Polish submarine ORP SOKOL COBI 4863 - World War II 1:300

ORP SOKOL Model | COBI 4863

The building block set of the legendary submarine with the tactical number N-97 in the standard colors of the Polish Navy (Marynarka Wojenna) features two rotating propellers and an adjustable rudder. An antenna wire for the Marconi Type 57 radio station runs from the bow to the stern across the bridge. You can safely display the assembled model in a stable stand complete with a description plate.

Did you know that:

The submarine was originally built in 1939 for the Royal Navy, which, however, lacked enough trained crews. Under a military agreement of the Anglo-Polish alliance, the vessel was transferred to the command of Polish Captain Borys Karnicki. This submarine, together with the vessel DZIK, formed a duo known as nothing less than “The Terrible Twins”. The nickname perfectly described their combat missions. Imagine an incredibly annoying mosquito constantly buzzing around you. It drives you crazy with its high-pitched buzzing and endless harassment until it pushes you to madness. You just can't get rid of it. This is exactly how “The Terrible Twins” acted against their enemies in the Mediterranean. The tactics were later described by the captain of the damaged Italian cruiser Città di Palermo.

In January 1941, the crew managed to penetrate anti-submarine nets and sailed into the port of Navarino, where they damaged the Italian destroyer Aviere. The submarine managed to evade heavy shelling and all depth charges, and on its way back to the open sea, it incidentally sank a transport steamer carrying material for the German Wehrmacht. The commander of the Navarino base, Count Ruggero Ruggeri, was humiliated and later dismissed.

During World War II, the submarine SOKOL sank or damaged 19 enemy vessels. Captain Borys Karnicki was awarded the Virtuti Militari order. 

After the end of the war, the submarine was returned to the Royal Navy, where it served until December 1948, when it was definitively decommissioned and scrapped.

Technical parameters:

• dimensions: length 58.2 m, width 4.9 m, draft 4.62 m
• displacement 730 tons
• fuel tank capacity 38 tons of diesel
• propulsion unit: 2x Paxman Ricardo diesel engine with a total output of 459 kW, for submerged movement 2x electric motor with a total output of 615 kW
• maximum speed 20.8 km/h on the surface and 19 km/h submerged.
• maximum diving depth 91 m (design limit 110 m)
• armament:  1x 75 mm QF gun and 4 bow 533 mm torpedo tubes (8-10 torpedoes)
• Marconi Type 57 radio station
• crew 27-31 people

From the memoirs of the city garrison commander, Domenico de Mouxie:

„I was in the port of Navarino exactly at the moment it faced the attack. Frigate Captain Ruggeri, white-hot with rage, was running along the pier and shouting at the soldiers scrambling around: 'Throw everything we have at them, do you understand? I don't care how you do it, if you run out of bombs, throw even wine barrels at them, but I want to have them on a platter by morning!' It was a bizarre sight.“ 

About the COBI building set:

• The COBI 4863 building set is made of 142 high-quality ABS pieces
• number of figures: 0
• World War II collection, 1:300 scale
• pad printed - no stickers
• faithful details
• made in the EU
• compatible with other building block brands