- Yes
- No
History:
ORP Nurek is the sole boat of it’s class and a diver depot ship built during the Second Republic. It was laid down in 1935 and Launched on the 1st of November 1936.
During the mid 1930s, the Polish navy became not only a somewhat sizeable force but also one that could manufacture it’s own vessels. Between 1930 to 1934, several vessels of various types were built/bought and then commissioned including Wicher class ORP Burza, Wilk class submarines ORP Wilk, Ryś and Żbik as well as smaller boats like ORP Batory and ORP Smok. One area that needs improving was the lack of a capable search and rescue vessel. A motor boat with the same name as it’s eventual replacement was becoming inadequate at it’s job and thus needed to be replaced.
Using a modified Nohab engine from the Jaskółka-class ships, Nurek would be built in Gdynia and complete by the Autumn of 1936 at the cost of 230,000 PLN.
After fixing initial stability issues by fixing the mass distribution, Nurek would aid in building a port in Hel and the Port of Władysławowo. Nurek would also help in cleaning Głębinka Canal.
In 1939, Nurek received it’s armaments of 2x Maxim Mk. 08 machine guns and on the 1st of November that year, Nurek would be victim of one of 32 Ju-87B bombers attacking Gdynia. One Sc250 landed a direct hit, tearing the hull apart resulting in 16 deaths. The Germans would later raise the wreck but found it uneconomical to repair it, leading to it’s scrapping.
Specifications:
Top speed- 18.52km/h (260hp engine)
Armament- 2x 7.92 mm Maxim Mk. 08 machine guns
Crew- 21
Displacement- 110t
Draught- 1.4m
Length- 29m
Width- 6m
Sources:
Jan Kazimierz Sawicki [ed.]: Naval Personnel of the Republic of Poland. Volume II: Polish Navy. Part 1
Stanisław M. Piaskowski: Ships of the Republic of Poland 1920-1946 .
Jerzy Pertek: Great days of the small fleet .
Mieczysław Kuligiewicz. The second “Diver”