Wicher class destroyer
Encyclopedia
Wicher-class destroyer
s served in the Polish Navy
during World War II
. Two ships of this class were built for the Second Polish Republic
by Chantiers Naval Français during the late 1920s. They were modified versions of the Bourrasque-class destroyers
built for the French Navy
.
, Poland's shoreline was very short (only 142 km) and there was no need to create a large naval force. Initially consisting merely of four naval trawler
s and two monitor
s — all inherited from the Kaiserliche Marine
— in 1924 the Polish Navy
was to start the construction of nine submarines. As Poland's greatest possible enemy at that time was perceived to be the Soviet Union
, their only task would be to secure supply convoy
s from France in case of a war. However, due to the economic crisis and the customs war
with Germany
, this plan had to be abandoned and eventually only three ships were ordered from France.
At that time the government of Władysław Grabski tried to obtain a large credit
from France. It has been suggested that many members of the French government were stock owners of the newly created Chantiers Naval Francais shipyard in Caen
, and such a credit would be granted if the shipyard signed a contract with the Polish government
. As the shipyard had no experience in shipbuilding and submersibles were believed to be very complicated to build, on September 9, 1925 it was decided instead to purchase two destroyers for the approximate price 22 million złotys. After initial talks, the shipyard presented Poland with a plan for two modified Bourrasque-class destroyers
. On April 2, 1926 the contract was signed.
From the very beginning of the project, it was readily apparent that the Wicher class had severe problems: the destroyers were relatively slow, had a large silhouette with three large funnels
, and were inadequately armoured. Additionally, flaws in the project's planning resulted in poorly designed water-resistant chambers and pipelines, which could result in the ship being immobilized after only minor damage. Also the ships suffered from poor stability due to fuel tanks being located high up on the superstructure
just below the bridge. As the shipyard had absolutely no experience in building vessels of this size, there were numerous other construction flaws that were only discovered after the ship was delivered. Some of the flaws were corrected on the insistence of the Polish admiralty, but others could not be resolved.
Regardless of the many drawbacks to the Wicher class, since the purchase was based on political, rather than military needs, the Polish authorities decided to continue on and have the destroyers built. Construction of each ship took four years, almost two years more than initially planned. The steam turbine
s were built in Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire
in St. Nazaire, while the armament was mounted at the French marine arsenal
in Cherbourg. The first ship was launched on July 10, 1928, but it was not until July 8, 1930, when she was finally commissioned by the Polish Navy in the Cherbourg harbour. She was named ORP Wicher ("gale
"), in accordance with the French tradition of naming destroyers after meteorological phenomena. A week later she arrived at Gdynia
and became the first modern ship of the Polish naval forces. The second ship of the class, ORP Burza
("storm
"), was not finished until 1932, almost four years after the initial deadline.
ORP Wicher was sunk in the opening days of the Invasion of Poland
in 1939. ORP Burza survived the war, became a museum ship
and was eventually scrapped in 1977.
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s served in the Polish Navy
Polish Navy
The Marynarka Wojenna Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej - MW RP Polish Navy, is the branch of Republic of Poland Armed Forces responsible for naval operations...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Two ships of this class were built for the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
by Chantiers Naval Français during the late 1920s. They were modified versions of the Bourrasque-class destroyers
Bourrasque class destroyer
The Bourrasque class was a group of twelve French navy destroyers laid down in 1923 and commissioned from 1926 to 1936. Along with the heavier Chacal class, they were part of a plan to modernise the French fleet after World War I. The Bourrasques were smaller and slower than the Chacals, but were...
built for the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
.
History
After the Great WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Poland's shoreline was very short (only 142 km) and there was no need to create a large naval force. Initially consisting merely of four naval trawler
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
s and two monitor
Monitor (warship)
A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...
s — all inherited from the Kaiserliche Marine
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
— in 1924 the Polish Navy
Polish Navy
The Marynarka Wojenna Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej - MW RP Polish Navy, is the branch of Republic of Poland Armed Forces responsible for naval operations...
was to start the construction of nine submarines. As Poland's greatest possible enemy at that time was perceived to be the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, their only task would be to secure supply convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s from France in case of a war. However, due to the economic crisis and the customs war
Customs war
A Customs war, also known as a toll war or tariff war, is a type of economical conflict between two or more states. In order to pressure one of the states, the other raises taxes or tariffs for some of the products of that state...
with Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, this plan had to be abandoned and eventually only three ships were ordered from France.
Credit (finance)
Credit is the trust which allows one party to provide resources to another party where that second party does not reimburse the first party immediately , but instead arranges either to repay or return those resources at a later date. The resources provided may be financial Credit is the trust...
from France. It has been suggested that many members of the French government were stock owners of the newly created Chantiers Naval Francais shipyard in Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
, and such a credit would be granted if the shipyard signed a contract with the Polish government
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
. As the shipyard had no experience in shipbuilding and submersibles were believed to be very complicated to build, on September 9, 1925 it was decided instead to purchase two destroyers for the approximate price 22 million złotys. After initial talks, the shipyard presented Poland with a plan for two modified Bourrasque-class destroyers
Bourrasque class destroyer
The Bourrasque class was a group of twelve French navy destroyers laid down in 1923 and commissioned from 1926 to 1936. Along with the heavier Chacal class, they were part of a plan to modernise the French fleet after World War I. The Bourrasques were smaller and slower than the Chacals, but were...
. On April 2, 1926 the contract was signed.
From the very beginning of the project, it was readily apparent that the Wicher class had severe problems: the destroyers were relatively slow, had a large silhouette with three large funnels
Funnel (ship)
A funnel is the smokestack or chimney on a ship used to expel boiler steam and smoke or engine exhaust. They can also be known in as stacks.-Purpose:...
, and were inadequately armoured. Additionally, flaws in the project's planning resulted in poorly designed water-resistant chambers and pipelines, which could result in the ship being immobilized after only minor damage. Also the ships suffered from poor stability due to fuel tanks being located high up on the superstructure
Superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships...
just below the bridge. As the shipyard had absolutely no experience in building vessels of this size, there were numerous other construction flaws that were only discovered after the ship was delivered. Some of the flaws were corrected on the insistence of the Polish admiralty, but others could not be resolved.
Regardless of the many drawbacks to the Wicher class, since the purchase was based on political, rather than military needs, the Polish authorities decided to continue on and have the destroyers built. Construction of each ship took four years, almost two years more than initially planned. The steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
s were built in Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire
Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire
Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire was a French shipbuilding company of the late 19th and early 20th century.ACL was formed in 1881 in Nantes by Jollet Babin to take advantage of the expansion of the French Navy....
in St. Nazaire, while the armament was mounted at the French marine arsenal
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
in Cherbourg. The first ship was launched on July 10, 1928, but it was not until July 8, 1930, when she was finally commissioned by the Polish Navy in the Cherbourg harbour. She was named ORP Wicher ("gale
Gale
A gale is a very strong wind. There are conflicting definitions of how strong a wind must be to be considered a gale. The U.S. government's National Weather Service defines a gale as 34–47 knots of sustained surface winds. Forecasters typically issue gale warnings when winds of this strength are...
"), in accordance with the French tradition of naming destroyers after meteorological phenomena. A week later she arrived at Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
and became the first modern ship of the Polish naval forces. The second ship of the class, ORP Burza
ORP Burza
ORP Burza was a of the Polish Navy which saw action in World War II.-History:ORP Burza was ordered on 2 April 1926 from the French shipyard Chantiers Naval Francais together with her sister ship Wicher...
("storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
"), was not finished until 1932, almost four years after the initial deadline.
ORP Wicher was sunk in the opening days of the Invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
in 1939. ORP Burza survived the war, became a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
and was eventually scrapped in 1977.
The Wicher-class ships
| Keel laid | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | |
| ORP Wicher | Feb. 1927 | July 1928 | July 1930 | Sep. 1939 (sunk) |
| ORP Burza ORP Burza ORP Burza was a of the Polish Navy which saw action in World War II.-History:ORP Burza was ordered on 2 April 1926 from the French shipyard Chantiers Naval Francais together with her sister ship Wicher... |
Nov. 1927 | Apr. 1929 | Mar. 1932 | June 1960 |
Sources
- Navies in Exile by Divine, A.D., John Murray Publishers LtdJohn Murray (publisher)John Murray is an English publisher, renowned for the authors it has published in its history, including Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lord Byron, Charles Lyell, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Herman Melville, and Charles Darwin...
, London, 1944
