 ORPBurza as a museum ship | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Poland | |
| Name | ORPBurza |
| Namesake | Thunderstorm |
| Ordered | 2 April 1926 |
| Builder | Chantiers Navals Français, Blainville[1] |
| Laid down | 1 November 1927 |
| Launched | 16 April 1929[2] |
| Commissioned | 10 July 1932 |
| Decommissioned | 28 June 1960 |
| Fate | Scrapped 1977 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Wicher-classdestroyer |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 106.9 m (350 ft 9 in) |
| Beam | 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in) |
| Draft | 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power | 35,000 shp (26,000 kW)[1] |
| Propulsion | Geared turbines |
| Speed | 33.8knots (62.6 km/h; 38.9 mph) |
| Complement | 162 |
| Armament |
|
ORPBurza was aWicher-classdestroyer of thePolish Navy which saw action inWorld War II.
ORPBurza (squallor storm) was ordered on 2 April 1926 from the French shipyardChantiers Navals Français together with hersister shipWicher. She entered service in 1932 (about four years after the intended delivery date), and her first commander was kmdrBolesław Sokołowski.
On 30 August 1939 the Polish destroyers ORPBurza,Błyskawica andGrom were ordered to execute thePeking Plan, and the warships headed forGreat Britain. On 1 September 1939 Polish destroyers met theRoyal Navy destroyersHMS Wanderer andWallace. The British ships led the Polish ships toLeith, and at night the Polish destroyers arrived atRosyth.
In 1940Burza supported British forces off Norway in April and in the English Channel in May.[3] On 4 MayBurza came alongside the battleshipHMS Resolution and took aboard Polish survivors who had survived the sinking of ORPGrom earlier that day.
On 24 May 1940[4]Burza was ordered to join the Royal Navy destroyersHMS Vimiera andWessex and shell German positions that werebesieging Calais, providing support for British troops ashore. At 16.20 the Allied vessels opened fire on enemy armoured column at Sangatte Hill west of Calais. 10 minutes later they were attacked by 27 German aircraft which hit and sankWessex.Vimiera managed to escape.
Then the entire enemy air group concentrated on the Polish destroyer. Shrapnel hits jammed her two 40 mm anti-aircraft guns. Three bombs exploded in the water, damaging her boilers and reducing her speed. Then two bombs exploded in the water near or in her bows, forcingBurza to return to Dover stern first.[4][5] Midshipman Konstanti Okolow-Zubkowski serving onBurza recalled[5] that when back at Dover, an admiral came aboard complaining that debris was being thrown over the side of the ship. The admiral, when shown the forepeak, apologised, not having realised how badly damagedBurza was.
After major repairs in Portsmouth,Burza escorted convoy HX 217 as part ofEscort Group B6.[6] While attached to Escort Group B-3,Burza escorted convoys ONS 167,HX 228, and SL 147/MKS 38.[7]Burza was detached from ONS 167 to defendConvoy ON 166.[8][9] While attached to Support Group 8,Burza escorted convoy SC 145 and the October 1943 convoy to establish British air bases in theAzores.[9]
In 1944Burza became a training ship. In 1945 she became asubmarine tender for Polish submarines. The Polish crew leftBurza in 1946, when she was transferred to the Royal Navy.
In 1951 the ship was returned to thePolish Navy and towed toGdynia in July.Burza was overhauled and entered service in 1955. In 1960 she became amuseum ship. AfterBłyskawica replaced her in that role she was scrapped in 1977.
1932–1940:
1940–1942:
1942–1946:
From 1955:
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
