ORP Rybitwa: Difference between revisions

History
Poland
Name	ORP Rybitwa
Builder	Państwowa Stocznia Modlińska, Modlin
Laid down	May 1933
Launched	April 1935
Commissioned	December 1935
Stricken	1972
General characteristics
Class and type	Jaskółka class minesweeper
Displacement	183 t standard
Length	45,0 meters
Beam	5,5 meters
Propulsion	2 x Diesel engines, 1050 HP total
Speed	17,5 knots
Armament	1 x 75mm,; 2 x 7,92mm machine guns; 20 mines or 20 depth charges;

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Revision as of 18:00, 11 July 2010

ORP Rybitwa was a Jaskółka class minesweeper of the Polish Navy at the outset of World War II. Rybitwa participated in the defense of Poland against the Nazi German aggression of 1939. The ship was hit by a Nazi bomb on 14 September 1939 which caused damage. Later the ship was captured by the Germans but returned to serve under the Polish flag after the War.

Rybitwa was constructed in the riverine dockyard in Modlin between 1933 and 1935. The first commander of the ship was Lieutenant Commander Jerzy Kossakowski. The ship was named after the bird tern, "Rybitwa" in Polish.^[1]

Lieutenant Commander Kazimierz Miładowski was the captain of the ship during the September campaign. On August 26 or 27 Rybitwa, which together with two other Polish ships had been stationed in Riga, Latvia, left that port for Gdynia, along with ORP Czajka on full combat alert. After arriving in Gdynia she conducted reconnaissance operations in Gdańsk Bay, between Gdańsk (Danzig) and Królewiec (Königsberg). On 1 September 1939, after the outbreak of the Second World War, Rybitwa and all other 5 minesweepers of her class joined with the minelayer ORP Gryf and took part in the operation Rurka, an attempt to mine the entrances of the Gdańsk Bay.

The Polish flotilla, which included the destroyer ORP Wicher and two gunboats, was attacked by a large formation of German bombers. Rybitwa's twin ship, the ORP Mewa was hit. Despite the great risk involved, the captain of the Rybitwa, Miładowski, made the decision to tow Mewa into port; the operation was a success.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] In the next few weeks, the ship was based at the Jastarnia port and conducted patrols and mine laying operations at night, while defending the Hel peninsula during the day. On the 19th of September, ORP Rybitwa was damaged by bombs while still in port - most of the crew were not onboard at the time. In order to prevent capture by German troops, the ship was scuttled soon after.^[6] The Polish defense of Hel peninsula lasted until October 2nd.^[7] The Germans refloated the ship, renamed her Rixhöft and commissioned her into the Kriegsmarine.^[8] After the end of the WWII the Polish naval mission in Germany found Rybitwa together with 3 of her sister ships in Travemünde. The Polish flag was raised again and her original name was restored. The Germans purposely destroyed as much of their equipment as possible but Polish sailors managed to make the ships seaworthy again and the ships returned back to Poland.^[9]

Rybitwa served in various roles up to 1972 when she was finally decommissioned and scrapped.

Rybitwa, along with other Polish ships of the Jaskółka class, is mentioned in the Günter Grass novella Cat and Mouse.^[10]

References

External links

http://www.1939.pl/uzbrojenie/polskie/marynarka/orp-rybitwa/index.html a webpage which has some pics of Rybitwa

This article about a specific naval ship or boat is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] ttp://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/9992.html

[2] ttp://www.kozmice.pl/tatara_wspomnienia.html

[3] ttp://www.zgapa.pl/zgapedia/ORP_Mewa.html

[4] ttp://www.weu1918-1939.pl/kmw/nawodne/rybitwa_II/kmw_bojowe_nawodne_rybitwa_II.html

[5] ttp://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-3909-06SEP01.htm

[6] [1]

[7] ttp://books.google.si/books?id=QTUTqE2difgC&pg=PA648&lpg=PA648&dq=defense+of+Hel+peninsula&source=bl&ots=TOsrfEx7P3&sig=eidcLqt42ocm_5L2ppdP2OMpaI0&hl=sl&ei=SgQ6TL2-DeWkOLKF0IoK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CDkQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=defense%20of%20Hel%20peninsula&f=false

[8] ttp://www.warshipsww2.eu/shipsplus.php?language=E&period=2&id=69179

[9] ttp://ww2.debello.ca/polish/navy.html

[10] [2]

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 The Polish flotilla, which included the destroyer ''ORP Wicher'' and two gunboats, [[Battle of the Danzig Bay|was attacked by a large formation of German bombers]]. ''Rybitwa's'' twin ship, the ''[[ORP Mewa]]'' was hit. Despite the great risk involved, the captain of the ''Rybitwa'', Miładowski, made the decision to tow ''Mewa'' into port; the operation was a success.<ref>http://www.kozmice.pl/tatara_wspomnienia.html</ref><ref>http://www.zgapa.pl/zgapedia/ORP_Mewa.html</ref><ref>http://www.weu1918-1939.pl/kmw/nawodne/rybitwa_II/kmw_bojowe_nawodne_rybitwa_II.html</ref><ref>http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-3909-06SEP01.htm</ref>
-In the next few weeks, the ship was based at the [[Jastarnia]] port and conducted patrols and mine laying operations at night, while defending the Hel peninsula during the day. On the 19th of September, ''ORP Rybitwa'' was damaged by bombs while still in port - most of the crew were not onboard at the time. In order to prevent capture by German troops, the ship was scuttled soon after.<ref>[http://www.kozmice.pl/tatara_wspomnienia.html]</ref> The Polish defense of [[Hel peninsula]] lasted until October 2nd.<ref>http://books.google.si/books?id=QTUTqE2difgC&pg=PA648&lpg=PA648&dq=defense+of+Hel+peninsula&source=bl&ots=TOsrfEx7P3&sig=eidcLqt42ocm_5L2ppdP2OMpaI0&hl=sl&ei=SgQ6TL2-DeWkOLKF0IoK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CDkQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=defense%20of%20Hel%20peninsula&f=false</ref> The Germans refloated the ship, renamed her ''Rixhöft'' and commissioned her into the Kriegsmarine. After the end of the WWII the Polish naval mission in Germany found ''Rybitwa'' together with 3 of her sister ships in [[Travemünde]]. The Polish flag was raised again and her original name was restored. The Germans purposely destroyed as much of their equipment as possible but Polish sailors managed to make the ships seaworthy again and the ships returned back to Poland.<ref>http://ww2.debello.ca/polish/navy.html</ref>
+In the next few weeks, the ship was based at the [[Jastarnia]] port and conducted patrols and mine laying operations at night, while defending the Hel peninsula during the day. On the 19th of September, ''ORP Rybitwa'' was damaged by bombs while still in port - most of the crew were not onboard at the time. In order to prevent capture by German troops, the ship was scuttled soon after.<ref>[http://www.kozmice.pl/tatara_wspomnienia.html]</ref> The Polish defense of [[Hel peninsula]] lasted until October 2nd.<ref>http://books.google.si/books?id=QTUTqE2difgC&pg=PA648&lpg=PA648&dq=defense+of+Hel+peninsula&source=bl&ots=TOsrfEx7P3&sig=eidcLqt42ocm_5L2ppdP2OMpaI0&hl=sl&ei=SgQ6TL2-DeWkOLKF0IoK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CDkQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=defense%20of%20Hel%20peninsula&f=false</ref> The Germans refloated the ship, renamed her ''Rixhöft'' and commissioned her into the Kriegsmarine.<ref>http://www.warshipsww2.eu/shipsplus.php?language=E&period=2&id=69179</ref> After the end of the WWII the Polish naval mission in Germany found ''Rybitwa'' together with 3 of her sister ships in [[Travemünde]]. The Polish flag was raised again and her original name was restored. The Germans purposely destroyed as much of their equipment as possible but Polish sailors managed to make the ships seaworthy again and the ships returned back to Poland.<ref>http://ww2.debello.ca/polish/navy.html</ref>
 ''Rybitwa'' served in various roles up to 1972 when she was finally decommissioned and scrapped.