When the content of the report became public, a commission from the upper house of the Polish parliament appealed to the government. The deputies want the latter to approve the "National Shipbuilding Program" (NSPC). The appeal of the parliamentarians says that if this is not done and the renewal of the Polish Navy does not begin, then after 2018 the Polish navy will not be able to fulfill the tasks assigned to it.

The need for the birth of the NPSK has been discussed in Poland for quite a long time. Last fall, the deputy commander of the Navy announced that such a program was being prepared, and 15-17 billion zlotys ($7.5-8.5 billion) were earmarked for its purpose until 2020. It is interesting that back in May 2006 it was planned to allocate twice as much funds for the modernization of the Navy.

However, it is obvious that last year's truncated version of the program is an elusive goal. Parliamentarians understand this too. Therefore, there are no ambitious demands in the appeal to the government. The deputies want to support the Navy in such a way "to preserve only the minimum potential of the naval forces."

The situation is indeed very serious. According to Janusz Zemke, head of the National Defense Commission of the lower house of the Polish parliament, "this is the first time we are facing a situation where one of the military branches can simply cease to exist."

Grzegosz Holdanovic, editor of one of the publications devoted to military topics, assesses the state of the Navy as critical. In his opinion, this is a consequence of the delusion of the mid-1990s, when it was customary to think that "nothing threatens us and we can postpone modernization until a later date."

The Polish media note the paradoxical nature of the current situation: according to NATO plans, it is Poland that is responsible for the state of affairs in the Baltic. Germany and Denmark base their fleets on the North Sea. In a certain sense, this plays into the hands of Russia. If the NATO outpost on the Baltic Sea is in a deplorable state, that's good. There is only one “but”: the problem of fleet aging is also very relevant for the Russian Navy.