ORP Błyskawica

The ORP Błyskawica (English = Lightning) and her sister ship the ORP Grom (English = Thunderclap) were designed and built for the Polish Navy by J Samuel White of Cowes, Isle of Wight, and built in their shipyard on the island.

When built the two destroyers were the most powerful warships in the Polish Navy and had barely come into service when the Second World War started. ORP Błyskawica managed to escape to Britain, where she formed part of the Polish Navy that was controlled by the London-based Polish Government-in-exile. ORP Błyskawica served alongside ships of the Royal Navy, and took part in many naval operations.

After the end of the Second World War ORP Błyskawica returned to Poland and served as one of its major units until. It was then retired from active service, and after a spell acting as an alongside training ship she was renovated and became a museum ship. She has now been returned to the state of appearance that she was in 1945.

Her specifications are as follows:

• Displacement: 1,975 tons
• Length: 374 feet
• Beam: 37 feet 1 inch
• Draft: 10 feet 10 inch
• Speed: 39 knots
• Complement: 192
• Armament (1937):
  • 7 × QF 4.7-inch guns (3 x 2 & 1 x 1)
  • 4 × 40 mm (2 x 2) Bofors anti-aircraft guns
  • 4 x 13.2mm (2 x 2) Hotchkiss anti-aircraft guns
  • 6 × 21-inch (3 x 3) torpedo tubes
• Armament (1941):
  • 8 × QF 4-inch Mk XVI guns (4 x 2)
  • 4 × 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns (2 x 2)
  • 4 × 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns (4 x 1)
  • 6 × 21-inch (3 x 3) torpedo tubes

Forward 4-inch Guns
ORP Błyskawica was re-armed with two twin 4-inch dual-purpose gun mountings. These were capable of both surface-to-surface and anti-aircraft fire and gave the ship considerable hitting power.

Aft 4-inch Guns

40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft Guns
ORP Błyskawica was re-armed with a number of 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns. There was a twin mounting amidships aft of the funnel, …

… and a second twin mounting just forward of the aft 21-inch torpedo tubes.

37mm Anti-Aircraft Guns
ORP Błyskawica was also re-armed during the Second World War with a number of 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns, but these were later replaced (after the ship had been returned to Poland) by 37mm anti-aircraft guns. There were two 37mm single-mountings in the bridge wings.

21-inch Torpedo Tubes
ORP Błyskawica was originally armed with two triple 21-inch torpedo tube mountings, but the forward one was removed to improve the ship’s stability.

Anti-submarine Weapons
ORP Błyskawica was originally armed with two depth charge throwers, and twenty depth-bombs, but by the end of the Second World War she was armed with two pairs of depth charge throwers/mortars …

… and two depth charge racks.

Bridge, Fire Control, and Radars
The ORP Błyskawica had an enclosed wheelhouse and an open bridge. This followed the standard design practice followed in Britain. Her bridge was surmounted by a Gun Director and just behind the bridge she carried a tripod mast which supported the ship’s radars and ‘huff-duff’ (High Frequency Direction Finding) equipment.