Riverine Flotilla of the Polish Navy order of battle

The following is the order of battle of the Riverine Flotilla of the Polish Navy, an integral part of the Polish Navy in the period between the world wars.

Staff and the headquarters Initially subordinate to the Referee of the Riverine Fleet in the Ministry of Military Affairs in Warsaw, in 1932 it was separated as a semi-independent branch of the navy based in Pińsk. In 1939 the commander of the Riverine Flotilla was Cmdr. Witold Zajączkowski and his chief of staff was Cmdr. Władysław Szczekowski. Other members of the staff were:

Deputy commanding officer Cmdr. Henryk Eibel Artillery officer Cmdr. Włodzimierz Kleszczyński Technical officer Cmdr. Wacław Trzebiński Signals officer Cmdr. Bronisław Witkowski Intelligence officer Cmdr. Narcyz Małuszyński Head surgeon Cmdr. Władysław Kozłowski Chaplain Maj. rev. Henryk Antonowicz Flags officer Cmdr. Janusz Marciniewski

Riverine Flotilla

Staff vessels

ORP Admirał Sierpinek command vessel (armed paddle steamer) S 1 liaison motorboat S 2 liaison motorboat Nr. 5 speed-boat

Combat groups

1st Combat Group

ORP Kraków river monitor (Capt. Jerzy Wojciechowski) ORP Wilno river monitor (Capt. Edmund Jodkowski) ORP Zuchwała gunboat ORP Zaradna gunboat KU 16 (KU being an acronym of Kuter Uzbrojony, that is armed cutter in Polish; similar in shape and armament to later PT boats and PBRs) KU 17 armed cutter KU 18 armed cutter KU 19 armed cutter KU 21 armed cutter K 20 barrack ship (krypa in Polish terminology) ORP Generał Sikorski anti-air defence armed paddle steamer (Capt. Władysław Fidosz - name uncertain) Nr. 1 speed-boat

2nd Combat Group ORP Warszawa river monitor (Capt. Jan May) ORP Horodyszcze river monitor (Capt. Andrzej Marzecki) KU 22 armed cutter KU 24 armed cutter KU 25 armed cutter KU 26 armed cutter K 8 barrack ship ORP Hetman Chodkiewicz anti-air defence armed paddle steamer (Capt. Edward Kulesza) Nr. 2 speed-boat

3rd Combat Group ORP Pińsk river monitor (Capt. Jan Kierkus) ORP Toruń river monitor (Capt. Bolesław Parydzaj) KU 7 armed cutter (reconnaissance) KU 23 armed cutter (service) KU 27 armed cutter KU 28 armed cutter KU 29 armed cutter K 10 barrack ship ORP Generał Szeptycki minelayer (armed paddle steamer) Nr. 3 speed-boat

Support units

Mine and gas warfare detachment

ORP Mątwa minelayer, capable of gas warfare and supporting a troop of engineers T 1, T 2 and T 3 T 5 class river minesweepers T 4, T 5, T 6 and T 7 T 1 class river minesweepers

Liaison unit KM 14 liaison cutter KM 15 liaison cutter K 2 floating signals base (radio station) P 3 motorboat Two platoons of signal troops and recce squads

Base KU 1 armed cutter KU 2 armed cutter KU 3 armed cutter ORP Neptun tugboat ORP Generał Sosnkowski hospital ship K 12 floating munitions depot K 13 floating munitions depot K 14 floating fuel depot K 15 floating fuel depot K 25 floating fuel depot K 17 canteen K 19 floating service and repair vessel K 7 frogmen support vessel K 9 floating barracks K 30 floating barracks

Riverine Air Escadrille K 4 barrack vessel P 4 motorboat Nr. 7 speed-boat Three R-17W seaplanes (mobilized separately)

Pińsk naval base ORP Kiliński tugboat P 1 motorboat P 2 motorboat Fifteen service vessels of various types AA platoon Signals platoon Administrative service platoon

War-time reorganization On September 15, 1939, the Riverine Flotilla received orders from the commanding officer of the Independent Operational Group Polesie, Gen. Franciszek Kleeberg. Because of a possible breakthrough of the German forces in the northern sector of the front, the orders for the Flotilla were to prepare a defence of a 200 kilometres long front along the Prypeć river. The forces were to be divided into 8 semi-independent task forces, each defending a separate part of the river. However, a particularly dry and sunny summer resulted in shallow waters preventing many ships from reaching their area of operations. In addition, the Soviet invasion of September 17, 1939, made the plans obsolete.

Janów Group

2 × armed cutters naval infantry platoon 1 × Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun

Kaczanowicze Group

ORP Kraków river monitor ORP Zuchwała gunboat 2 × armed cutters

Horodyszcze Group

ORP Wilno monitor ORP Zawzięta gunboat ORP Zaradna gunboat 2 × minesweepers rifle company

Lemieszewicze Group

K 2 signals boat 2 × liaison cutters (?) 2 × liaison platoons

Mosty Wolańskie Group

ORP Horodyszcze monitor ORP Warszawa monitor ORP Generał Sikorski AA ship ORP Hetman Chodkiewicz AA ship ORP Generał Sosnkowski hospital ship 2 × armed cutters

Przewóz Łachewski Group

ORP Pińsk monitor ORP Toruń monitor 6 × armed cutters

Nyrcza Group

ORP Mątwa 2 × minesweepers

Sytnica Group

ORP Admirał Siercinek HQ ship

See also Polish Defensive War Vessels of Polish Riverine Flotilla Riverine Flotilla of the Polish Navy