Page 319 - Il Mediterraneo quale elemento del Potere Marittimo - Atti 16-18 settembre 1996

COMBAT ACfiONS OF THE POLISH NAVY VESSELS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 305

lt is those submarines and the three destroyers B/yskawica, Grom, and Burza,.
which arrived in Leith on the day of the outbreak of the war (the "Peking" pro-
ject), and also two training vessels "Iskra" and "Wilja" with the Naval College
cadets undergoing training in the Mediterranean and che Adantic (total number
of naval personnel ammounting to 70 officers, 69 càdets, 804 NCO's and ratings)
together with two motor torpedo-boats (then under construction at Samuel Whi-
te's, Cowes) became the backbone of Poland's Navy cooperating with the Allies
and acting against the countries of the "Axis". On 18 November 1939, che Chief
of che Naval Board (reactivated in France) signed an agreement with the British
Admiralcy concerning cooperation at sea (supplemented with the Secret Protocol
of 3 December 1940) whereby che Polish Naval Detachment in Great Britain was
formed. The Polish Navy vessels becoming pare of allied tactical force had, therefo-
re, co continue war against the Germans, and the Admiralty were obliged to provi-
de aid in ships (lease), equipment, and specialist training of the crews.
For Poland's Navy, the war thitherto fought in isolation, became a war for
the coalition; and, operational subordination of its assets co the Admiralty made
it possible for Polish seamen co participate in major naval operatioas of the war.
A majoricy of Polish naval vessels (their number increased gradually due co a lease
of ships from the Allies - on the average from 12 to 16 per year) took pare in
operations in the Adantic - the most importane water region of the Second World
War - either in direct · escort of convoys or in anti-submarine search-and-strike
teams, and, in exceptional cases, in pursuit of German raiders. In these circum-
stances, the Mediterranean sea became a secondary battle-area, upon which the matter
of formai declaration of war against ltaly by the Polish Governmenc in exile had
definite influence.
Although the Mediterranean Se.a was a secondary battle area in cerms of ope-
rational significance,. in che years 1940-1944, 6 destroyers che Garland, Blyskawica,
Piorun, Slazak, Krakowiak, and Kujawiak, 2 submarines the Sokol and the Dzik, and
three special-purpose craft the Dogfish, Seadog, and Seawolf (subordinated through
the Polish Maritime Mission in Gibraltar to the British SOE, therefore, they retai-
ned their English na,mes) conducted combat in che said wacer-region. Moreover,
for che purpose of projection of troops and logiscics for che Allies, 15 Polish Mer-
chant Navy Ships were used. The surface vessels tbok part in convoys to Malta
and in landing operations. The submarines participated in patrol service and in
fighting the enemy's shipping. The special-purpose craft were used for cranspor-
ting refugees from the areas occupied by the staces of the "AXIS" and for transfers
of intelligence and subv.ersion agents.
· The first Polish naval vessels to ace in the Mediterranean was the destroyer
Garland (formerly HMS Gar/and), which was leased through che Admiralty and in-
cluded into the 14th Destroyer Flocilla, Medicerranean Fleec (MF). On 18 May 1940,
the ship began post-repair trials and training of the crew in Alexandria, However,
she did not parcicipate in combat actions against the ltalian Fleet (Regia Marina)