An item reported that the Polish navy numbered 2 modern destroyers and 3 modern submarine minelayers all built in France and further more some aged torpedo boats, gunboats and so on. In the last few years were 4 minesweepers built in Poland and a 2,227 ton minelayer ordered again in France. This minelayer named Gryf was armed with 6-12cm guns and 304cm anti aircraft guns and could carry 300 mines with her.(1) The machinery consisted of diesel supplying 6.000hp allowing a speed of 20 mines. In peacetime was she to be used as training ship. In England were last year 2 flotilla leaders of around 2.000 ton ordered en this year two submarines in the Netherlands (2) with a third submarine desired. The Polish naval personnel numbered 4.250 men. Naval base was the heavily fortified Gdynia. It was the intention to increase the shipbuilding industry at Gdynia on large scale
Notes
1. Building ordered on 11 May 1934, laid down by Chantiers et Ateliers A. Normand, Le Havre, France on 14 November 1934, launched on 29 November 1936, commissioned on 27 February 1938, slight damaged in a German air attack on 1 September 1939 went she to the Hel naval base to be used there as a floating anti aircraft battery, sunk after attacks by German destroyers and aircraft on 3 September, raised in November 1939 by German forces, beached near Jastarnia to be used as artillery training target and for the same purpose by the Polish Airforce after the Second World War, ordered to remove the wreck in 1957 and by 1960 for the main part broken up.
2. The Orzel-class consisting of the Orzel and the Sep. The Sep, laid down by Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij, Rotterdam, Netherlands in November 1939, launched on 17 October 1938, commissioned on 16 April 1939, decommissioned in 1969 and finally broken up in 1972. The contract for the Orzel with the Kon. Mij. De Schelde, Vlissingen, Netherlands was signed on 29 January 1936, the necessary steel arrived on 29 May 1936, laid down with yard number 205 on 14 August 1936, in the thrushes on 30 March 1937, launched on 15 January 1938 and disappeared after she left on a mission on 23 May 1940 towards the North Sea.
