Polish destroyer ORP Blyskawica COBI 4865 World War II 1:300

ORP BŁYSKAWICA MODEL | COBI 4865

The building kit of the only preserved Polish warship in the latest COBI version features a more precisely crafted lowered rear deck, communication mast, and funnel. The decks feature rotating gun turrets with adjustable barrel elevation, lifeboats, and anchor hooks. The model's colors match the camouflage of the Grom-class ships from the World War II period. The rotating propellers are a beautiful detail. The assembled model has a complete rounded keel and can be safely placed on a solid display stand with a description.

Did you know:

The Polish Navy ordered the construction of two Grom-class ships from the British shipyard James Samuel White & Co. in early 1935. It must be said that they certainly did not skimp on the costs. At the time of their launch, the ships ORP Grom and ORP Blyskawica were among the best in the world. Heavily armed and fast, these ships had no competition. Blyskawica was launched on October 1, 1936. This was followed by the installation of weapons and equipment for the crew. The work lasted nearly a year as the security situation in Europe deteriorated, forcing the Polish Navy to modify the intended armament with regard to potential threats. It was officially commissioned into service on November 25, 1937.

By the end of August 1939, it was clear to the whole world that Nazi Germany would unleash a new war within a few days. On August 30, 1939, the Polish Admiralty decided to execute the Peking plan. Following a radio dispatch, the ship's captain, Wlodzimierz Kodrebski, opened an envelope marked "Top Secret". The task was to safely deliver the ships Grom, Blyskawica, and Burza to the shores of Great Britain. The Navy wanted to protect the ships from certain destruction by overwhelming German forces. The ships successfully sailed through the Danish straits and anchored in the port of Leith on September 1, 1939. In the following years, the ship joined the fight alongside the Royal Navy as an escort reconnaissance and patrol vessel. In total, she completed 83 convoy escort missions and 108 combat patrols, during which she sank two warships and shot down 4 aircraft. During the battles, she was damaged three times, with the loss of four sailors. Captain Kodrebski became a war hero and a legend, too valuable to fall in battle. For this reason, and due to a kidney illness, he was reassigned by the exiled government to the position of commander of the training center for new cadets. After the war, the captain wanted to return to his homeland, but that was no longer possible. The communists seized power. The captain's friends and family informed him of an upcoming trial in case he returned to Poland. 

Blyskawica returned to Poland in 1947, where she was rearmed according to Soviet standards. The ship served until a boiler accident in 1967. Neither Soviet nor Polish industry was able to repair the sophisticated machinery, so it was decided to decommission the ship. Two years later, she was transformed into a floating museum in Gdynia, where you can still visit her today.

Technical parameters:

• dimensions: length 114m, width 11.3m, draft 3.3m
• hull specially reinforced for navigation in the freezing Baltic Sea
• maximum displacement 3,383 tons
• power plant: 4 Admiralty boilers transferring power to Parsons turbines with a total output of 40,600 kW
• maximum speed 73 km/h (40 knots)
• fuel capacity 350 tons of fuel oil (mazut)
• armament (1937-1945): 7x 120mm Bofors M34/36 gun + 4x 40mm Bofors M37 cannon + 8x 13.2mm machine gun + 6x 550mm torpedo tubes + mine chute 44
• radio station PZT Ava
• crew of 180 people

From the report of Captain W. Kodrebski on the crew's morale:

“Even though we were glad to finally receive a clear order (...), we all simultaneously felt a certain aftertaste and a sense of guilt, as if we were abandoning the Polish Sea at the very moment when our presence might be needed most. The crew's morale will be restored by the first German whose head is blown off by our gun, as soon as he peeks over the railing of his ship.”

About the COBI building kit:

• the COBI 4865 building kit consists of 664 high-quality ABS parts
• number of figures: 0
• World War II collection
• 1:300 scale
• pad printed - no stickers
• faithful design
• made in the EU
• compatible with other brands of building blocks
• recommended age: 9+