IBG 70002 ORP Kujawiak 1942 Hunt II class destroyer escort

ORP Kujawiak (original name: HMS Oakley) 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 October 1940. The total length of the ship at the time of launching was 85.34 meters and a width of 9.62 meters. Full displacement reached approx. 1,450 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 depth charge launchers.

ORP Kujawiak 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 Oakley, after it entered service in the Royal Navy, was handed over to the Polish Navy in May 1941. Under the Polish flag, it participated primarily in the protection of Allied convoys on the Bristol Channel and the English Channel. It also operated in the Irish Sea. In December 1941 ORP Kujawiak took in Operation Anklet, the British fleet's rally to Lofoten. In June 1942, he took part in the cover of one of the convoys bound for Malta (Operation Harpoon). Unfortunately, in the same month, that is in June 1942, it sank on a mine near the port of La Valetta. The ship became a grave for 13 crew members.