Small coastal combattants of the Polish Navy and Coast Guard

The time has come for the thread finale.

With dedication to Gollevainen who suggested I do a redraw of ORP Kaszub.

ORP Kaszub is the result of the lengthy, difficult complicated design process, marked by changing technical expectations as well as unwilingness of Soviet Union (which was the main source of most of the specialized equipment at the time) to allow production of such ships in Poland and to deliver necessary parts. Whole development process that ultimately led to ORP Kaszub begun in late 1950s when Centralne Biuro Konstrukcji Okrętowych Nr 2 (CBKO-2, Central Bureau of Ship Construction No.2) made initial projects for ahole array of ASW ships ranging from large sumarine chasers (project numbers Pr.605.3, Pr.606, Pr.607, Pr.608, Pr.609) to small frigates (Pr.610 and Pr.611). Although none of these projects was ordered for further development, some small-scale work on refining of small frigate designs continued.

At that time (mid 1960s) ASW capabilities of the Polish Navy were centered around 8 large submarine chasers Pr.122bis which were, however, already outdated and worn out. As a stop-gap replacement a series of 8 Pr.912M submarine chasers was ordered, thereby causing further design work at CBKO-2 to firmly concentrate on corvette/frigate sized ships. In the late 1960s this design bureau proposed two new designs of small frigates: Pr.618 and Pr.619, but both of these were soon shelved and in 1971 design work has begun on improved design Pr.618M (in three variants). Year later they evolved into Project 620 proposed in 5 variants differing with size (between 71,5m and 82,1m) and displacement (between 710 to 904tonnes) but similar armament (one twin 57mm gun, two twin 23mm or 30mm AAA, two RBG launchers and two 533mm torpedo launchers).

After further refinement, the project accepted for realization in 1973 was to have standard displacement of 1010t, length of 82,5m, armament of one twin 57mm (located aft), two twin 23mm AAA, one twin Osa-M (SA-N-4) SAM launcher on bow, two RBG launchers, four single 533mm torpedo launchers and two deptch charge racks. Further design works were bogged down due to refusal of Soviet Union to supply relevant technical information about certain equipment (sensors, armament) in the second half of the 1970s (during which further changes to the basic design were made) and only in 1981 an aproppriate Polish-Soviet agreement was signed, allowing works to restart.

Polish Navy initially ordered single experimental vessel, but in 1983 general project review was necessary as the technical data received from the Soviet Union made significant changes necessary. Works on the ship started officially in june 1984 (although de facto they begun already in november 1983) and progressed relatively fast (thanks to extensive preparations), despite (again) Soviet refusal to supply certain elements, like Osa-M SAM (which was to be placed where aft 23mm AAA is placed) or 57mm gun (76mm AK-176M was delivered instead, but only in 1992). New ship was christened Kaszub, which met with certain disapproval since that name is considered jinxed in Polish Navy - first ship of that name, ex-German torpedo boat of V-105 class, sunk in shipyard on 20th of july 1925 due to mysterious explosion - possible sabotage - in the boiler room, second ship, M-XV class submarine serving in the Polish Navy between 1954 and 1963 got stuck on a shoal on 28th of november 1957 and attempts to leave it led to death of three crew members and significant damage to the ship. Third Kaszub also had it's part in reinforcing reputation of its name - during launching ceremony on 30th of december 1984 hull left the slipway only with its aft (side launching), damaging the bow in the process. Only after several hours of efforts whole ship left the slipway, allowing it to be towed for repair and further works to other shipyard, where it was re-launched on 11th of may 1985 (which has become official launching date).

ORP Kaszub was commissioned in the Polish Navy on 15th of march 1987 (though still without main gun) and assigned to 9. Flotylla Obrony Wybrzeża (9th Coastal Defence Flotilla) at Hel. Although there was an option for second ship (with whole series planned of up to 10 ships), it was ultimately cancelled. Between july 1989 and december 1990 Kaszub served (on loan) in the Coast Guard and In 1992 the 76mm gun was finally delivered.

Drawing shows the ship in it's early "full" configuration (around mid 1990s). Since then several minor changes have been made - decoy launchers were removed, bow flagpole changed it's shape and RHIB moved from port side (invisible on the drawing) of lower deck to upper deck (just in front of aft 23mm gun).

[ img ]

And as "final touch" of this thread, I present You ORP Korsarz. While not a combat ship but a pilot cutter, this humble ship played a significant role in the history of post-war Polish Navy. It was built in 1936 in Gdynia (where she also served in port administration as Pilot V), during the war was used by Germans. After the liberation of Gdynia (28th of march 1945) she was found on 7th of april 1945 by personnel of the 1 Samodzielny Morski Batalion Zapasowy (1. SMBZ, 1st Autonomous Naval Replacements Battalion) of the Polish People's Army and day later commissioned as the first ship of the reborn Polish Navy in country (as opposed to ships of the Polish Navy in Exile in Great Britain). It served as liason cutter for the next year and in april 1946 it was returned to Maritime Administration in Gdynia where it served as pilot cutter for the next 20 years.

[ img ]

In this thread I tried to show all the small combat vessels of the post-war Polish Navy and Coast Guard. I was unable - for various reasons - to present some of the early small boats of the Coast Guard, as well as submarine chaser ORP Bitny (for which there are almost no sources in existence). Only major ships not covered by this thread are three Jaskółka-class minesweepers that for a time being in early 1950s were reclassified as patrol ships, but these were shown in WhyMe's great thread All Polish Minesweepers: http://www.shipbucket.com/forums/viewto ... 583#p34583

Many thanks to all of You for Your interest in this thread throughout this more than a year and You kind comments.

I have also done some modifications to some of my older drawings, and did some "reorganization" in my Photobucket album. For that reason all drawings in this thread were "re-posted" - many of them are exactly the same, several (older) were repainted or had some minor details changed and torpedo boats D-3 and submarine chasers Pr.193 and Pr.200 (first three drawings in the thread) were totally redrawn.

Shipbucket

Who is online