"Gryf", "Wicher" and "Jaskolka" - Polish warships

In 1925, a contract for the construction of two contra-miners (destroyers) was signed between the Polish Navy and the French Caen-based shipyard "Chantiers Naval Francais". On February 20, 1927 the building of "Wicher" began, and on November 1 - "Burza". The building of both ships was prolonged due to all kinds of problems and delays - the completion of the first was delayed by one and a half years, the second - two and a half years longer, than the agreed time. "Wicher" arrived in Gdynia on July 15, 1930, "Burza" on August 19, 1932. At the same time, three submarines were built in France - "Wilk", "Ryš" and "Žbik". In the thirties of the 20th century these five ships marked Poland's presence in the Baltic Sea. In 1932 ORP "Wicher" forced the Senate of the Free City of Gdansk to grant Polish warships the right to moor in this port. In 1931 the old German trawlers, popularly known as "birds", were deleted from the fleet lists. In order to replace them, a contract was signed on January 26, 1933 to build 4 new trawlers, which was later increased by two more vessels. All built in Poland - in Gdynia and Modlin shipyards. Started service: in 1935 - "Jaskolka", "Mewa" and "Rybitwa", 1936 - "Czajka", in August 1939 - "Žuraw" and "Czapla". Althought, small displacnent, these ships were excellent. In 1937 the Polish Navy was replenished with two very modern ships - squadron destroyers "Grom" and "Blyskawica" and in 1939 - with two more large submarines "Orzel" and "Sęp". But the biggest ship was the mine-layer "Gryf", which was built for almost 4 years by the shipyard "Chantieres et Ateliers a Normand" in Havre. It arrived in Poland on March 6, 1938. It still performed the functions of a training ship, but it was too slow and not very successful. In the events of September 1939, due to the devastating superiority of the Germans at sea and in the air, the Polish fleet had no chance to defend the Motherland or even to survive. Management decided at the last minute to send 3 of their newest destroyers to Great Britain. Only "Wicher", "Gryf", 6 trawlers and 5 submarines remained for coastal defense. On September 1, 1939, "Gryf" had to lay a mine barrier in the Gdansk Bay. During this task, the ship's commander was killed and the ship was damaged by German planes. September 3, "Gryf" and "Wicher", while standing in the port of Hel, started a firefight with two German destroyers and damaged one of them significantly, but after noon, during an attack by "Stuka" planes, both Polish ships and the trawler "Mewa" were sunk. The remaining trawlers sailed for combat on September 8, 12 and 13 cruises and shelled the Hitler's land forces. On September 14, Junkers bombers sank "Jaskolka" in the port of Jastarnia. Last 3 trawlers saied to the port of Hel, where they were disarmed. The submarines avoided German searches and bombardments, interned in Sweden, two broke through to England. The wreckage of "Wicher" and "Gryf" was raised by the Germans and left in the shallows as targets for teaching bomber pilots. After the war, what was left of them, was cut into metal, "Jaskolka" and "Czapla" were cut up by Germans. The remaining 4 trawlers were raised, repaired and used as training torpedo catchers by the Germans. In 1946 they returned to Poland and continued to serve as trawlers. After fleeing to Sweden in 1951, "Žuraw" was rebuilt into a hydro-graphic ship and changed its name to "Kompas". In the 60s, the entire quartet was cut into metal.

Small (one especially small), moderately detailed models of minesweeper, destroyer and trawler, depicting the ships as they were in 1939 - gray sides and superstructures, green decks. Even a novice modeler, working under the supervision of a more experienced colleague, can easily glue these models together without any changes. But not like the first more complex models in Your life. Maybe only "Jaskolka" can be like that. And there is no need to rush. Models without underwater part.