ORP Żbik

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This article is about WWII submarine. It is not to be confused with the Cold War-era minsweeper of the same name.
ORP Żbik next to the training sailship Lwów
ORP Żbik next to the training sailship Lwów
History
Naval Ensign of PolandPoland
NameORP Żbik
Namesakewildcat (in Polish)
Laid down1927
Launched14.6.1930
Completed20.2.1932
Commissioned1932
Decommissioned1955
FateScrapped, 1956
General characteristics
Class and type Wilk-class submarine
Displacement
  • 980 tons (surfaced)
  • 1,250 tons (submerged)
Length78.5 m (257 ft 7 in)
Beam5.9 m (19 ft 4 in)
Draught4.2 m (13 ft 9 in)
Propulsion
  • Diesel-Vickers diesel: 1,800 hp (1,300 kW)
  • electric engines: 1,200 hp (890 kW)
Speed
  • 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h; 16.7 mph) surface
  • 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) submerged
Range
  • 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) @ 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
  • 100 nautical miles (190 km; 120 mi) @ 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Complement46–54
Armament
  • 1 × 100 mm (3.9 in) deck gun
  • 2 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) deck anti-aircraft heavy machine guns (mounted in place of 40 mm gun from 1935 onwards)
  • 4 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedo tubes, bow
  • 2 × 550 mm (22 in) (twin) rotating torpedo tubes, midship
  • 16 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedoes (6 in tubes and 10 reloads)
  • 40 × mines

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[]

20.2.1932 - ?.12.1932 captain E. Plawski

?.12.1932 - ?.7.1938 captain H. Kloczkowski

?.7.1938 - 25.9.1939 lieutenant M. Zebrowski

External links[]

Coordinates: 55°38′N 18°54′E / 55.633°N 18.900°E / 55.633; 18.900

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