Very first amphibious craft in the Polish Navy were several ex-German landing craft of unspecified types that were found in derelict condition in Gdynia and subsequently repaired. These craft, however, were serving only as auxiliaries and not as amphibious assault vessels.
First actual landing craft used by the Polish Navy were six LCP(L)'s obtained from US war surplus (more of these units were obtained for the Coast Guard as patrol boats) in 1947.
Their introduction preceded formation of the first marine assault unit of the Polish Armed Forces - 3 Batalion Piechoty Morskiej (3 BPM - 3rd Marine Infantry Battalion). This unit was formed as part of Navy in november 1951 in Dziwnów (nort-east of Szczecin) and comprised of:
-Command and Staff unit,
-signals platoon,
-two infantry companies,
-heavy machine-gun company,
-training company,
-battery of 76mm guns,
-company of 82mm mortars,
-platoon of anti-aircraft machine guns,
-sapper/engineers platoon,
-medical detachment.
It's personnel numbered 579 officers and soldiers and armament consisted of: 24 light machine guns, 16 heavy machine guns, 4 12,7mm anti-aircraft machine guns, 24 anti-tank grenade launchers, 12 82mm mortars and 4 76mm guns ZiS-3.
In the year 1951, the same when 3 BPM was formed, Navy formed it's first landing ships grouping - Flotylla Środków Desantowych (Flotilla of Landing Units - lit. Flotilla of Landing Means).
LCP(L) boats were first landing craft used by the Polish Navy between 1947 and 1962, initially with pennant numbers KM-4, KM-5, KM-6, KM-7, KM-8 and KM-20, in 1952 changed to (respectively) KD-19, KD-28, KD-37, KD-46, KD-55 and KD-64 (KD - Kuter Desantowy - Landing Cutter).
After the II World War large numbers of surplus landing craft were sold to civilian operators. 22 of them ended in Poland. Rising Cold-war tensions caused that 14 of these were taken over in 1950 by the Polish Navy. After refit they entered service in Flotylla Środków Desantowych.
Eleven of these landing craft were of the US LCT(5) type. First seven of these received initially pennant numbers from BD-1 to BD-7, but in 1952 they were changed to BDS format, from BDS-50 to BDS-60 (Barka Desantowa Średnia - Landing Barge Medium), applying to all eleven units, and in 1956 to ODS (Okręt Desantowy Średni - Landing Ship Medium) - from ODS-50 to ODS-60. Three of these craft were decommissioned in 1957, three in 1959 and remaining five in 1960.
Remaining three US-built landing craft were of the LCM(3) type. Initially classified as BDM (Barka Desantowa Mała - Landing Barge Small) with numbers from BDM-1 to BDM-3, in 1952 "upgraded" to BDM-101 to BDM-103 and in 1956 reclassified as ODM (Okręt Desantowy Mały - Landing Ship Small) - ODM-101 to ODM-103. All three vessels were decommissioned in 1964.
Largest landing ships of the Polish Navy in the 1950s were six Marinefährprahm landing craft. Four of these were found unfinished in the riverine shipyard in Głogów, fifth was found there but sunk (and subsequently recovered) and sixth one was captured finished and intact. They were all classed as BDD (Barka Desantowa Duża - Landing Barge Large), with four of them (BDD-1, -2, -3 and -7) were of the MFP-D type and remaining two (BDD-5 and -6) were of the MFP-DM type. In the 1956 they were reclassified as ODD (Okręt Desantowy Duży - Landing Ship Large). Two of them were decommissioned in 1957, one in 1962 and remaining three in 1963.
Last landing ship of that period was also the most exotic one. It was MZ "A"-class landing ship built in Italy and in 1943 taken over by German Navy, that somehow ended up in Poland and was later taken over by the Polish Navy as BDD-4 and from 1956 as ODD-4. It was decommissioned in 1962.
Note: it's appearance, especially shape of the bridge, is very much uncertain.
Thank you Kim for the crest
Great work.
and can't wait to see Rhade's pre war ships too.
One of our members who works on the coal face.