O.R.P. Orkan (Milne class British Destroyer, 1,920 tons)
Built in 1940 and commissioned as HMS Myrmidon then transferred to the Polish Navy in 1942 and renamed Orkan.
She visited Gibraltar during May 1943 but was torpedoed by U-610 in the North Atlantic on the 8th October 1944.
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Orkan (Polish warship)
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aukepalmhof
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Re: Orkan (Polish warship)
She was ordered by the Royal Navy under the name MYRMIDON a destroyer of the M Class.
07 December 1939 laid down on the yard of the Fairfield and Shipbuilding at Govan, Scotland.
02 March 1942 launched under the name HMS MYRMIDON, named after a Greek mythological figure.
Displacement 1920 tons standard, 2.725 tons full load. Dim. 362.5 x 37 x 9.92ft (draught)
Powered by Parsons SR geared steam turbines, 48.000 shp., speed 37 knots. Twin screws. Bunker capacity 567 tons.
Range 5.450 miles by 12 knots.
Armament 3 – 4.7 inch H.A/L.A, 1 – 4 inch, 1 – 2prs 4 barrel pom pom, 6 – 20mm Oerlikons, 4 - 21 inch torpedo tubes, 110 depth charges, 2 throwers.
18 Nov. 1942 She was taken up by the Polish Navy and renamed ORKAN (G90)
05 December 1942 completed.
Crew under Polish flag about 213.
After her trials she was assigned to the British Home Fleet Third Destroyer Flotilla. Used in Arctic convoy duty, escorting the Home Fleet units and providing distance cover for the Arctic convoys JW52/RA52 from 23 Jan till 02 Feb. 1943. Escorted convoy JW53/RA53 from 21 fib. till 10 March 1943.
When the British King visited Scapa Flow and the Home Fleet there, she was one of the escorts.
During the height of the Battle of the Atlantic was she transferred to the Western Approaches Command in April 1943, for escort duties, but she made also a patrol voyage in the Bay of Biscay from 25 till 28 June 1943.
Thereafter she carried the body of general Sikorski, the Polish Leader in the U.K., who was killed in an air crash at Gibraltar from this place to the U.K. General Sikorski thereafter was buried at the Polish Military Cemetery at Newark.
Refitted then at Brigham and Cowan, Hull from 30 July till 25 August 1943.
Then again used for escort duties, on 07 Oct. 1943 the ORKAN with HMS MUSKETEER, ORBI and ORWEL was dispatched to escort convoy SC 143.
During the night of 7/8 October several T5 torpedoes missed her, but at 06.05 on 08 October 1943 she was hit by a T5 torpedo fired by the German U-378 under command of Mäder in position 56 30N 26 25 W, South West of Iceland. Within 5 minutes the ORKAN sank with the loss of her commander and 9 officers, two midshipmen and 169 seamen, only 44 survived, and were picked up by HMS MUSKETEER.
Source: Afridi to Nizam, British Fleet destroyers 1937 – 1943 by John English. Royal Navy destroyers since 1945 by Leo Marriott.
07 December 1939 laid down on the yard of the Fairfield and Shipbuilding at Govan, Scotland.
02 March 1942 launched under the name HMS MYRMIDON, named after a Greek mythological figure.
Displacement 1920 tons standard, 2.725 tons full load. Dim. 362.5 x 37 x 9.92ft (draught)
Powered by Parsons SR geared steam turbines, 48.000 shp., speed 37 knots. Twin screws. Bunker capacity 567 tons.
Range 5.450 miles by 12 knots.
Armament 3 – 4.7 inch H.A/L.A, 1 – 4 inch, 1 – 2prs 4 barrel pom pom, 6 – 20mm Oerlikons, 4 - 21 inch torpedo tubes, 110 depth charges, 2 throwers.
18 Nov. 1942 She was taken up by the Polish Navy and renamed ORKAN (G90)
05 December 1942 completed.
Crew under Polish flag about 213.
After her trials she was assigned to the British Home Fleet Third Destroyer Flotilla. Used in Arctic convoy duty, escorting the Home Fleet units and providing distance cover for the Arctic convoys JW52/RA52 from 23 Jan till 02 Feb. 1943. Escorted convoy JW53/RA53 from 21 fib. till 10 March 1943.
When the British King visited Scapa Flow and the Home Fleet there, she was one of the escorts.
During the height of the Battle of the Atlantic was she transferred to the Western Approaches Command in April 1943, for escort duties, but she made also a patrol voyage in the Bay of Biscay from 25 till 28 June 1943.
Thereafter she carried the body of general Sikorski, the Polish Leader in the U.K., who was killed in an air crash at Gibraltar from this place to the U.K. General Sikorski thereafter was buried at the Polish Military Cemetery at Newark.
Refitted then at Brigham and Cowan, Hull from 30 July till 25 August 1943.
Then again used for escort duties, on 07 Oct. 1943 the ORKAN with HMS MUSKETEER, ORBI and ORWEL was dispatched to escort convoy SC 143.
During the night of 7/8 October several T5 torpedoes missed her, but at 06.05 on 08 October 1943 she was hit by a T5 torpedo fired by the German U-378 under command of Mäder in position 56 30N 26 25 W, South West of Iceland. Within 5 minutes the ORKAN sank with the loss of her commander and 9 officers, two midshipmen and 169 seamen, only 44 survived, and were picked up by HMS MUSKETEER.
Source: Afridi to Nizam, British Fleet destroyers 1937 – 1943 by John English. Royal Navy destroyers since 1945 by Leo Marriott.