ORP Błyskawica, commanded by Captain Stanisław Nahorski, was ordered to patrol on Dunkirk evacuation route “Y” and provide anti-aircraft cover for Allied vessels.

Account of ORP Błyskawica during the Dunkirk Evacuations

On the night of 27^th May 1940 Błyskawica was ordered to Dunkirk. At midnight they approached the Mole. Dunkirk was burning even then. A heavy bombing attack was in progress, and one plane detached itself and, dropping to less than 1,000 feet, opened fire with machine-guns and swept Błyskawica’s deck with bullets. She opened fire in turn, and the plane crashed shortly afterwards….

On May 29^th in line ahead with a formation of British destroyers, she saw the leading destroyer make a sudden emergency turn to starboard, and between the wake of the next ahead and her own bow they saw from Błyskawica’s bridge the track of a torpedo. With her companion she carried out a depth charge attack and circled, coming in for fresh attack. Immediately they heard the roar of aircraft engines, and from the low cloud a German bomber came in, diving on Błyskawica. She followed the bombs with machine-gunning, and slipped back into the clouds, getting clear.

In the early evening she found the British destroyer Greyhound proceeding in the direction of the English coast at slow speed, heavily damaged by bombs. Błyskawica took her in tow … to Dover and then returned to patrol.

So the incredible, breathless story of the evacuation went on. Few men have any exact memories of those days. They passed in a wild turmoil of bombing, machine-gunning, artillery fire, strange patrols; of rescue work, towing, searching, helping.

In the early morning of the 31^st she had a brush with a German E-boat, and a heavy explosion took place close to her bows… A little while later she heard the noise of the E-boat again and, sighting her, opened fire. Soon after they saw lights in the water and, steaming towards them, found the survivors of the French destroyer Sirocco which had been torpedoed by a German E-boat. They rescued one officer and 14 ratings.

At midday of 1^st June she received orders to return to Harwich. Dunkirk, for her, was over.

From Navies in Exile by A.D. Divine

Excerpt from ORP Błyskawica log, Dunkirk 29^th May 1940

0840      Heard the sound of an engine above the ship / cloud base is below 1500m/

AA Alarm. Observed 1 enemy aircraft. The plane goes into a dive and drops

2 bombs which explode 100m astern. It returns strafing the ship with its

machine guns, several rounds hit the base of the range finder on the battle

bridge and one damages the magazine of the Lewis machinegun.

A large number of rounds fall 50m ahead of the bow. We opened fire on

the plane ………..