10-2018 ORP "KRAKOWIAK"

ORP Krakowiak (original name: HMS Silverton) was a British and later Polish destroyer from the Second World War. The keel for this unit was laid in 1939, and the launch took place in December 1940. The total length of the ship at the time of launching was 85.3 meters and a width of 9.6 meters. Full displacement reached approx. 1,490 tons, and the maximum speed was approx. 27 knots. The armament included 6 102 mm guns in three twin turrets, 4 20 mm Oerlikon cannons and 2 Thornycroft depth bomb throwers. ORP Krakowiak was one of 36 Hunt II-class destroyers. This type of units was built in connection with the Royal Navy's desire to acquire two basic types of destroyers in the late 1930s: the first type was to be a typical destroyer with strong weapons, adapted to work with other, larger ships, and the second type - the Hunt - it was to be smaller and dedicated to escort tasks and ZOP activities (fighting submarines). The Hunt II type was a development of the Hunt I type. Compared to its predecessor, it was primarily characterized by stronger anti-submarine weapons and an increased width. HMS Silverton, after it entered service in the Royal Navy, was handed over to the Polish Navy in the first half of 1941. Under the Polish flag, it participated primarily in the protection of Atlantic convoys, but at the end of December 1941 took part in Operation Anklet. In 1943 ORP Krakowiak operated in the Mediterranean, supporting, inter alia, the Allied landing in Sicily (Operation Husky). He also supported Royal Navy units in November 1943 during their battles for the Dodecanese. In June 1944, he participated in the Normandy landings. In 1946, ORP Krakowiak was returned to the Royal Navy and was renamed HMS Silverton. He was decommissioned in 1959.