Motor Gun and Torpedo Boats

Before the war it was planned to built as much as 17 MTB's from public subscription - one from each of the Polish provinces. The preliminary programme worked out in 1936 called for a force of 10 MTB's during six-year period. However, this was not approved and only 2 vessels has been ordered and 5 MTB's (2 built from public subscription) were envisaged. Three of these boats had to be built in Poland. In January 1939 Polish Navy had ordered 2 torpedo boats at the J.Samuel White dockyard in Cowes (United Kingdom) and these boats were scheduled for delivery in March 1940. They were finished (without torpedo tubes) in 1940 as MGB 47 and MGB 48 and only one (MGB 48) became Polish S-1. In the same time Polish Navy loaned two vessels (S-2 and S-3) intended as submarine chasers for the Norwegian Navy, but commissioned into the Royal Navy as MGB 44 and MGB 45. The Polish Navy had also loaned one motor gun boat S-4 (1943) and six motor torpedo boats S-5 --S-10 (1944). The Polish motor boats took part in 456 patrols, convoys or operations, they damaged 2 enemy boats and fired down 1 German plane (S-2). After the war S-1 and S-2 despite of the fact that they were the Polish Navy property did not returned to Poland.

S-1

This vessel was ordered by Poland before the war (24.I.1939) and had to be delivered after 15 months. Polish Navy had ordered two boats and the cost of one unit was 31 thousand pounds. The boat was launched in 1940 as MGB 48 (ex MA/SB 48) and was delivered as S-1 (the British designation MGB 204) on August 17th, 1940 and named unofficially Chart i.e. Greyhound. This vessel served together with the British motor boats in 3rd MGB Flotilla and was decommissioned 21.II.1944.

The primordial technical data were as follows:

Builder:
J. Samuel White, Cowes (UK);
Displacement:
35 t standard; 39.1 t full load;
Dimensions:
22.9(21.3) m x 5.1 m x 1.4 m;
Machinery:
3 petrol engines, 3 450 hp = 38/42 kts; range 270 nm/38 kts, 450 nm/20 kts; fuel 5.1 t;
Armament:
2x457 mm TT (2xI), 1 x 40 mm, 2 mg (1xII), deep charges (DC);
Complement:
12
This boat was completed with one 20 mm gun, two 12.7 mm and four 7.6 mm machine guns instead of the original armament. It was later re-armed with eight 7.6 mm mg's (4xII) instead of six older ones.

S-2 -- S-3

British Power Boat yard had started to build 6 small submarine chasers for Norway and Sweden (MA/SB 40-45 later MGB 40-45). During the war these units were taken over and commissioned into the Royal Navy. Ex-Norwegian MGB 44 and MGB 45 became the Polish S-2 (on 19.VII.1940, British designation MGB 204) and S-3 (28.VII.1940, MGB 205), respectively. The first unit replaced the Polish MGB 47 taken over by British Navy the second one was loaned. The unofficial names were: Wilczur (wolfhound) and Wyzel (spaniel). They served in 3rd MGB Flotilla and were discarded on 20.V.1943 (S-3, because of hull damage) and 8.VII.1944 (S-2).

The technical data were:

Builder:
British Power Boat, Hythe (UK), launched 1940;
Displacement:
24 t standard;
Dimensions:
19.2(18.9) m x 5.0(4.6) m x 1.3 m;
Machinery:
2 shaft petrol engines 2 200 hp = 36/40 kts;
Armament:
1x20 mm, 2x12.7 mm mg's (2xI), 2x7.6 mm mg's (2xII), DC;
Complement:
10

S-4

She was finished as MGB 113 in 1943 and re-armed as an MTB in 1944. This boat was loaned to Poland on 5.VII.1943, served in 2nd MTB Flotilla and returned on 18.IV.1944. Later, for a short period she became Dutch MTB 432.

The technical data were:

Builder:
British Power Boat, Hythe (UK);
Displacement:
37 t;
Dimensions:
21.9 m x 6.3 m x 1.7 m;
Machinery:
3 petrol engines, 3 600 hp = 39 kts;
Armament:
2x457 mm TT (2xI), 1x40 mm, 2x20 mm (1xII), 4xmg (2xII), DC;
Complement:
17.

S-5 -- S-10

These boats were launched in 1944 in Samuel White dockyard as MTB 424-429 and became Polish S 5 - S 10 on completion (S-5 on 3.V.44, S-6 - 10.VII.44, S-7 - 30.VIII.44, S-8 - 19.IX.44, S-9 - 26.IX.44 and S-10 - 31.X.44). They served in 8th MTB Flotilla and were given back on 15.X.1944 (S-5) and 8.V.1945 (other units).

The technical data were:

Builder:
J.Samuel White, Cowes (UK);
Displacement:
39 t standard, 46.7 t full load;
Dimensions:
22.3(21.8) m x 5.5 m x 1.7(1.2) m;
Machinery:
3 shaft petrol engines 3 600 hp = 33/39.5 kts, petrol 7 t (2 300 gal);
Armament:
2x457 mm TT (2xI), 1x57 mm, 2x20 mm (1xII), 4 mg's (2xII), DC;
Complement:
17