ORP Żbik
 ORP Żbik next to the training sailship Lwów
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Poland | |
| Name | ORP Żbik |
| Namesake | wildcat (in Polish) |
| Laid down | 1927 |
| Launched | 14.6.1930 |
| Completed | 20.2.1932 |
| Commissioned | 1932 |
| Decommissioned | 1955 |
| Fate | Scrapped, 1956 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Wilk-class submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 78.5 m (257 ft 7 in) |
| Beam | 5.9 m (19 ft 4 in) |
| Draught | 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in) |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Complement | 46–54 |
| Armament |
|
ORP Żbik was a Wilk-class submarine which saw service in the Polish Navy from 1932 to 1955. Her name means "wildcat" in Polish.
Żbik was laid down in 1927 in Caen, launched in 1930, and entered service in 1932. When World War II began on 1 September 1939, she took part in the Worek Plan for the defense of the Polish coast. According to the plan she laid her mines, one of which sank a small (525 t) German minesweeper M85 on 1 October. After suffering battle damage and shortages of fuel, the submarine withdrew to neutral Swedish waters and was interned on 25 September. After the war, she returned to Poland in October 1945 and served in the navy of the Polish People's Republic until 1955. She was scrapped in 1956.
Commanders
[edit]20.2.1932 - ?.12.1932 captain E. Plawski
?.12.1932 - ?.7.1938 captain H. Kloczkowski
?.7.1938 - 25.9.1939 lieutenant M. Zebrowski