ORP Zbik
Encyclopedia
ORP Żbik was a which saw service in the Polish Navy
Polish Navy
The Marynarka Wojenna Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej - MW RP Polish Navy, is the branch of Republic of Poland Armed Forces responsible for naval operations...
from 1932 to 1955. Her name means "wildcat
Wildcat
Wildcat is a small felid native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa.-Animals:Wildcat may also refer to members of the genus Lynx:...
" in Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
.
Żbik was laid down in 1927 in Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
, launched in 1930, and entered service in 1932. When World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
began on 1 September 1939, she took part in the Worek Plan
Worek Plan
The Worek Plan was an operation of the Polish Navy in the first days of World War II, in which its five submarines formed a screen in order to prevent German naval forces from carrying out landings on the Polish coast, and to attack enemy ships bombarding Polish coastal fortifications, in...
for the defense of the Polish coast. According to the plan she laid her mines, one of which sank a small (525 t) German minesweeper M-85 on 1 October. After suffering battle damage and shortages of fuel, the submarine withdrew to neutral Swedish
Sweden during World War II
Sweden during World War II maintained a policy of neutrality. When the Second World War began on September 1, 1939, the fate of Sweden was unclear...
waters and was interned on 25 September. After the war, she returned to Poland in October 1945 and served in the navy of the Polish People's Republic until 1955. She was scrapped in 1956.
Commanders
20.2.1932 - ?.12.1932 captain E. Plawski?.12.1932 - ?.7.1938 captain H. Kloczkowski
?.7.1938 - 25.9.1939 lieutenant M. Zebrowski