Polish Motor Torpedo Boats & Motor Gun Boats of WW2 (S-1 to S-10).pdf

(3736 KB) Pobierz
POLISH MOTOR TORPEDO BOATS &
MOTOR GUN BOATS OF WW2.
(S-1 to S-10)
S = ‘SCIGACZE’
(….PURSUER/CHASER)
A BRIEF HISTORY BY TIM DEACON
Polish MTB ‘S-7’ on trials as HMTB 426 in the Solent, 1944.
1
Polish Motor Torpedo Boats and Motor Gun Boats from
WW2.
Before WW2, the Polish Government planned to build 17 MTBs, financed from
public subscriptions (one from each of the Polish provinces) and originally designated
for use in the Baltic Sea. A commission was appointed on the 9
th
September 1938, to
consider various tenders from a variety of shipbuilders.
The Polish Navy was well acquainted with the shipbuilders J Samuel White in Cowes
on the Isle of Wight, and a contract for the building of the first two was signed on 24
th
January 1939, being due to be delivered in March 1940.
Originally, they were to be fitted with Italian ‘Isotta-Frascini’ petrol engines,
manufactured in Monterosa, Milan, which would give the boats a speed of 41-45
knots. The British Admiralty supervised their construction and they were given yard
building numbers 5308 and 5309.
In August 1939 four Italian engines arrived in the UK for the boats, and a Polish
Naval Technical Delegate arrived to assist in supervising the construction. In Poland,
war was finally declared on 1
st
September 1939 and work came to a temporary halt;
the boats were requisitioned by the Royal Navy, hence the RN numbering (MTBs
424-429) in some official photographs.
The ‘Isotta-Frascini’ engines were fitted to the first boat, S-1, but spares proved a
problem once Italy allied with Germany, and other engines had to be sourced, mainly
from the USA in the shape of Packard V-12 petrol engines, similar to Rolls-Royce
Merlin engines. These powered most of Coastal Forces MTBs and MGBs built in
WW2. Other American engines, such as the Stirling Admiral were also sourced.
Ultimately, ten boats were built, seven at White’s (as Torpedo Boats, S-1 and S-5 to
S-10) and three, (as Motor Gun Boats S-2, S-3 and S-4) at the British Power Boat
Company in Hythe, Southampton.
The Polish coastal craft were based at, or visited, many English ports including
Cowes, Gosport [HMS Hornet], Dover [HMS Wasp], Ramsgate, Felixstowe [HMS
Beehive], Lowestoft [HMS Mantis], Portland/Weymouth [HMS Bee], Fowey and
Dartmouth. Some also sailed around Lands End, as far as Holyhead [Anglesea] and
Milford Haven on training exercises.
The Polish boats were commanded by junior officers, in their early 20’s, who rotated
frequently and often commanded more than one boat during their service. The officers
and men had a fearsome reputation, and adapted quickly to their situation, many
marrying local girls in the areas where they were stationed.
The boats were all wood, the hulls being of ‘double diagonal’ construction, built and
maintained with expertise and wartime pride.
At the end of WW2, most of the surviving boats were put into temporary storage, to
be sold by a branch of the MOD, ‘The Director of Small Craft Disposals’ who offered
them at reasonable prices. Many were still in wartime ex-service condition (minus
their armament) and some had their original, very expensive-to-operate and somewhat
2
dangerous, petrol engines installed. Some were re-engined with more economical
diesel or petrol/paraffin engines, if they were to be used as motor yachts and some had
their engines and gearboxes removed to make more living space in the engine room.
After the war they made reasonably cheap living accommodation and at that time
moorings were fairly easy to find at moderate cost.
In the text, Polish officer’s naval ranks and the British equivalent are as follows:
Pod-Chorazy -
Midshipman
Podporucznik Marynarki (Ppor. Mar.) –
Sub-Lieutenant
Porucznik Marynarki (Por. Mar.) –
Lieutenant
Kapitan Marynarki (Kpt. Mar.) –
Lieutenant Commander
Komandor Podporucznik (Kdr. Ppor.) –
Commander
Komandor Kdr.) –
Captain
Details of Polish Boats numbered S-1 to S-10:
During WW2, S-1 was commanded by Por. J. Sokolowski, Por. T. Dabrowski, Por. E.
Wcislicki and finally Ppor. J. Dobrodzicki.
MGB S-1
(the ‘S’ is Polish for
Scigacze,
meaning
pursuer or chaser)
was ordered in
January 1939 and built by the J Samuel White Shipyard in Cowes and delivered in
April 1940, at a cost of £31,000. She had the unofficial name of
‘Chart’ (meaning,
‘Greyhound’).
She served in the 3
rd
MGB Flotilla and was based in Fowey, Cornwall.
She was lost after a fire at sea, together with her CO, Lt. Sokolowski on October 16
th
.
1940.
Technical data for S-1:
Displacement:
35 tons / 39 tons full load
Engines:
3 x Isotta-Frascini petrol, total 3450hp/later re-engined with Packards
Dimensions:
75’ x 16’6” x 4’6”
Range:
270nm. @ 38kts. / 450nm. @ 20kts. Fuel carried: 5.1 tonnes/100 octane
Armament:
4x 7.6mm
(As completed)
2x 12.7mm
1x 20mm
Complement:
12
Speed:
38 – 42 kts.
Polish MGB S-1, ‘Chart’, (‘Greyhound’).
3
S-1 was originally designed for use with torpedoes (note the ‘scalloped’ sheer line
next to the bridge), but used as a MGB by the Polish Navy.
Upper photo: J Samuel White’s MGB 47.
Lower photo: White’s MGB 48, which became S-1.
Italian Isotta-Frascini MTB Engine.
(Photo: Tim Deacon)
MGBs S-2 and S-3:
During WW2, S-2 was commanded by Por. E. Wcislicki, Por. M. Bochenski, Por. W.
Szuster and finally Por. J Krasucki.
4
These 63’ MGBs were designed by George Selman and built by ‘The British Power
Boat Company’ in Hythe, Southampton, originally as MTBs for Norway.
S-2
(unofficial name: ‘Wilczur’,
meaning ’Wolfhound’),
engaged 6 German E-boats
on the night of 22
nd
June 1944 which were about to attack a British Convoy in the
Dover Straits. The skipper, Lt. E. Wcislicki (nicknamed “Whisky”, as his name was
unpronounceable by most RN sailors!), eventually changed his name to become
Captain Westlake RN, and was awarded the DSC and the Polish Virtuti Militari.
Polish MGB S-2 (as MGB 44).
(Illustration: ‘Kartonowy Arsenal’ card model of S-2)
Polish MGB, S-2 (ex-MGB 44).
(Photo: Geoffrey Hudson Collection)
S-2 paid off on 5
th
July 1944 and was laid up in Devonport. A Polish Naval Mission
inspected her there on 14
th
March 1947, but as she was considered to be in bad shape,
they decided not to take her back to Poland. In 1951 she was apparently used as a
‘target boat’ for RN gunnery practice.
5

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika:

Zgłoś jeśli naruszono regulamin