Polish Wicher-class destroyer, ORP Wicher (1939) - defender of Polish shore

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Short story & few facts:

ORP Wicher (name mean ‘gale’) was ordered in 1926 in french dockyard Chantiers Naval Français, located in Blainville. Keel laid down in February 1927, launched in July 1928. Ship was was commisioned into the Polish Navy 8 July 1930, 2 years later to the Wicher joined her sistership ORP Burza (name mean ‘storm’). Polish destroyers come from french Bourrasque-class and was very similar to them, but was a differences. Wicher in the beggining of 1930’s was a most powerfull and advanced destroyer in Baltic Sea. Calm service was change when WWII begun. Wicher took an active duty as defender of polish shore and harbors, Her duty was short, but intesive and heroic. She participated 01.09.1939 in first air-sea battle of WWII and was undamaged. Wicher was participated in first sea battle of WWII too. Early morning 3.09.1939 together with ORP Gryf damaged and forced to retreat 2 german destroyers Leberecht Maas-class. It was tactical victory of Polish Navy. After that fight, about 9.00 AM this same day sunk in Hel harbor after german Ju-87 bombing. It turned out to be a lucky ship in the end - died only one seamen. Sistership, ORP Burza, served in Polish Navy in-exile, survived war.

Few (lesser known) facts:

  1. Wicher was first ever in history polish destroyer and first modern warship in interwar Polish Navy,
  2. Before WWII artillerists from her was the best of all Polish Navy,
  3. Wicher in 1935 ‘acted’ into pre-war polish film ‘Rapsodia Bałtyku’ (‘Baltic Sea Rhapsody’). One of the ships of the pre-war Polish Navy better immortalized on film tape,
  4. Survived crewmembers was still defenders of polish shore - fought as infantryman for month, to the capitulation of Poland,
  5. German raised wreck and they planned repair (under new name ‘Seerose’) , but when damages was turn out too heavy, Germans towed away to sea and sunk wreck again,
  6. Wreck laid near polish shore, was established as antique after war end,
  7. Names ‘Wicher’ and ‘Burza’ was a reference to the names of french protoplasts

Differences between Bourrasque-class and Wicher-class destroyers:

  1. Wicher-class had greater displacement than french protoplast ca. 130 tonnes, because:
    A. Wicher-class had strengthened bow to crusch baltic ice floes
    B. Wicher-class had minelaying rails installation (ships was more universal than french Bourrasque-class)
  2. Wicher-class had 2 single Vickers wz. 28 40mm AA gun (which was polish name of british 2-pdr QF Mark II) instead french Canon de 37 mm Modèle 1925
  3. Wicher-class had reductors in torpedo tubes, and can use french 550 mm and british 533 mm torpedoes.

Photos & plan:

Podsumowanie

https://www.smartage.pl/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/4-5.jpg
https://www.smartage.pl/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/6-2.jpg
https://dzieje.pl/sites/default/files/styles/open_article_750x0_/public/201807/Wicher%20(2).jpg?itok=_HmyOHb0
https://dobroni.pl/static/files/gallery/143/13207_29369.jpg
https://www.portalmorski.pl/images/_gfx/mar_woj/_okrety/_orp/orp_wicher_1939_destroyer.jpg

Technical data :
Displacement standard: 1 540 t
Displacement full: 2 010 t
Length: 106,9 m (o/a)
Breadth: 10,5 m
Draught: 3,5 m
Machinery and power: 2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 3 boilers du Temple, 2 shafts, 35,000 shp
Max speed: 33,8 knots
Range: 3000 nmi at 15 knots
Fuel: 330 tons of oil
Crew: 162 man
Armament (September 1939):
4 x single 130 mm wz. 19/24 Schneider-Creusot Model 1924 guns, 2 x single 40 mm Vickers wz.28 AA guns (polish name of british 2-pdr QF Mark II), 2 x double 13,2 mm NKM wz. 30 (polish name of Mitrailleuse Hotchkiss de 13,2 mm modèle 1929) heavy AA-machineguns, 2 × triple 550 mm/533 mm torpedo tubes, 2 × single internal depth charge ramps, 60 naval mines wz. 08.

IMO would be a nice, interesting addition to French naval tech-tree as premium ship.

Sources:

  1. Jerzy Łubkowski: Kontrtorpedowce „Wicher” i „Burza”, cz. 1. T. 28 Encyklopedia Okrętów Wojennych, AJ-Press (publishing house), Gdańsk 2004.
  2. Witold Koszela, Niszczyciele Polskiej Marynarki Wojennej, Almapress (publishing house) 2013, Warszawa (Warsaw).
  3. Stanisław Piaskowski: Okręty Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 1920-1946. Album planów. Wydawnictwo Lampart (publishing house), Gdańsk 1996.
  4. ORP “Wicher” Militaria XX Wieku - WYDANIE SPECJALNE - nr 3(4)/2007 (article in special edition polish maritime magazine).