ORP Grom (H71)
| Navy: | Polish Navy |
| Type: | Destroyer |
| Class: | Grom |
| Pennant: | H 71 |
| Built by: | J.S. White & Co. (Cowes, U.K.) |
| Laid down: | 17 Jul, 1935 |
| Launched: | 20 Jul, 1936 |
| Commissioned: | 11 May, 1937 |
| Lost: | 4 May, 1940 During the Norwegian campaign, ORP Grom (Cdr. Aleksander Hulewicz) was sunk in the Rombaken Fjord near Narvik by a German He111 (Lt. Korthals) aircraft of the KG 100. There were 59 casualities and 154 survivors. Before being lost she bombarded the German troops in the Narvik area and delivered stores to the British light cruiser HMS Enterprise |
| History: | Grom means thunder |
|
ORP), Grom (Lt.Cdr. A. Hulewicz, ORP) and Blyskawica (Cdr. W. Kodrebski, ORP)
were met in the North Sea by British aircraft and the British destroyers HMS
Wallace (Lt.Cdr. W.M.L. Astwood, RN) and HMS Wanderer (Cdr R.F. Morice, RN).
They were escorted to Leith. 6 Nov, 1939 Blyskawica (Lt. T. Gorazdowski, ORP) and Grom (Cdr. A. Hulewicz, ORP) recieved orders to find and rescue downed British pilots in the Dogger Bank area. The Polish ships were attacked by two German He-115 hydroplanes. One of them dropped a torpedo aiming for Blyskawica. The destroyer turned rapidly and avoided the threat. 21 Nov, 1939 The Polish destroyers Burza (Cdr. S. Nahorski, ORP), Grom (Lt.Cdr. A. Hulewicz, ORP) and the British HMS Gipsy (Lt.Cdr. N.J. Crossley, RN) were ordered to leave Harwich and establish a patrol. Shortly before that, a German He 59 seaplane dropped two magnetic mines nearby, but there was no time for searching. HMS Gipsy hit one of those mines which tore her into two pieces. The Polish destroyers rescued the survivors and continued the patrol. 4 Apr, 1940 The Polish destroyers Burza, Grom and Blyskawica reached their new homebase Rosyth. In the afternoon they left the harbour with the British light cruisers HMS Arethusa, HMS Galatea and three British destroyers. These ships were ordered to conduct a patrol at North Sea and were later ordered to intercept German invasion groups heading for Norway. 9 Apr, 1940 The Polish destroyers Burza, Grom and Blyskawica were ordered to join the British destroyer HMS Tartar and provide escort for convoy HN-24 (31 merchants escaping from Norway to England, some of them were loaded with Norwegian gold). The convoy reached Britain without any loses. 12 Apr, 1940 The Polish destroyers Burza, Grom and Blyskawica entered Rosyth for refueling. Then they were sent to Scapa Flow. 19 Apr, 1940 The Polish destroyers Burza, Grom and Blyskawica left Scapa Flow and head to Narvik. During a storm Burza was damaged by high waves and forced to return. 21 Apr, 1940 The Polish destroyers Blyskawica and Grom entered the Vest Fjord, off Narvik, Norway. |
