2 May, 1940
During repairs at La Valetta, Malta, Garland was manned by a Polish crew.
Lt.Cdr. Doroszkowski became the first Polish commanding officer of this
destroyer.
18 May, 1940
Garland left Malta with orders to proceed to Alexandria.
30 Aug, 1940
Garland and three British destroyers left Alexandria. They were ordered to
return to England.
3 Sep, 1940
The four destroyers reached Malta for refueling. They left the harbor a few
hours later.
4 Sep, 1940
The destroyers were attacked by Italian aircraft. Near misses caused boiler
damage on Garland. She stopped and became an easy target. However, the
Italian bombs missed the Polish ship. Garland was towed away by a British
destroyer. Then the crew managed to repair one boiler and steam to Gibraltar
for further repairs.
5 Sep, 1940
The four allied destroyers arrived at Gibraltar.
14 Sep, 1940
After repairs Garland left Gibraltar and joined the escort of a convoy
heading to England.
15 Sep, 1940
Lookouts on Garland spotted a surfaced submarine. The submarine dove
instantly. Garland dropped 12 depth charges. Her crew observed oil stains on
the surface.
18 Sep, 1940
Garland left the convoy she was escorting and joined the escort of another
convoy (from Capetown to England).
22 Sep, 1940
Garland was attacked twice by German bombers, but suffered no damage. In the
evening of that day, she arrived at Plymouth and became part of 5th
Destroyer Flotilla.
10 Oct, 1940
The British cruisers HMS Newcastle (Capt. E. A. Aylmer, DSC, RN) and HMS
Emerald (Capt. F.C. Flynn, RN), with the British destroyers HMS Broke (Cdr.
B.G. Scurfield, RN) and HMS Wanderer (either Cdr. J.H. Ruck-Keene, RN
or Cdr. A.F.St.G. Orpen, RN) of the 17th DF and the Polish destroyers
Garland (Cdr. K. Namiesniowski, ORP) and Burza (Cdr. A. Doroszkowski, ORP)
act as a screen to the British battleship HMS Revenge (Capt. E.R. Archer,
RN) during a bombardment of Cherbourg.
30 Oct, 1940
Garland (under command of Lt. Cdr. Namiesniowski) left Plymouth and joined
the escort of a small convoy.
3 Nov, 1940
Garland was ordered to find the damaged Windsor Castle. Unfortunately, the
searching was unsuccessful.
5 Nov, 1940
Garland was ordered to join a large convoy from the USA to the Clyde. Lt.
Cdr. Namiesniowski took command of the convoy escort. This convoy reached
the Clyde on the 8th.
8 Nov, 1940
Garland formed part of the escort of a convoy heading to the USA.
15 Nov, 1940
When the Convoy reached 20°W, the escort turned back to England. Due to a
heavy storm, Garland took some damage and lost two men (Chief mechanic, Lt.
Cdr. Gierzod and Chief of the ASW weapons, Petty Officer Stasiewicz)
overboard.
17 Nov, 1940
Garland arrived at Greenock.
3 Dec, 1940
The commanding officer of Garland became the escort commander of a convoy
heading to the USA. A heavy storm scattered the convoy. Only tiny group of
ships stayed together. Despite damages caused by waves, Garland accompanied
them for 5 days.
23 Jan, 1941
The Polish destroyer Garland and the Free French destroyer Léopard composed
the escort of a large troop ship heading to Canada.
25 Jan, 1941
Due to fuel shortage, Léopard left the group and turned back.
26 Jan, 1941
Garland and the troop ship reached 28°W. The Polish destroyer left the ship
and turned back to Greenock.
8 Feb, 1941
The Polish destroyers Garland and Piorun formed part of the escort of a
convoy bound for Canada / USA.
12 Feb, 1941
The Polish destroyers Piorun, Garland and the British destroyer HMS Legion
conduct an offensive patrol against enemy submarines. However, no U-boat was
encountered.
17 Feb, 1941
Garland and Piorun were once again part of the Escort for a convoy.
20 Feb, 1941
The Polish destroyers Garland and Piorun were ordered to leave a convoy they
were escorting and provide escort for two troop ships returning to England.
5 Apr, 1941
The British battleship HMS Resolution and the Polish destroyers Garland and
Piorun escorted troop ships to Hvalfjord, Iceland. They arrived in Iceland
on the 9th.
10 Apr, 1941
Garland left Hvalfjord and served as escort for the British battleship HMS
Resolution and the British Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS Derbyshire on their
route to Canada.
14 Apr, 1941
HMS Rodney, HMS Legion, Piorun and Garland composed the escort of two troop
ships heading from Iceland to the Clyde.
2 Sep, 1941
The Polish destroyers Piorun and Garland depart Liverpool to conduct
3 Sep, 1941
The Polish destroyers Piorun and Garland are ordered to pick up the
survivors from the British merchant Fort Richepanche that was torpedoed that
day by the German submarine U-567 some 450 miles southwest of Bloody
Foreland in position 52.15N, 21.10W. Ten crew members, five gunners and
seven passengers were picked up by the Polish destroyers on 4 September and
landed at Greenock on 5 September.
17 Oct, 1941
The Polish destroyers Piorun and Garland depart Gourock as part of the
escort of a convoy to Canada.
24 Oct, 1941
The Polish destroyers Piorun and Garland were detached from convoy they are
escorting in order to reach St. John's, Canada for refueling. Five and half
hours after they reach the harbour they depart again and head back to the
convoy.
26 Oct, 1941
The Polish destroyers Piorun and Garland reach Halifax, Canada with the
convoy they are escorting.
4 Nov, 1941
The Polish destroyers Piorun and Garland depart Halifax, Canada as part of
the escort for a convoy to the Clyde.
12 Nov, 1941
The Polish destroyers Piorun and Garland enter Greenock harbor.
21 May, 1942
ORP Garland joins an escort of convoy PQ-16 from Iceland to Murmansk
(Russia). From May 25th to May 28, ORP Garland participated in defence of
the convoy against numerous attacks of the Luftwaffe. On May 28, she was
released from escort duty and sent to Murmansk due to numerous damages and
loss of 22 dead and 46 wounded seamen and officers.
18 Sep, 1944
On 18 September 1944 on 7pm, a lookout on ORP Garland spotted an enemy
U-boat. The u-boat was promptly attacked, but without any result. Later four
British destroyers, HMS Troubridge, HMS Terpsichore, HMS Brecon and HMS
Zetland, joined the Polish destroyer and started the hunting which lasted
for 10 hours. On 6am the following day the U-boat surfaced and was spotted
again by the Polish destroyer, this time the attack, 10 depth-charges, was
deadly. The German U-boat U-407 was sunk. The survivors were picked up by
Garland as war prisoners.
19 Sep, 1944
The German submarine U-407 was sunk in the Mediterranean south of Milos, in
position 36º27'N, 24º33'E, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS
Troubridge and HMS Terpsichore and the Polish destroyer ORP Garland.
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