Polish Monitors

[leyreynolds]

I've recently been given drawings for the following;

 

Class LM

 

Class MC

 

Class CM

 

but have not been able to find any details of same. Can anyone help please?

[socjo1]

River monitors were heaviest vessels class of polish Riverine Fleet created after First World War. First bloody fights were in 1919-1920 when Poland fought for independence against bolshevik Russia. 

Finally, one flotilla was located on Wisła (Vistula) river for  eventually figting against Germans, and another was on Pina (today in Belarus) river in Polesie region. It was bordercountry with Soviet Union, very underdeveloped region (no roads, only few railways) and marshy with a lot of rivers and seasonally, spring lakes. These waterways were important in communication and defence system and that's why such flotilla was not bad idea. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverine_Flotilla_of_the_Polish_Navy

 

These three monitor's types you mention were part of modernisation plan of 1935 year but were never built. There were existed 5 monitors:

Warszawa (Warsaw), Horodyszcze, Pińsk, Toruń, Kraków, Wilno

For example Warszawa (Warsaw), Horodyszcze, Pińsk were  built in 1920 in Gdańsk, displacement 110/126,5t, length 34,5 m, width 5m , depth 0,8 m

Armament since 1930s – 75 mm Guns (1xII and 1xI), 2 MG
3 Maybach engines gave 180 HP and 16 km/h speed.

 

In 1939 during actions against the Soviets and the Germans, most of the ships were scuttled by their crews to avoid capture (and due to due to very low river's water level - in 1939 summer was very hot and dry). In 1939-40 most of them were refloated, repaired, rearmed and included in the Soviet Pinsk Naval Flotilla

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vessels_of_Polish_Riverine_Flotilla

 

And a few photos, I hope you like them:

 

ORP Kraków. On the map you can see as well comparision between today polish territory and shape of pre-II world war Poland (grey area) and main rivers on the east part of country.

 

ORP Horodyszcze (don't even try to spell in English 😉 !)

 

OORP Wilno and Kraków: 

 

Once again ORP Kraków as a cardboard model:

Here you have ORP Kraków another papercard model gallery:

http://www.kartonowa.pl/?galeria-14,48

 

Light Armoured Cutters on Pina River

 

 

Above and below: Riverine Flotilla's main base in Pinsk

 

Boat market in Pina

 

Pinsk and Pina:

 

Typical Polesie landscape

 

And finally. During many years after 2WW this was completly forgotten history. As Poland was ruled by communists it was forbidden to mention - write, commemorise all aspects related to polish presence there and wars with bolsheviks in 1920 and Poland's defence against Soviet Union in 1939. Now things changed, but lot of thigs are still unknown, almost all eye-witnesses has died, lot of documents perished...

 

HTH, if you have any further questions, I will try help.

 

Best regards,

Michał.

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by socjo1

[leyreynolds]

Thank you for the very informative reply. I now have a good idea of the history and will look into a scratchbuild in 1/72 scale.

 

Ley

[socjo1]

3 hours ago, leyreynolds said:

Thank you for the very informative reply. I now have a good idea of the history and will look into a scratchbuild in 1/72 scale.

 

Ley

 

Good luck!

Michał

PS. There is a few books with drawnings and photos of builded monitors, but in Polish only I pressume.