Greetings from Wroclaw, Poland!
Just some comments to one of the photos.
[quote="Laurence Batchelor"]
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Here are some Polish destroyer photos I can share with you, I hope they are helpful:
This might be Grom? not sure as see seems to normally have the letter G painted on her bows and I could not find anywhere that gave the dates when they had certain pennant numbers
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Photos are nice, thank you for posting them. Photo No.4 depicts ORP Burza after the war. 2nd and 3rd funnel has been joined together and that is why she resembles Blyskawica class. (ORP Grom was actually a sistership of ORP Blyskawica ) The 1st funnel is barely visible beetwen legs of the tripod mast.
After the war ORP Blyskawica wore side number 51 and ORP Burza 52. After Burza was scrapped (only the tripod mast lasts in Kolobrzeg Museum to this day) ORP Blyskawica was given side number 271.
donalyah00 wrote:
After the war ORP Blyskawica wore side number 51 and ORP Burza 52. After Burza was scrapped (only the tripod mast lasts in Kolobrzeg Museum to this day) ORP Blyskawica was given side number 271.
It is indeed a French destroyer, either Ouragan or one of her sisters. Somehow, I think it's Ouragan
On a related note, I downloaded plans for the Ouragan from the SHD website. They were quite elegant, and the plans do them justice. I now have plans for Blyskawica, and Ouragan, maybe I'll start a collection??
"It is best to remain silent and let others assume you are dumb than to speak up and remove all doubt"
Nope, sorry I was in error, getting the postcard out, this information is actually printed and not written on and is also on the front and not the back. Abrahams postcard: 'ORP K.T. Ouragan (ex French Ouragan)'.
This photo judging by weapons fit and pennant number is her in her original French configuration.
Collecting postcards for a database and naval research are two different activities.
What Rob shows is her post her mid-1940 wartime RN modifications.
This was done whilst they were in British hands due to shortages of ammunition and spares if the French armaments had been kept.
So the RN fitted some spare early mk 4.7inch guns, a 12pdr and eventually oerlikons.
There are a number of colour photos of the preserved Blyskawica on the Polish Wikipedia site: link - with some useful close-ups of the ship's superstructure and fittings.
It looks very well preserved - either it has been restored to its WW2 fit, or it wasn't changed much post-war (quite a contrast to HMS Belfast and Cavalier)
You will also find lots of superb wartime and 1930s photos of the Blyskawica and Grom and other Polish destroyers online as the Poles have much less restrictive copyright laws than we do in the UK.
A few years ago I found some in dry dock in Southampton (think they were late 1930s) which gave away much detail.
P.S. I was just looking up something in Warship for another board member and came across an easy to miss large photo of Blyskawica and Grom.
It appears full page on Warship Vol 1 No.3 p63 (H/B version) or Warship No.3 for the softbacks.
Its copyrighted Conway Photo Library, but it shows both destroyers from the bow tied up alongside each other and states 'shortly after their escape to England'.
They appear painted overall dark grey.
Last edited by Laurence Batchelor on Sun Nov 04, 2007 2:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
[quote="Avery Boyer"]It is indeed a French destroyer, either Ouragan or one of her sisters. Somehow, I think it's Ouragan
You're absolutely right. It is for sure Ouragan.
This ship as ONLY destroyer of Bourrasque class wore tactical number "42"
for some time.
This number was also worn by destroyer Basque of L'Adroit class but the
Basque coud be recognized by many details to mention the position of anchor, shape of windshield on navigation bridge, number and position of
steam pipes on funnels,etc.
Rob wrote:How long did Ouragan serve with the Polish navy?
Cheers,
Rob
To be even more precise she commissioned with a Polish crew for the Rosyth Command on 18-07-1940.
She was then handed over to a Free-French crew as accomodation ship, Portsmouth on 30-04-1941.
Joaquin
I think to insert a photo you first have to upload it to photobucket or a similar website, which means registering with that first. Then you have to copy the image location, click the img button, paste in the image location then click the img location again to close it.
I would be interested to see your model as I have a 1:700 Wilk to do
