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ORP Bałtyk - Polish school hulk, altered from french cruiser D’Entrecasteaux in 1927. Largest warship in Second Polish Republic's Navy and the only cruiser in it. Laid down in June 1894 and launched on 12 June 1896. Created as protected cruiser and used as french flagship in the Far East. Scraped in 1942 by Germans.

Former cruiser ORP Bałtyk

Structure

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Ship was build to represent French Navy in the Far East. She was less powerful than european equivalents and her weaponary and armor was dedicated to be used only in colonies.[1] Ship was based on Engineer Amable Lagane's project, which won military contest. Preparation to build begins on 8 November 1893. After two years project has been improved by Engineer Treobul, who also took part in the contest. Ship has been laid down in La Seyne's dockyard - "Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée" on June 1984. Hull Launched on 12 June 1896. Engines and boilers has been manufactured in FCM workshop in Marseille, meanwhile weapons in La Seyne's and Hawr's workshop.[2] Navy supplied only 240 mm cannons. By 1 January 1898 ship started official trials. During them one boiler had a malfunction and 4 smokers has been scalded. During 24-hour trials the ship achieved maximum speed of 19,1 knots using 14 578 HP. Average speed had been estimated as 17,8 knots, with usage 8893 HP.[2] The ship had been joined to Navy fleet on 25 January 1899 and started service in 15 February 1899. Total cost of production was estimated to 16 693 477 francs (equivalent of 4846,5 kg of gold)[1]

Construction

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Hull of the ship was completely made of steel. She had a three covered decks rising to a prow and stern. Height of broadside was 6,05 meters in lowest point and 7,88 in highest one. Insides of the cruiser were divided by bulkheads on six parts. Four of them was in the prow of ship, meanwhile another two were in stern part, and along with all compartments were 130 watertight rooms. Armor near water line had 20mm tight and was driven down to 10mm in upper parts. Her downsides were poor manoeuvrability, low speed and range, weak ventilation in crew and ammunition compartment and obsolete boilers.[1]

Armament

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D'Entrecasteaux scheme of armament

In main armament were two 240mm cannons model 1893 situated in armored towers placed on prow and stern. These cannons had length of 40 calibers and used 144-170 kg bullets. Lower ordnance was consisted of 12 cannons 138,6mm model 1893 with length of 45 calibers. Eight of them were put in casemates, four on each side and the last one were on main deck covered by anti-fragmentation lining. Auxiliary armament was made up from 12 47mm Hotchkiss cannons and 6 37mm Hotchiss cannons. Ship also carried two raid guns 65mm model 1881 on gun carriage.[3][4]

Drive

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Cruiser were powered by steam engines, based on 5 cylindrical boilers, seated on a row, working under pressure of 10,5 atmospheres. Two engines contained three cylinders of triple expansion were placed in two separated rooms next to each other. Maximum revolutions per minute of propellers were 94 and 100 during over-thrust. Cruiser were equipped with two three-blades propeller with 516cm diameter. During trials average power was 8900 HP and maximum was 14 500 HP.[4][5]

Service in Polish Navy

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Józef Unrug, Jean de Laborde, Eugeniusz Solski (1931)

Idea of buying a french cruiser for Polish Navy arised in the early twenties. Ship was supposed to serve as submarine tender.[6] Transaction took place on 7 March 1927[7] (according to some publications, Poland bought ship in scrap value[6]). Total cost was 2 822 000 francs, including: hull 1 200 000 francs, extra equipment 1 282 745 and towing 350 000 francs. Hoist the colours happened in Cherbourg on 30 July 1927.[7] Management of Navy named cruiser "Król Władysław IV"[8], later (17 September 1927) by Daniel Konarzewski's orders, renamed her to "ORP Bałtyk" (Baltic). Change of name results from increasing royalists' influence in Parliament.[9]

Ship only had 6 guns 47mm Hotchkiss 85 used only in salutation. In the late twenties Navy wanted to transform her in anti-air battery defending "Gdynia-Oksywie", armed with 8 guns 75mm 1924. Idea never reached the effect in fear of loosing all of the armament in case of bombing the ship.[9] Naval specialists school moved to Gdynia 1 September 1927 was situated on "Bałtyk" in the beginning 1929, starting with 1928/1929 semester.[10]

On 1 April 1930 "Bałtyk" was transferred to school division as headquarters of Naval specialists school (starting on 1 June 1935 - Center of Training Naval Specialists) and ship of general deck group. Cruiser also serve as Commander Józef Unrug's flagship.[11]

After broke out II WW, during first day of war "Bałtyk" get hit by one bomb in quarterdeck, what caused small fire. Crew fighted with German's air forces until 11 September, when ship had to be abandoned due to being a large and easy to hit target. After that the crew fighted in Battle of Kępa Oksywska as defenders. During 16 and 17 September cruiser was cannonied from land and sea, and repossessed by Germans on 19 September. They used ship as accommodation hulk and after that Germans scraped the cruiser.[11] Most common version claims, that "ORP Bałtyk" was scraped in Gdańsk in 1942[8], but some rumors said that ship was deconstructed between summer 1940 and summer 1941 next to Yugoslavia Jetty in Gdynia, and was later towed to Gdańsk.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c M. Twardowski (March 1996). "Krążownik pancernopokładowy D'Entrecasteaux. Pod czterema banderami". Morza, Statki i Okręty: 50–52.
  2. ^ a b D. Jakimowicz. "Kriejsier-stacjoner 1-go kłassa D'Entrecasteaux (Крейсер-стационер 1-го класса Д'Антркасто". Morskaja Kollekcija: 18.
  3. ^ D. Jakimowicz. "Kriejsier-stacjoner 1-go kłassa D'Entrecasteaux (Крейсер-стационер 1-го класса Д'Антркасто)". „Morskaja Kollekcija”: 9–10.
  4. ^ a b D. Jakimowicz. "Kriejsier-stacjoner 1-go kłassa D'Entrecasteaux (Крейсер-стационер 1-го класса Д'Антркасто)". „Morskaja Kollekcija”: 12–13.
  5. ^ D. Jakimowicz. "Kriejsier-stacjoner 1-go kłassa D'Entrecasteaux (Крейсер-стационер 1-го класса Д'Антркасто)". „Morskaja Kollekcija”: 19.
  6. ^ a b M. Twardowski (January 1997). "„Krążownik pancernopokładowy" Bałtyk. Pod czterema banderami (2)". Morza, Statki i Okręty: 56.
  7. ^ a b D. Jakimowicz. ". Kriejsier-stacjoner 1-go kłassa D'Entrecasteaux (Крейсер-стационер 1-го класса Д'Антркасто)". „Morskaja Kollekcija”: 30–31.
  8. ^ a b M. Neumann (2013). Flota II Rzeczypospolitej i jej okręty. Łomianki: LTW. p. 213. ISBN 978-83-7565-309-0.
  9. ^ a b M. Twardowski (January 1997). "„Krążownik pancernopokładowy" Bałtyk. Pod czterema banderami (2)". Morza, Statki i Okręty: 57.
  10. ^ M. Twardowski (January 1997). "„Krążownik pancernopokładowy" Bałtyk. Pod czterema banderami (2)". Morza, Statki i Okręty: 58.
  11. ^ a b c M. Twardowski (January 1997). "„Krążownik pancernopokładowy" Bałtyk. Pod czterema banderami (2)". Morza, Statki i Okręty: 59–60.
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