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Allied Warships

ORP Dzik (P 52)

Submarine of the U class

NavyThe Polish Navy
TypeSubmarine
ClassU 
PennantP 52 
Built byVickers Armstrong (Barrow-in-Furness, U.K.) 
Ordered 
Laid down30 Dec, 1941 
Launched11 Oct, 1942 
Commissioned16 Dec, 1942 
End service25 Jul, 1947 
Loss position
 
HistoryDzik means wild boar in English.

After the loss of the Polish submarine Jastrzab (to friendly fire off Norway) on 2 May, 1942 the Polish requested that they would be assigned a new submarine.

The Royal Navy agreed and gave them the U-class boat P 52 then being built.

The boat was returned to the Royal Navy on 25 July, 1947.

She was then transferred to Denmark in July 1947 and renamed U 1. In 1950 U 1 was renamed Springeren. Finally returned to Britain in October 1957 and scrapped in April 1958.  

Former nameP 52

Noteable events involving Dzik include:

24 May, 1943
Near Cape Spartivento ORP Dzik fires a 4 torpedo salvo and damages the Italian oil tanker Carnaro (8357 GRT). After the attack, two Italian corvettes dropped over 60 depth charges.

19 Jul, 1943
Near Malta ORP Dzik fires four torpedoes at what is thought to be and enemy submarine. Luckily the torpedoes missed their target as it turned out that they were fired against HMS Unshaken.

15 Aug, 1943
ORP Dzik fires four torpedoes against the Italian merchants Citta di Spezia (2474 GRT) and Goggiam (1994 GRT) 27 nautical miles east of Bari, Italy in position 41º09'N, 17º25'E. The Goggiam is hit and beached. She was a total loss. (see map)

21 Sep, 1943
ORP Dzik (Lt.Cdr. Romanowski) fires torpedoes in Bastia harbour, Corsica, France and sinks the German tanker Nikolaus (6397 GRT, former Greek Nicolaou Ourania) and the German tug Kraft (333 GRT). Dzik also calimed the sinking of three German landing craft, normally identified as SF 172 (130 GRT), SF 176 (130 GRT) and F 420 (220 GRT).

However, it has been established that SF.176 and S.110 were both lost in the explosion of their ready-use ammunition in the air attack and Dzik had no part in their loss, while SF.176 was sunk in action against MGB.658 off Elba on 15 October and possibly not even present at Bastia that day.

17 Nov, 1943
ORP Dzik sinks a sailing vessel with gunfire off Monemvasia, Greece.

7 Jan, 1944
ORP Dzik attacks the German tanker Brunhilde (1810 GRT) with four torpedoes south of Tenedos Island in position 39º42'N, 26º02'E. All torpedoes missed their target. (see map)

8 Jan, 1944
ORP Dzik sinks the Greek sailing vessel Elleni (200 GRT) with gunfire off Lesbos Island, Greece in position 39º37'N, 25º43'E. (see map)

9 Jan, 1944
ORP Dzik claims the sinking of a small vessel with gunfire in the Aegean Sea in position 38º25'N, 25º21'E. (see map)



Books dealing with this subject include:

Stand by to Surface, Baxter, Richard, 1944


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