ORP Kujawiak in the Operation Harpoon
Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:19 am
Polish Navy , must be said tiny complement of (actually all of them combatant) ships was employed to different tasks by HM Admiralty equal to their own HM ships.
Some of the missions later became famous, much more sort of routine.
Operation Harpoon in which weaker forces of the British - and one Polish- destroyers fought a battle in defense of a Malta supply WS19 convoy was one of them.
ORP Kujawiak was commissioned under Polish flag on the 30th May 1941 and had had before intensive duties in escorting coastal convoys as well as taking part in operation Anklet - seizure of the Lofoten islands.
On the 04 June 1942 the 12th DF ( four Hunts, including Kujawiak) joined Force X and was escorting six merchants heading for Malta.
Before being mined and sunk at the gate of (relatively) safe Malta base ORP Kujawiak was part of the close escort of the convoy.
There were four Hunts led by HMS Cairo one of them the Polish ship.
In the gunnery phase of the battle HMS Cairo (flag) and the Hunts stayed with the convoy in order to protect it from aerial attacks making also smoke to hide the merchants which were within the range of the Italian cruisers and destroyers .
The Italians were shortening the range from initial sighting of 17 000 yds to distance 14 000 yds and ORP Kujawiak fired six salvos aiming at the left cruiser.
In fact as taken from the Italian sources her target was destroyer Vivaldi. During the exchange of fire ORP Kujawiak avoided by maneuver one of the torpedoes fired by the Italian destroyer Malocello .
When the range increased to 17 000 yds the British and Polish ships ceased firing in order to spare ammunition to engage bigger Italian ships.
At 0900hrs the close escort supported by the three HM fleet destroyers returned to convoy to protect it against continued aerial attacks.
tbc
gd
Some of the missions later became famous, much more sort of routine.
Operation Harpoon in which weaker forces of the British - and one Polish- destroyers fought a battle in defense of a Malta supply WS19 convoy was one of them.
ORP Kujawiak was commissioned under Polish flag on the 30th May 1941 and had had before intensive duties in escorting coastal convoys as well as taking part in operation Anklet - seizure of the Lofoten islands.
On the 04 June 1942 the 12th DF ( four Hunts, including Kujawiak) joined Force X and was escorting six merchants heading for Malta.
Before being mined and sunk at the gate of (relatively) safe Malta base ORP Kujawiak was part of the close escort of the convoy.
There were four Hunts led by HMS Cairo one of them the Polish ship.
In the gunnery phase of the battle HMS Cairo (flag) and the Hunts stayed with the convoy in order to protect it from aerial attacks making also smoke to hide the merchants which were within the range of the Italian cruisers and destroyers .
The Italians were shortening the range from initial sighting of 17 000 yds to distance 14 000 yds and ORP Kujawiak fired six salvos aiming at the left cruiser.
In fact as taken from the Italian sources her target was destroyer Vivaldi. During the exchange of fire ORP Kujawiak avoided by maneuver one of the torpedoes fired by the Italian destroyer Malocello .
When the range increased to 17 000 yds the British and Polish ships ceased firing in order to spare ammunition to engage bigger Italian ships.
At 0900hrs the close escort supported by the three HM fleet destroyers returned to convoy to protect it against continued aerial attacks.
tbc
gd