GROM COMMANDER PETELICKI FOUND DEAD

General Slawomir Petelicki's body was shot dead in a Warsaw suburb on Saturday, June 16, 2012. He was an iconic figure who was respected and admired by people the world over. General Petelicki had a long and illustrious career during Poland's communist, and post-communist eras, specializing in intelligence services. He was the founder of the famous GROM (Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno-Manewrowego), the acronym meaning, Operational Mobile Reaction Group. GROM is the Polish equivalent of the U.S. Navy Seals, and British SAS, and ranks among the worlds top elite special forces. GROM served in special missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Petelicki was found dead Saturday afternoon lying in a pool of his blood, killed by a single gunshot wound to the head - the gun found at the scene. The body was discovered by his wife in the underground parking lot of their apartment building. Preliminary examinations indicate that there were no other injuries to the body and that the bullet had entered the side of the head. Police are handling this as a suicide and are not considering foul play.

The nation of Poland is in shock at the news of his tragic death. Some authorities conclude that Petelick's death was a suicide. Jacek Cichocki, the interior minister stated that it could not be anything but suicide, however close friends and colleagues of the General have expressed skepticism. They claim that Petelicki did not appear to be depressed, and that he was not the kind of person to contemplate such an act. Moreover, he had no health problems. Polish politician, and close friend, Marek Siwiec, emphatically stated that "suicide doesn't quite fit." Prime Minister Leszek Miller supported this view that "men like [Petelecki] don't commit suicide." In the meantime, the body has been transported to a forensic laboratory for autopsy analysis. Definitive results are to be expected in several weeks.

Prosecutors have requested an interview with Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the Law and Justice party, who is purported to have some information related to the General's death. He had stated candidly that "a few weeks ago I had a conversation with a well known figure in public life who told me that there are a number of people at risk because of what they know about how it was in Poland 20 years ago and at the start of the transition. Among them was Mr. Petelicki.” and that the allegation of suicide "should be treated with scepticism." Just days after Petelicki's death, the former defence minister, Romuald Szeremietiew made an announcement to the press that he received death threats from an "influential group" a year ago, but kept quiet about it until now. Szeremietiew added that he is "healthy" and has "no personal problems or ones of a financial nature, and therefore does not intend to commit suicide."

These are very disturbing words indeed, which confirms that there exists sinister elements conniving to maintain secrecy of its operations, past and present. But given the omnipotent power of this mysterious "influential group" to intimidate elected government officials, and allegedly commit murder to fulfill their aims, what chance is there that the truth will ever reach the light of day?

Poland has lost Slawomir Petelicki, a great son and patriot to his country, and the world.  He was a symbol of strength and courage. He is gone but the name Slawomir Petelicki will live on forever, as will his legacy.
Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna.

General Petelicki, Rest In Peace.

Spoczywaj w Pokoju.

GROM ("Thunder") Emblem

Sources:
News Poland Express "Suicide of General Questioned"
The News (Polskie Radio) "Special services founder autopsy suggests suicide"
Intelnews.org  "Founder of Polish special forces found shot dead in Warsaw"
Freepl.info News from Poland "Petelicki's friends do not believe in his suicide"

STALIN'S COURTROOM: THE TRIAL OF THE 16 POLISH LEADERS

The Trial of the 16 was one of the most sinister crimes perpetrated by the Stalinist regime against the Polish nation. From June 18 to June 21, 1945 a series of staged trials were held in Moscow at which sixteen leaders of the Polish underground movement were accused of allegedly "drawing up plans for military action against the USSR." In the presence of international observers and journalists, the Soviet court brazenly ignored legal precepts, and sentenced innocent men to prison on trumped up charges. Even more shocking was the fact that the governments of the United States, and of Britain tacitly accepted the courts' rulings and made no attempt to intercede on behalf of the Polish leaders.

Before World War Two, Stalin had conducted many mock trials and purges to eliminate political opposition and consolidate his power. Those victims however were Russians - the old bolsheviks, heads of the Soviet secret police, members of the Politburo, diplomats, among others. Before the Great Purge which took place from 1937 to 1938, there were the Moscow Trials from 1936 to 1937 which consisted of three major trials. the Trial of the Sixteen, as well as the Trial of the Anti-Soviet Trotskyist Center; and the Trial of the Twenty-One. In every case, the modus operandi was the same. The Russian defendants, or rather, the victims were allegedly charged with the crimes of plotting to assassinate Stalin, overthrow the Soviet regime, and conspire with the western governments to destroy communism, dismember the Soviet Union, and restore capitalism to the masses. The Russian defendants were all sentenced to death, and shot. They had confessed to the crimes under torture.

(1943) Polish bodies exhumed - Katyn

The Stalinist regime made similar accusations against the Polish leaders in the 1945 Trial of the 16. But this trial was just one scenario of a much larger conspiracy. From the very inception of the war it was Stalin's mission (as well as that of Hitler's) to erase every vestige of Polish leadership and authority - the belief that a headless Polish state could more easily be conquered and repressed. Among the Soviet crimes against the Poles were the infamous Katyn Massacres in which over 16,000 Polish officers were arrested by the Soviet NKVD, deported to Russia and systematically executed. Over a million Polish civilians including members of the intelligentsia, had been deported to Russian gulags and either executed or worked to death. This was genocide - the calculated destruction of the Polish people, their culture, and their leadership.

Prisoners in Russian Gulag

Typical of Soviet chicanery, Colonel Pimenov of the Soviet NKVD, on behalf of General Ivanov, sent cordial invitations to the Polish leaders to attend a conference in the city of Pruszkow, Poland and, giving his "word of honour", guaranteed their personal safety. Incidentally, that the Soviets chose Armii Krajowej Street as the location for the conference could not have been a coincidence, I believe, but rather a devious means to lull the Polish leaders into a false sense of security. These gestures led the Polish leaders to believe that they were being called upon to form a Polish Provisional Government. In reality the future of Poland had already been decided by Stalin. It was fait accompli. At the Yalta Conference in February 1945, the Big Three (Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill) agreed upon a Polish Provisional Government which would hold "free and unfettered elections", as soon as possible. But it was a ruse. Just a month earlier the Polish Provisional Government had been taken over by the Soviet-backed Polish Committee of National Liberation (or PKWN). The Polish Government in Exile was outraged and issued a statement protesting the actions of the Soviet Union as having "taken over the sovereign rights of the Polish nation.

Churchill-Roosevelt-Stalin at Yalta Conference February 1945

On March 26 and 27, 1945, the Soviet NKVD captured and arrested the sixteen Polish leaders and deported them to Moscow where they were imprisoned in the infamous Lubyanka prison and subjected to months of brutal torture. The Polish leaders were accused of numerous crimes: such as having collaborated with Nazi Germany; acts of sabotage and terrorism against the Red Army; creating propaganda against the Soviet Union; planning a military alliance with Nazi Germany; owning a radio transmitter, printing machines and weapons; and membership in the Polish underground.

Immediately after the arrest, the Polish Government in Exile sent a message of protest to Washington and London calling for the immediate release of the sixteen Polish leaders. But it fell on deaf ears. Stalin attempted to deflect scrutiny by declaring that the whole episode was merely a ploy concocted by the so-called "Fascist Polish Government", in their effort to discredit the Soviets, and that it was nothing more than fabrication. Even when the truth finally came out on May 5th, Stalin shrugged it off, saying that, "there is no point in linking the case of the Trial of the Sixteen with the support for the Soviet-backed government of Poland because the sentences will not be high." Apparently, the American and British governments agreed hence no action was taken to intervene.

Soviet accusations against the Polish leaders were a complete sham, in particular allegations of collaboration with Nazi Germany. The fact is that the Polish Underground had fought ferociously against Nazi German occupation for the entire six years of the war, culminating in the heroic Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Neither did the Poles engage in any sabotage or terrorist activities against the Red Army. There is an abundance of historical documentation which attests to the fact that the Polish Home Army made many and frantic efforts to solicit the participation of and assistance by the Soviet Red Army in fighting against the Nazi Germans. The Poles fought alone. In a tragic and shocking turn of events, the Red Army advanced as far as the opposite bank of the Vistula, and then stopped short. The Soviet plan was to allow the Nazi Germans to slaughter as many Polish insurgents as possible before advancing on Warsaw and thus (so-called) "liberating" the Poles.

Okulicki defending himself in Russian court June 1945

In the Trial of the 16, the Soviet Union was guilty of countless violations of international law; of kidnapping and detaining citizens of a foreign country, of charging them with alleged crimes committed on foreign soil, of depriving the Polish prisoners of basic human rights, and subjecting them to torture. Moreover, General Okulicki's witnesses were expressly prohibited from even entering the court, and none of the Polish defendants were permitted to plead in their defense. Initially the judge conceded only three witnesses (though Okulicki requested six). But later the judge announced that the three witnesses could not attend the trial due to "bad atmospheric conditions." What's more, the prosecution was unable to provide evidence to support their claims against the Polish defendants. It was a travesty of justice doled out to absurd proportions.

On June 21, 1945, after only three days, the Soviet court delivered its verdicts. Of the sixteen Polish defendants, only one was not forced by the Soviets to admit to alleged crimes, while the others pleaded guilty. By 1951 only two survived. The United States and Britain remained tacit throughout the trial, and to add insult to injury, on July 6, 1945, formally withdrew their support from the legitimate Polish Government in Exile. For the ensuing twenty years, Soviet and Polish communists conducted large-scale man-hunts for former members of the Secret Polish State, and the Home Army (Armia Krajowa). The war had ended in 1945 - but not for the enslaved Polish nation.

POLISH LEADERS ON TRIAL

LEOPOLD OKULICKI (Niedźwiadek)

Commander in Chief of the Armia Krajowa

Okulicki was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He died on Christmas Eve 1946.
The cause of death was attributed to complications brought about by a hunger strike, but speculation indicates that Okulicki may have been murdered.

JAN STANISLAW JANKOWSKI

Deputy Prime Minister of Poland and the Government Delegate

Jankowski was sentenced to 8 years in prison. He died in prison March 13, 1953 just two weeks before the end of his sentence.  Suspicions abound that he was murdered.

ADAM BIEN

MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS

Bien was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment.

STANISLAW JASIUKOWICZ

Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs

Jasiukowicz was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

 

 KAZIMERZ PUZAK

Head of the Council of National Unity, and

PPS-WRN Socialist Party

Puzak was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison and released in November 1945.

He returned to Poland and refused to emigrate.  In 1947 he was arrested again by the infamous secret police, Urzad Bezpieczenstwa and sentenced to 10 years in prison.  Puzak died April 30 1950.

ALEKSANDER ZWIERZYNSKI

Deputy Head of the Council of National Unity and

Head of the Labor Party

Zwierzynski was sentenced to 8 months in prison.

KAZIMERZ BAGINSKI

Member of the Council of National Unity

Baginski was sentenced to 1 year in prison after which he was released. 

He was forced to emigrate to the United States.

EUGENIUSZ CZARNOWSKI

Member of the Council of National Unity

Head of Ziednoczenie Demokratyczne

Czanowski was sentenced to 6 months in prison.

JOZEF CHACINSKI

Member of the Council of National Unity

Head of the Labor Party

Chacinski was sentenced to 4 months in prison.

STANISLAW MIERZWA

Member of the Council of National Unity

Mierzwa was sentenced to 4 months in prison.

ZBIGNIEW STYPULKOWSKI

Member of the Council of National Unity.

Stypulskowski was sentenced to 4 months in prison. 

Upon his release he was forced to emigrate to the United Kingdom.

FRANCISZEK URBANSKI

Member of the Council of National Unity

Urbanski was sentenced to 4 months in prison.

STANISLAW MICHALOWSKI

Member of the Council of National Unity

Michalowski was acquitted of all charges.

KAZIMERZ KOBYLANSKI

Member of the Council of National Unity

Kobylanski was acquitted of all charges.

JOZEF STEMLER

Member of the Council of National Unity 

(interpreter for the group of 16)

Stemler was acquitted of all charges.

ANTONI PAJDAK

Deputy Government Delegate

Pajdak was subjected to a secret trial, and sentenced to 5 years in prison in November 1945.

He was not released until 1955.

The soul of Poland is indestructible. She will rise again like a rock which may for a spell be submerged by a tidal wave 
but which remains a rock.
Winston Churchill.

Suggested Links:
You Tube video footage Moscow Show Trial 1938
Trial of the 16 - June 1945 (in Polish only)
Moscow Trial of the 16 Polish Leaders - June 1945 (in English only)

BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC Part 4: BATTLESHIPS BLUEPRINTS AND SPECIFICATIONS

The lore of the sea and the legend of great battles have always captivated the imagination of generations since time immemorial. The first recorded naval war dates back to 1210 B.C. when the king of the Hitites, Suppiluliuma II defeated a fleet from Cyprus, and set their ships ablaze at sea. Throughout history many other battles were waged by the Assyrians, the Greeks, Persians, Europeans, Norse Vikings, Arabs, and nations of East and South Asia. Virtually every sea-faring nation which depended on the sea, rivers and its tributaries as the means to transport goods and raw materials, were prepared to fight to the death to defend their territorial rights. The past 3,000 years has seen a gradual naval arms race where battleships were built stronger, bigger, and faster, with more powerful weapons, eventually transforming from the elements of wood and wind to that of steel and steam.


World War I and World War Two set the stage for the last era in which famous battleships ruled the waves and when old empires of Great Britain and Germany clashed in epoch sea battles waged for the supremacy of the seas. The Battleships of old had great psychological impact - much like nuclear weapons of today.

Traditional doctrine required that a battleship be accompanied by a fleet of auxiliary vessels, such as battlecruisers, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, airships and aircraft, to scout for enemy vessels. But now the mission of scouting has been taken over by radio operators, direction finding, sonar, radar and traffic analysis. The cost of constructing and maintaining a fleet of battleships was so exorbitant that it met with more than a bit of controversy. In 1879, the French politician, Etienne Lamy wrote, "The construction of battleships is so costly, their effectiveness so uncertain and of such short duration, that the enterprise of creating an armored fleet seems to leave fruitless the perseverance of a people" In due time, the battleship was replaced by faster, long-range cruisers, torpedo boats, submarines, and the queen of naval warfare - the airplane.

Of the many technological innovations made during the two world wars, none made such a drastic impact on naval warfare as the development of the German U-boat, and that of the allied naval aircraft carriers. The Battleship was no longer the embodiment of sea power. Those which have survived the war have been made into museums.

Battle of the Atlantic Part 4: Battleships Blueprints and Specifications, is a tribute to the many grand dames of the sea, once powerful and stately,  The following is the blueprint and specifications of the Bismarck, as well as those several cruisers, and one destroyer.  These were the vessels that took part in the battles that ended with the sinking of the Bismarck. Needless to say, it would be impossible to mention all the ships here, so I have limited the list to a choice few. Though the Polish vessel ORP Piorun was not a battleship per se, but rather a destroyer, their participation in the hunt for the Bismarck earns them an Honourable mention. In fact, much more so, since they engaged in battle with the Bismarck for at least half an hour - an amazing David and Goliath story of the seas.

This is a memorial not only of warships but of the men who perished in the call of duty. As time passes, we may forget the battles, but we will always remember the men who fought with every ounce of sweat, blood and sinew. Their courage will never be forgotten.

BISMARCK

BISMARCK

BUILDER

Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg

 CLASS AND TYPE

Bismarck Class

Battleship 

LAID DOWN

1 July 1936

 

LAUNCHED

14 February 1939

COMMISSIONED

24 August 1940

CONSTRUCTION COST

RM. 196.8 million

DISPLACEMENT
  Empty ship: 40,250 metric tons 

Standard: 43,978 metric tons
  Construction: 47,870 metric tons
  Full load: 51,760 metric tons
  Maximum: 53,486 metric tons

DIMENSIONS
  Waterline length: 241.55 meters
  Overall length:  251 meters
  Beam:  36 meters
  Standard draught:  9.33 meters
  Maximum draught:  10.55 meters
  Freeboard amidships:  between 4.45 - 5.67 meters
  Height of hull sides (depth):  15 meters
  Waterplane area: 5,740 m²

ARMOURED PROTECTION

Upper belt:  145 mm
Main belt:  320 mm
  Main battery turrets:  130-360 mm
  Secondary battery turrets:  40-100 mm
  Upper deck:  50-80 mm
  Third armour deck:  80-120 mm
  Conning tower:  220-350 mm
  Torpedo bulkhead:   45 mm

 Protected length:  70% (170.7 meters)
  PC/TC:  17/22
  Armour's weight:  19,082 metric tons

ARMAMENT 
Main:  8 x 38cm/L52
  Secondary:  12 x 15cm/L55
  Anti-aircraft: 16 x 10.5cm/L65
16 x 3.7cm/L83
18 x 2cm/L65

FIRE CONTROL

5 x 10.5-m base rangefinders
1 x 7-m base rangefinder
2 x 6.5-m base rangefinders
4 x 4-m Type SL-8 rangefinders
2 x 3-m rangefinders

RADAR EQUIPMENT

3 x FuMO 23

PROPULSION PLANT

12 Wagner boilers
Three Blohm & Voss turbine sets
150,170 hp (maximum obtained)

SPEED

30.12 knots (maximum obtained)

ENDURANCE

9,280 nautical miles at 16 knots
8,900 nautical miles at 17 knots
8,525 nautical miles at 19 knots
6,640 nautical miles at 24 knots
4,500 nautical miles at 28 knots

FUEL CAPACITY

8,294 metric tons

AIRCRAFT

4 x Arado Ar 196

CREW

2,200+

Note:

1) Protected length: Part of the ship within the citadel with the maximum amount of armour and underwater protection. 

2) PC/TC: Protected compartments / Total compartments. The protected compartments are those within the citadel.  

BISMARCK in Kiel Harbour 1940

HMS HOOD

HMS HOOD

BUILDER

John Brown & Company 

ORIGINAL COST

 £6,025,000

CLASS & TYPE

Admiral-Class Battle Cruiser

LAID DOWN

September 1, 1916

 

LAUNCHED

August 22, 1918

COMMISSIONED

May 15, 1920

DISPLACEMENT
  46,680 long tons (47,430 t) deep load

DIMENSIONS

Length:  860 ft 7 in (262.3 m)

  Beam:   104 ft 2 in (31.8 m)

Draught: 32 ft 0 in (9.8 m)

 

 ARMOURED PROTECTION

 Belt: 12–6 in (305–152 mm)
Deck: 0.75–3 in (19–76 mm)
Barbettes: 12–5 in (305–127 mm)
Turrets: 15–11 in (381–279 mm)
Conning tower: 11–9 in (279–229 mm)
Bulkheads: 4–5 in (102–127 mm)

PROTECTED LENGTH

65%

ARMAMENT (1941)

4 × 2 – 15-inch (381 mm) guns
7 × 2 – QF 4-inch Mk XVI AA guns
3 × 8 – QF 2-pdr “pom pom” AA guns

5 × 4 – 0.5-inch Vickers machine guns
5 × 20-barrel "Unrotated Projectile" mounts
2 × 2 – 21-inch above water torpedo tubes

 RADAR

1 x Type 284
1 x Type 279M

 

AIRCRAFT

1 fitted 1931–32
1 catapult

 

MACHINERY

4 shafts
Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines
24 Yarrow water-tube boilers

151,280 hp

INSTALLED POWER

144,000 shp (107,000 kW)

 

SPEED

1920: 31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph)
1941: 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)

ENDURANCE

5,950 nm at 18 knots

RANGE

1931: 5,332 nautical miles (9,870 km; 6,140 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)

 FUEL CAPACITY

 1,200 tons / 1219.3 MT of fuel oil

 Maximum load was 4,000 tons / 4064.3 MT.

CREW

1,417

 

PENNANT NUMBER

51

MOTTO

Ventis Secundis

(Latin: "With Favourable Winds")

NICKNAME

Mighty Hood

CREW NICKNAME

 "The Seven Bs"

"Britain's Biggest Bullsh*ttingest B*stard Built By Brown"

FATE
Sunk May 24, 1941

HMS HOOD

PRINZ EUGEN

USS Prinz Eugen

CLASS & TYPE

Admiral Hipper-class
 Heavy Cruiser

LAID DOWN

April 23, 1936

 

LAUNCHED

August 22, 1938

COMMISSIONED

August 1, 1940

DISPLACEMENT

Design:  16,970 t (16,700 long tons; 18,710 short tons)

Design: Full load: 18,750 long tons (19,050 t)

DIMENSIONS

Overall length: 207.7 m (681 ft 5 in)

Beam: 21.7 m (71 ft 2 in)

Draft:  Full load: 7.2 m (24 ft)

 

ARMOURED PROTECTION

Belt: 70 to 80 mm (2.8 to 3.1 in)
Armor deck: 20 to 50 mm (0.79 to 2.0 in)
Turret faces: 105 mm (4.1 in)

ARMAMENT

8 × 20.3 cm (8.0 in) guns
12 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) guns
12 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) guns
8 × 2 cm (0.79 in) guns (20×1)
6 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes

AIRCRAFT

3 aircraft

1 catapult

PROPULSION-MACHINERY

3 × Blohm & Voss steam turbines
3 × three-blade propellers
100,000 hp (75 MW)

SPEED

32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)

CREW

1,340

FATE
Towed to Kwajalein Atoll after nuclear weapons test.

Capsized December 1946

USS PRINZ EUGEN

KING GEORGE V

KING GEORGE V

BUILDER

Vickers-Armstrong, Newcastle upon Tyne

CLASS & TYPE

King George V Class

Battleship

LAID DOWN

January 1, 1937

LAUNCHED

February 21, 1939

COMMISSIONED

December 11, 1940

DISPLACEMENT

42,200 tons (1941)
 

DIMENSIONS

Length: 745 ft (227 m)

Beam: 103 ft (31 m)

Draught: 32.6 ft (9.9 m)

ARMOURED PROTECTION

Main belt: 14.7 in (374 mm)
lower belt: 5.4 in (137 mm)
deck: up to 5.38 in (136 mm)
main turrets: 12.75 in (324 mm)
barbettes: 12.75 in (324 mm)

ARMAMENT

10 × BL 14-inch (360 mm) Mk VII guns
16 × QF 5.25-inch (133 mm) Mk I guns
64 × 2 pounder "pom-pom" (40 mm)

AIRCRAFT

4 Supermarine Walrus planes

 1 double-ended catapult

MACHINERY

8 Admiralty three-drum small-tube boilers with superheaters
4 Parsons single-reduction geared turbines
4 three-bladed propellers, 14 ft 6 in diameter (4.42 m)
125,000 shp

SPEED

28.0 knots (1941 trials)

RANGE

5400+ nm at 18 knots (11.9 tons/hour fuel bur

  

CREW

1,314 to 1,631

PENNANT NUMBER

41

 

FATE

Struck in 1957

Sold for scrap

HMS KING GEORGE V

DKM SCHNARNHORST

DKM Scharnhorst

BUILDER

Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven

TYPE

Battleship – Battle Cruiser

LAID DOWN

June 15, 1935

LAUNCHED

October 3, 1936

COMMISSIONED

January 7, 1939

DISPLACEMENT

32,100 long tons (standard)
38,100 LT (full load)

 

DIMENSIONS

Overall Length: 235 m (772 ft)
Waterline Length: 226 m (741.5 ft)

Beam: 30 m (98.4 ft)

Draught: 9.69 m (31 ft 9 in.) at 37,303 tons

ARMOURED PROTECTION

Belt: 350 mm (14 in)
Deck: 50 mm (2.0 in)
Turrets:200 to 360 mm (7.9 to 14 in)
Conning tower: 350 mm

ARMAMENT

9 × 28 cm/54.5 (11 inch) SK C/34
12 × 15 cm/55 (5.9") SK C/28
14 × 10.5 cm/65 (4.1 inch) SK C/33
16 × 3.7 cm/L83 (1.5") SK C/30
10 (later 16) × 2 cm/65 (0.79")  C/30 or C/38

6 × 533 mm torpedo tubes

AIRCRAFT

3 Arado AR 196A

1 catapult

PROPULSION – MACHINERY

3 Germania/Brown, Boveri & Co geared turbines
3 three-bladed propellers, 4.8 m (15 ft 9 inch) diameter
151,893 shp

SPEED

31 knots (57 km/h)

  

RANGE

7,100 nmi (13,100 km) at 19 kn (35 km/h)

CREW

1,613

FATE

Sunk at the Battle of North Cape

December 26, 1943

DKM SCHARNHORST

HMS PRINCE OF WALES

HMS PRINCE OF WALES

BUILDER

Cammell Laird and Company, Ltd., Birkenhead

CLASS & TYPE

King George V class

Battleship

LAID DOWN

January 1, 1937

LAUNCHED

May 3, 1939

COMMISSIONED

January 19, 1941

DISPLACEMENT

43,786 tons (deep)

 

DIMENSIONS

Overall Length: 745 ft 1 in (227.1 m)
Waterline Length: 740 ft 1 in (225.6 m)

Beam: 103 ft 2 in (31.4 m)

Draught: 34 ft 4 in (10.5 m)

  ARMOURED PROTECTION

Main Belt: 14.7 inches (370 mm)
Lower belt: 5.4 inches (140 mm)
Deck: 5–6 inches (127–152 mm)
Main turrets: 12.75 inches (324 mm)
Barbettes: 12.75 inches (324 mm)
Bulkheads: 10–12 inches (254–305 mm)
Conning tower: 3–4 inches (76–102 mm)

ARMAMENT

10 × BL 14-inch (360 mm) Mark VII
16 × QF 5.25-inch (133 mm) Mk. I
32 × QF 2 pdr 1.575-inch (40.0 mm) Mk.VIII
80x UP projectors

RADAR
Type 279 radar added
Type 284 radar added.
Radars added in May 1941.
4 x Type 282 and Type 285 radars added.
Radar added between June–July 1941.
Type 271 radar added.

AIRCRAFT

4 Supermarine Walrus seaplanes,

1 double-ended catapult

  

PROPULSION –MACHINERY

8 Admiralty 3-drum small-tube boilers
4 sets Parsons geared turbines

INSTALLED POWER

110,000 shp (82,000 kW)

SPEED

28.3 knots (52.4 km/h; 32.6 mph)

RANGE

15,600 nmi (28,900 km; 18,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)

CREW

1621-1941

PENNANT NUMBER

53

MOTTO

"Ich Dien" – German: "I serve"

FATE

Sunk on 10 December 1941

 by Japanese air attack off Kuantan, South China Sea

HMS PRINCE OF WALES

DKM GNEISENAU

DKM GNEISENAU

BUILDER

Deutsche Werke

TYPE

Battleship - Battlecruiser

LAID DOWN

May 6, 1935

  

LAUNCHED

December 8, 1936

COMMISSIONED

May 21, 1938

 

DISPLACEMENT

32,100 long tons (standard)
38,100 LT (full load)

  

DIMENSIONS

Overall Length: 235 m (772 ft)
Waterline Length: 226 m (741.5 ft)

Beam: 30 m (98.4 ft)

 Draft: 9.69 m (31 ft 9 in.) at 37,303 tons

 

ARMOURED PROTECTION

Belt: 350 mm (14 in)
Deck: 50 mm (2.0 in)
Turrets:200 to 360 mm (7.9 to 14 in)
Conning tower: 350 mm

ARMAMENT

9 × 28 cm/54.5 (11 inch) SK C/34
12 × 15 cm/55 (5.9") SK C/28
14 × 10.5 cm/65 (4.1 inch) SK C/33
16 × 3.7 cm/L83 (1.5") SK C/30
10 (later 16) × 2 cm/65 (0.79") C/30 or C/38

6 × 533 mm torpedo tubes

AIRCRAFT

3 Arado Ar 196A

1 catapult

PROPULSTION – MACHINERY

3 Germania/Brown, Boveri & Co geared turbines
3 three-bladed propellers, 4.8 m (15 ft 9 inch) diameter
151,893 shp

SPEED

31 kt

RANGE

6,200 nmi at 19 kn

CREW

1613 - 1669

FATE

Heavily damaged in an air raid 26–27 February 1942.

 Decommissioned. Sunk as a blockship 23 March 1945.

 Scrapped after the war.

DKM GNEISENAU

HMS RODNEY

HMS RODNEY

BUILDER

Cammell, Laird, Birkenhead

ORIGINAL COST

£7,617,799

CLASS & TYPE

Nelson class Battleship

LAID DOWN

December 28, 1922

LAUNCHED

December 17, 1925

COMMISSIONED

November 10, 1927

DISPLACEMENT

33,730 long tons (34,270 t) standard
37,430 long tons (38,030 t) standard full load

 

DIMENSIONS

Overall Length: 710 ft 2 in (216.5 m)

Beam: 106 ft (32.3 m)

Draught: 31 ft (9.44880000 m)

  ARMOURED PROTECTION

Belt: 13–14 in (330–356 mm)
Deck: 4.375–6.375 in (111–162 mm)
Barbettes: 12–15 in (305–381 mm)
Gun turrets: 9–16 in (229–406 mm)
Conning tower: 10–14 in (254–356 mm)
Bulkheads: 4–12 in (102–305 mm)

ARMAMENT

3 × 3 - 16-inch Mk I guns
6 × 2 - 6-inch Mk XXII guns

6 × 1 - QF 4.7-inch Mk VIII anti-aircraft guns
8 × 1 - 2-pounder anti-aircraft guns
2 × 1 - 24.5-inch (620 mm) torpedo tubes

PROPULSION –MACHINERY

2 shafts
2 Brown-Curtis geared turbine sets
8 Admiralty 3-drum oil-fired boilers

 

INSTALLED POWER

45,000 shp (34,000 kW)

SPEED

23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)

RANGE

14,500 nmi (26,900 km; 16,700 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)

CREW

1,314 -1,361

PENNANT NUMBER

29

MOTTO

Non Generant Aquilae Columbas
 "Eagles do not breed doves"

NICKNAME

Rodnol

FATE

Sold for scrap, 26 March 1948

HMS RODNEY

HMS DORSETSHIRE

HMS DORSETSHIRE

  BUILDER

Portsmouth Dockyard

CLASS & TYPE

County-class heavy cruiser

LAID DOWN

September 21, 1927

LAUNCHED

January 29, 1929

COMMISSIONED

September 30, 1930

DISPLACEMENT

10,035 long tons (10,196 t) (standard)
13,420 long tons (13,640 t) (full load)

 

DIMENSIONS

Length: 632 ft 9 in (192.86 m)

Beam: 66 ft (20 m)

Draught: 18 ft (5.5 m)

ARMAMENT

8 × 8 in (200 mm) Mk VIII guns
8 × 4 in (100 mm) dual purpose guns
24 × 2-pounder pom-pom anti-aircraft guns
8 × 24 in (610 mm) torpedo tubes
numerous light anti-aircraft guns

AIRCRAFT

2 × Supermarine Walrus floatplanes

(operated by 700 Naval Air Squadron)

1 catapult

PROPULSION – MACHINERY

4 × Parsons geared or Brown Curtis steam turbines
8 × boilers
4 × shafts

INSTALLED POWER

80,000 shp (60,000 kW)

SPEED

31.5 kn (58.3 km/h; 36.2 mph)

RANGE

12,000 nmi (22,000 km; 14,000 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)

  

CREW

653

FATE

Sunk by IJN aircraft, 5 April 1942

  

HMS DORSETSHIRE

 ORP PIORUN

ORP PIORUN

BUILDER

John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd.

(Clydebank, Scotland) 

ORIGINAL COST

£400,963.16s

(excluding the cost of ammunition and equipment)

CLASS & TYPE

Class N

Destroyer

LAID DOWN

July 26, 1939

LAUNCHED

May 7, 1940

COMMISSIONED

November 4, 1940

FORMER NAME

HMS NERISSA

PENNANT NUMBER

G65

FATE

While under Polish command she had steamed 218,000 miles and given noble service to the allied cause. After two years laid-up at Harwich she was transferred to the Reserve Fleet Division at Sheerness and  later in 1953 joined the Reserve Fleet at Chatham. Although selected for conversion to a Type 16 Anti-Submarine Frigate, this was never undertaken and in 1954 she was moved to Hartlepool to be laid-up. Placed on the Disposal List in May 1955 she was sold to BISCO for demolition in September, and towed to Dunston on Tyne where she arrived at the Clayton & Davie Ltd for breaking-up on 2nd December that year. (source: www.naval-history.net)

ORP PIORUN (Polish Navy)

ALLIED LOSSES 

BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC

1939
 222 ships sunk (114 by submarine)

1940
1059 ships sunk (471 by submarine)

1941
1328 ships sunk (432 by submarine)

1942
1661 ships sunk (1159 by submarine)

1943
597 ships sunk (463 by submarine)

1944

247 ships sunk (132 by submarine)

1945

105 ships sunk (56 by submarine)

BATTLE OF ATLANTIC 4-part series
  
Part 1 TERROR ON THE HIGH SEAS

Part 2 THE WOLF PACK

Part 3  HUNT FOR THE BISMARCK


(Click on previous articles)

Recommended links:

www.hmshood.com

www.maritimequest.com

U-boat.net

Polish Navy WW2

Battle of the Atlantic and the Polish Navy

Battle of the Atlantic: The U-boat peril (BBC History)

Eye Witness to History - Attack on an Arctic Convoy 1942

Naval History WW2