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Polish Navy order of battle in 1939

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This article details the Order of Battle of the Polish Navy prior to the outbreak of World War II and the Polish Defensive War of 1939

Following World War I, Poland's shoreline was relatively short and included no major seaports. In the 1920s and 1930s, such ports were built in Gdynia and Hel, and the Polish Navy underwent a modernisation program under the leadership of Counter-Admiral Józef Unrug (CO of the Fleet) and Vice-Admiral Jerzy Świrski (Chief of Naval Staff). A number of ships were acquired from France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, and the Navy was to be able to secure the Polish supply lines in case of a war against the Soviet Union. By September 1939 the Polish Navy consisted of 5 submarines, 4 destroyers, and various support vessels and mine-warfare ships.

This force was no match for the large German Navy, and so a strategy of harassment and indirect engagement was implemented. Lacking numerical superiority, Polish Naval commanders decided to execute the Peking Plan, an operation of withdrawal of most of the naval vessels to British ports, from where the ships were to secure convoys with aid for Poland, either bound for Gdynia or for Constanca in Romania.

Polish Navy Commanders in Chiefs

Polish Navy Bases and Fleets

  • Commander Chief of Polish Navy in Gdynia Naval Base
  • Commander of River Fleet in Warsaw Hq
  • Commander of Polish Pinsk river fleet
  • Commander of Polish Vistula river fleet
  • Polish Naval officer School
  • Polish Naval Depot/Warf and coastal fortifications in "Westerplatte"
  • Polish Naval Base in Hel
  • Polish Air service hq and Naval base in Puck
  • Polish Naval Base in Gdansk
  • Polish Naval Base in Gdynia
  • Polish Naval Base in Rei

Polish School vessel

  • Heavy Minelayer "Gryf"

Dowództo Obrony Wybrzeza(Coast Defence Command)

These unit,was ubiqued in Westerplatte area for protect the polish littoral against enemy disembarcs; led by Major Henryk Sucharski,and executive officer Captain Franciszek Dabrowski others 3,000 soldiers of the Ladowa Obrona Wybrzeza units under Kmdr Wlodzimierz Steyer defended the Hel naval base.;the Westerplatte forces poses ones 180 seamens and marine infantry armed with:

Basic equipment

  • one old artillery piece of 75mm
  • two 37mm AT cannons
  • four mortars
  • 40 heavy machine guns
  • infantry small arms
  • Laskowski coastal Cannons of 152mm

Other armaments later added

  • Two Improvised Armored trains
  • Two 120mm Cannons provided from Damaged Minelayer "Gryf"
  • Artillery support provided from Destroyer "Wicher"
  • Antiaircraft and artillery support by torpedo vessel "Mazur",also other damaged surface units in area

The most heavy piece in area was coastal Battery "Laskowski" (three heavy cannons of 152mm);mentioned detachment was supported by two improvised armored trains.later was recover two 120mm stern mount cannons from sunken minelayer "Gryf" for ampled your defense firepower.

Mentioned coastal cannons damaged at German Destroyer "Lebercht Maas" flag vessel of Konteradmiral Lutjens; your impact destroyed the tower n°27 of 127mm also deaded four artillery servants.such strike causing some delay in enemy naval attacks,when debt to temporary withdrawal from area.later,same cannons,during combats also damaged at German vessels"Schlesien" and "Shleswig-Holstein".

These polish detachment was figthing in land also against the Kriegsmarine Naval detachment (225 units) led by Kapitanleutenant Henningsen,reinforzed by "SS" "Danzig" and "SA" units with support of "Schleswig-Holstein"s four 280mm and five 150mm cannons and Junkers Ju 87 Stukas.such attempt to enemy invasion was defeated by polish defenders.

During german air attacks was damaged the torpedo vessel "Mazur",but your antiaircraf weapons and artillery still firing against invaders until water covered your deck,along the fire support provided by "Wicher".

Later,proper Germans surprised by seriuos naval damages along the galantry and extended Polish land naval resistance in such place,created the myth of "Westerplatte Festung".

Morski Dyon Lotniczy(Air Naval Service)

Such air naval units was led by Commander E. Szystowski with base in Puck naval detachment.this air group was equiped with:

  • Lublin R-VIIIbis
  • Lublin R-XIIID
  • RWD (D.W.L.) 17
  • RWD (D,W.L.) 14 Czapla
  • P.Z.L. P.7a
  • CANT Z.506B Airone

between other aircrafts.

These commander was the first officer member of Polish naval forces falling in debt when at 06.00 Hr,your command post was object of attacks by Junkers Ju 87 Stuka s,along the Oxhoft detachment,in Gdynia naval base.

dywizjon (Air naval Group) "Puck"

Polish Destroyers units

Polish Submarine units

such units stay at orders of "Komandor" Mohuczy why disposes of "Worek" operation for impede the enemy disembarcs in polish littoral.

The German minelayer "H-85" crashed with one sea mine,one of the putting by Polish submarine "Zbik",sinking with your 23 seamens aboard,was the first naval surface unit loss by Kriegsmarine during Second World War.

Other Polish naval auxiliar units

Mentioned list included others six oldest ex-German Torpedo vessels,and other auxiliar boats.

Polish river fleets

This unit stay at command of "Komandor" Zajaczkowski.polish army counted with this section how possibly weapon reserve against Germans but was very busy in figthing against soviet forces,until september 21,when you last unit in combat,the "Krakow" patrol river boat covered at polish land forces,figthing against Russian Armored vehicles,was ordered your sinking for your operators,for prevent your enemy capture.

"Pinsk" polish river detachment

This section counted between your forces ones six monitor river boats and other little patrol boats,was subordinated at Polish Army in area.

"Vistula" polish river detachment

Mentioned unit poses similar organization,and stay at orders of Polish forces in sector.

Polish river units

References

  • "The Baltic in Flames:the 1939 naval campaing",By Cristino Castroviejo Vicente (Spanish Naval Circle),P.28-37,Review "Serga" (Historia Militar del Siglo XX)(in spanish),March-April 2001,Ed Almena Ediciones,Madrid,Spain.(almena@retenmail.es)(http://www.libreria-almena.com).

As short and detailed historical relate about first shots of German war vessel Schleswig-Holstein why cominzed the Second World War and figth of Polish Navy in defense of country.

  • "The Polish Submarine "Orzel" scaped from internment and went on to figth the Germans against long odds",for Wilfred P.Deac,P.14- 18,Review "World War II",Vol 11 (N°2),July 1996,Ed Cowles Enthusiast Media History Group,Leesburg,VA 22975,USA.

If history about Crew of Polish Submarine Orzel fougth the Germans against long odds in the icy waters of Scandinavia.

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