ORP Kujawiak (L72)

Kujawiak in 1942
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Oakley
Builder	Vickers-Armstrongs, Tyne
Laid down	22 November 1939
Launched	30 October 1940
Fate	Transferred to Poland 3 April 1941
Poland
Name	ORP Kujawiak
Commissioned	17 June 1941
Fate	Sunk by mine on 16 June 1942, near Malta
General characteristics
Class and type	Type II Hunt-class destroyer
Displacement	1,050 tons standard 1,490 tons full load
Length	85 m (279 ft)
Beam	9.5 m (31 ft)
Draught	2.4 m (7 ft 10 in)
Propulsion	powered by 2 shaft steam turbines 19,000 hp (14,200 kW)
Speed	27 knots (50 km/h)
Range	2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km) at 20 knots (40 km/h) 3,700 nautical miles (6,900 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement	160
Armament	6 × QF 4 in Mark XVI guns (3 twin turrets) 4 × 40 mm anti-aircraft cannons 2 to 4 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons 6 depth charge throwers

ORP Kujawiak was a British Type II Hunt-class destroyer escort, originally ordered as HMS Oakley.

Kujawiak was built by Vickers-Armstrongs at the company's High Walker yard on the River Tyne. Her keel was laid down on 22 November 1939 and she was launched on 30 October 1940 as HMS Oakley but on completion in June 1941 she was renamed and commissioned into the Polish Navy.

Kujawiak was sunk on 16 June 1942 after running into a German MT 14 minefield near Malta while participating in Operation Harpoon. 13 Polish sailors died and 20 were wounded.