Shipbucket

Yes, I'm sure that smaller ships/boats are appreciated; and the challenge and satisfaction in working small is getting it right.

Patrol boat "Batory" is one of the most notable ships in the Polish maritime history. It was built in the Modlin Shipyard for the Border Guard, with very high (for the time) content of duraluminium in construction. Ship was launched on the 23rd of april, 1932 and after entering service it was used in anti-smuggle operations from the base of the Border Guard Flotilla on Hel peninsula.

Since the duraluminium used in the superstructure happened to be very little resistant to the corrosion from the sea water, in the summer of 1933 ship was modified, with most elements from duraluminium replaced with steel ones.

Because of the rising tensions between Poland and Germany in the summer of 1939, Border Guard Flotilla was mobilized and subordinated to the Polish Navy in the august 1939 (therefore its ships gained "ORP" to their names). During Polish Campaign of 1939 ORP Batory participated in the defence of Polish coast, particularly of Hel Fortified Region. When on the 1st of october 1939 Hel was due to surrender, ORP Batory valiantly evaded German blockade and managed to flee to Klintenhamm on Gotland, Sweden, from which it was towed to Visby and later to Vaxholm where it was interned for the rest of the war.
In the 1945, Batory, together with other ships of the Polish Navy interned in Sweden (submarines OORP Sęp, Ryś, Żbik and traning ship "Dar Pomorza") returned to Poland. Since it's technical condition was rather poor, it had to undergo refit, after which it was again commissioned into Polish Navy on the 15th of december 1945, this time as ORP Hel, based in Świnoujście.
After two years of service in the Navy, ship was transferred to the Coast Guard, where it initially retained it's name. Due to several reorganizations, it was renamed "7th of october" and later KP-1.



KP-1 (ex Batory) ended its service in the Coast Guard on the 5th of december 1957 and was transferred to Liga Przyjaciół Żołnierza (later renamed Liga Obrony Kraju) and used as a training ship on Wisła river and Zegrze Reservoir, now as KP-1 Batory. In the 1973 it returned to Hel, but this time as a monument, located on a shore. In 2009 it was moved to Gdynia where it had undergone conservation and now is placed in front of Polish Navy Museum, as the oldest Polish warship still in existence.

I was wondering when you will do that little ship. Good job.

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Nobody expects the Imperial Inquisition!

Thank You Rhade. It would be done much earlier if I had as much free time as I would like to.

I've been waiting for this one. Great job!

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Worklist: Portuguese Navy and Barnegat class seaplane tenders

WhyMe -

Some small (VERY small) boats below (maybe even TOO small to be done well).

First one was built in 1931 in Modlin Shipyard for customs office in Gdynia as Skarbówka. It's wartime history is basically unknown. After the war it returned to service as customs boat, renamed Celnik II. In 1950 she was transferred to Coast Guard and eventually renamed KP-2. It served there until 1959 when it was transferred to Liga Przyjaciół Żołnierza/Liga Obrony Kraju. Now it seems to be in private hands and it's owner attempts to restore her to original shape (or at least it was so 2 years ago).



Next boat is younger and bigger (1,2m longer) sibling of Skarbówka/KP-2. Three such boats - Kaszub, Mazur and Ślązak were built in Modlin in 1931-1932 for the Border Guard Flotilla where they served alongside Batory (mentioned before). Ślązak was sunk on the first day of war and other two were captured by the Germans after the fall of Poland in 1939. In 1947 they were found in Germany in British Sector of Occupation. Mazur was lost in storm during repatriation while Kaszub was repaired and in 1949 entered service in Coast Guard as Starówka and after reorganization KP-3. In 1959 it was decommissioned and scrapped.



Boat below entered Polish service after it was removed (together with its twin sister) from the wreck of German battlecruiser Gneisenau. After necessary repairs it was commissioned in 1950 in Coast Guard as Sława, later renamed KP-5, later KP-72. It was decommissioned in 1963 (and most likely scrapped). Other boat served until 1956 in the Navy as hydrographical boat named Sonda.



Boats KP-32, KP-33 and KP-34 were built in years 1947-1948 in Ustka shipyard as fishing cutters and around 1949 transferred to Coast Guard - initally as Hübner, Kniewski and Rutkowski and later as KP-32, KP-33 and KP-34 respectively. They served until 1959 when KP-33 and KP-34 were transferred to Liga Przyjaciół Żołnierza/Liga Obrony Kraju.



Drawing below shows fishing cutters built in 1947 in Darłowo shipyard and put into service in the Coast Guard as KP-61 to KP-64. Similarly to KP-32/33/34, they served until 1959 and KP-61 and KP-62 were later transferred to Liga Przyjaciół Żołnierza/Liga Obrony Kraju.



Last drawing for today shows LCP(L) landing craft. 19 such boats were obtained in 1947 by Polish Navy, 6 of them were used in their designed tasks (units with open hull), while 13 (with closed superstructure) were transferred to Coast Guard which used them until 1960. 7 of them were transferred to Liga Przyjaciół Żołnierza/Liga Obrony Kraju.
Note: I have deliberately made this drawing with non-standard railings. I can change it if someone from the Forum's leadership will threaten me with a keelhauling, but I hope it won't be necessary, as standard railings would change it's looks quite considerably.



In the late 1940s and early 1950s Polish Coast Guard used large numbers of small boats, fishing cutters etc. Some of them for a very short period of time only. Exact information about them are scarce at best, and very often virtually nonexistent.

This is excellent

I second that; superb job on these tiny vessels that are even smaller than certain ship boats.

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Worklist: Portuguese Navy and Barnegat class seaplane tenders

After a not-so short break, here are several new small patrol craft of the Polish Coast Guard.

Seven patrol boats of the '101' type were built in the years 1953-1954 in the Hungarian shipyard Balaton-Füred. They served in the Coast Guard until 1971-1976 when most of them were scrapped, while two were located ashore and used for training.



In the 1956 Northern Shipyard in Gdańsk undertook a mass production of the Soviet-designed boats of Project '361' (K-8). In total 201 such boats were made, 60 of the '361S' variant (initially designed as communications and medical-evacuation boat) and 141 of the '361T' variant (minesweeping boats). Polish coast guard used 21 of these craft as patrol boats: 10 '361S' with single machine gun and 11 '361T' with double machine gun. Also, 30 more '361T' boats were used by the Polish Navy and civilian maritime administration. Coast Guard was using these boats until 1975-1977.




Boats of the B306 type were designed as hydrographic cutters (6 such boats served in the Navy), but last 5 boats of the series were modified as "operational boats" for the Coast Guard and served as inshore patrols, communications boats etc. They served until 1993-1999 when they were sold to civilian users.

Hello, after another very long break. Although it isn't very popular thread (which isn't surprising) I'm trying to continue.

Below are drawings of the patrol craft of the Project 9 (NATO code: Oksywie class). Four such ships entered service in the Polish Coast Guard between 1956 and 1958. First of them (actually, slightly diffrent from the other three and often listed as separate type) was made on hull of the german R-boot, while the remaining three were based on more upgraded technical documentation. First of those ships left active service in 1969 and rest between 1977 and 1979.