ORP Błyskawica

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ORP *Błyskawica*
Career
ORP Błyskawica, modern view
Ordered
Laid down	September 1935
Launched:	October 1, 1936
Commissioned	November 25, 1937
Decommissioned	May 1, 1976
Fate	museum ship
Current position	Gdynia harbour
General characteristics
Displacement:	1975 tons
Length	114 m (374 ft)
Beam	11.3 m (37.0 ft)
Draft	3.3 m (10.8 ft)
Speed	39 knots (72 km/h)
Complement	192
Armament	1937: seven 120 mm guns, 4 × 40 mm AA guns, MG's, 6 torpedo launchers 1941: eight 102 mm (4in) AA guns, 4 × 40 mm AA guns, 4 × 20 mm AA guns, 6 torpedo launchers

ORP Błyskawica was a Grom-class destroyer serving in the Polish Navy during World War II, currently preserved as a museum ship in Gdynia. It is the only ship of the Polish Navy awarded with the Virtuti Militari medal.

She was the latter of two Grom (Thunder)-class destroyers, built for the Polish Navy by J. Samuel White, Cowes. The name means Lightning. The two Groms were some of the most heavily-armed and fastest destroyers on the seas before World War II.

[edit] Operational history

Two days before the war, on 30 August 1939, the Błyskawica withdrew, along with Grom and Burza destroyers, from the Baltic Sea to Britain in accordance with the Peking Plan to avoid their loss. From then on they acted in tandem with the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. On 7 September 1939, Błyskawica made contact with and attacked a U-Boat, resulting in possibly the first combat between the Allied and the German fleets.

In early May 1940, Błyskawica took part in the Norwegian Campaign, shelling German positions and downing two Luftwaffe aircraft. Her sister ship Grom was bombed and sunk during the campaign. Later that month, she took part in covering Operation Dynamo, the successful Franco-British evacuation from Dunkirk.

ORP Błyskawica in Northern Atlantic during WWII

During the remainder of the war, Błyskawica took part in convoy and patrol duties, engaging both U-boats and the Luftwaffe in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. In 1941 her 120 mm guns were replaced with British four-inch (102 mm) anti-aircraft guns. The ship was also given escort duties to troop transports, notably the RMS Queen Mary, Błyskawica being one of the few ships that could keep up with the liner.

On the nights of May 4 and May 5, 1942, Błyskawica was instrumental in defending the Isle of Wight town of Cowes from a potentially devastating air raid by 160 German bombers. Coincidentally this is where the ship had been built in 1935-7 by J. Samuel White. The ship was undergoing an emergency refit at the shipyard and on the night of the air raid quickly slipped her moorings and fired repeated rounds at the German bombers from outside the harbour, her guns becoming so hot they had to be doused with water and extra ammunition had to be ferried over from Portsmouth. This ensured the bombers had to stay high to avoid the weapons fire, making it hard for them to target properly. Additionally the ship laid down a smokescreen hiding Cowes from sight. Although a lot of damage was done to the town and the shipyard, it is generally thought that without this defensive action, it would have been far worse. In 2002 the crew's courage was honoured by a local commemoration lasting several days to mark the 60th anniversary of the event. In 2004 an area of Cowes was named Francki Place in honour of the ship's commander.

On 8 June 1944, Błyskawica took part in a battle with the German destroyers at Ushant.

During the war, she logged 146,000 nautical miles and escorted eighty-three convoys. In combat she damaged three U-boats and shot down at least four aircraft before the war's conclusion in May 1945, also took part in sinking some other ships.

Bridge of ORP Błyskawica decorated with Virtuti Militari medal

After the war, she returned to Poland. Since 1 May 1976 she has served as a museum ship in Gdynia, replacing Burza.In July 2006, Błyskawica was "twinned" with the Canadian destroyer HMCS Haida in a ceremony in Gdynia. Both ships served in the 10th Destroyer Flotilla during World War II. The ceremony was attended by former crew members of both ships and the general public. A similar ceremony will take place in Canada with the HMCS Haida in 2007.