Diving on the wreck site
The wreck of the submarine ORP Kujawiak lies on a sandy seabed at a shallow depth of 3–4 meters, with its conning tower towering above the water’s surface. The hull is partially buried in the seabed and lists to starboard. The hull has numerous bullet holes from projectiles that pierced the submarine’s hull during training exercises conducted after the vessel was decommissioned from the Navy and became a training target. The shallow depth and proximity to the sandy shore of Rybitwia Mielizna (a shoal in the Gulf of Gdańsk) make this a wonderful dive site for novice divers looking to begin their adventure with wreck diving.
Story
ORP Kujawiak - a Polish submarine from the Cold War era, formerly the Soviet M-245, one of six Project 96 (Series XV) M-class submarines acquired by Poland. The submarine was launched on June 30, 1949, at Shipyard No. 196 in Leningrad, and was commissioned into the Soviet Navy on October 31, 1949, assigned to the Baltic Fleet. In 1953, in light of the deteriorating technical condition of the OORP “Ryś” and “Żbik”- both part of the Submarine Squadron - discussions were initiated with Soviet authorities regarding the possibility of Poland leasing submarines and submarine chasers. In 1954, the Soviet Union agreed to lease four small Project 96 submarines, and in 1955, another two submarines of the same type and four Project 122bis submarine chasers. The lease term for the submarines was set at eight years, with an annual cost of 93,000 rubles per vessel.
On May 27, 1955, the last two leased submarines, named ORP “Kujawiak” and “Kurp,” were ceremoniously incorporated into the Polish Navy, as authorized by Navy Commander’s Order No. 019/Org. dated June 19 of that year. The M-245 was officially struck from the Soviet fleet’s list on April 29, 1955. The first Polish commander of the vessel was Lieutenant Commander Leon Sałkowski. The submarine, designated M-104, became part of the Submarine Squadron, joining the “Kurp” alongside the “Sęp,” “Ryś,” “Żbik,” “Kaszub,” “Mazur,” “Krakowiak,” and “Ślązak.” The ship’s technical condition upon Poland’s takeover was not ideal, and as a result, it soon underwent several months of shipyard repairs; technical documentation for the ships was also missing. On September 16, ORP “Kujawiak” was assigned to the 1st Submarine Brigade, which had been formed to replace the disbanded Submarine Squadron.
In 1956, the command of the 1st Brigade was tasked with the following: preparing the submarines for operations in coastal waters in coordination with the air force, initiating training in conducting group torpedo attacks, and improving skills in reconnaissance and operations blocking enemy bases and evading attacks by anti-submarine warfare (ASW) forces, as well as beginning training in penetrating ASW defense zones. In June of that year, the “Kujawiak,” “Kurp,” and “Ślązak” took part in fleet exercises conducted in the waters of Gulf of Gdańsk. In the following training year, the tasks were as follows: improving the conduct of day and night operations, as well as reconnaissance and the blockade of enemy bases; conducting torpedo firing exercises and operations along the communication lines of the presumed enemy, conducting surveillance duties, and training in deploying small sabotage groups. In 1957, six submarines of the 1st Brigade (“Kujawiak,” “Kaszub,” “Krakowiak,” “Mazur,” “Sęp,” and “Ślązak”) took part in fleet-wide exercises codenamed Reda ’57. In July and August, the “Kujawiak,” “Krakowiak,” and “Kurp” undertook an autonomous voyage to the North Sea, reaching the east coast of Great Britain. This summer, the ship’s 45-mm deck gun was removed. On December 15, the ship’s hull number was changed to P-104.
In the following training years, all Polish Project 96 vessels conducted intensive training cruises, performing regular torpedo firings, as well as refining simulated operations on enemy communication routes, blocking enemy bases, reconnaissance, and cooperation with surface ships and aviation. On January 1, 1960, the ship’s hull number was changed, in accordance with the new numbering scheme, from P-104 to 305. That year, due to the deteriorating technical condition of the hulls of Project 96 submarines, the Navy Command decided to limit the maximum diving depth to 40 meters and restrict underwater operations to bodies of water with a maximum depth of 60 meters. During the 1960 training year, ORP "Kujawiak" was named the best ship of the 1st Submarine Brigade. On August 24–28, 1961, a group of Polish Navy ships consisting of the destroyer “Błyskawica” and the submarines “Kujawiak” and “Ślązak” paid a visit to Helsinki. In 1962, Poland decided to purchase the leased submarines from the USSR at a price of 400,000 zlotys per vessel. From April to July 1962, the submarine was docked at the Gdańsk Repair Shipyard, where the underwater section of the hull underwent inspection and maintenance. In the fall, members of the Technical Committee at the Navy Command recommended decommissioning all Project 96 vessels. given the impossibility of fully assessing the technical condition of their hulls due to the lack of access to Soviet documentation on the measurement of rigid hull deflections, the maximum diving depth was also limited to 20 meters. In mid-1963, the Kujawiak and the Kurp were still part of the combat group of the 1st Submarine Brigade. On June 27, 1965, the “Kujawiak” and the “Ślązak” took part in a parade held in the Gdynia roadstead to mark the 20th anniversary of the Polish People’s Republic Navy, and in 1966, the “Kujawiak" and the "Kurp” participated in Polish Navy exercises for the last time.
The final lowering of the flag on ORP “Kujawiak” took place on December 31, 1966, and on the same day, it was struck from the fleet list by order of the Commander of the Navy No. 078/Org. dated December 12 of that year. The ship’s crew was disbanded pursuant to Navy Commander’s Order No. 09/Org. of March 15, 1967. The decommissioned vessel was initially intended to be transferred to the Naval Academy for use as a training aid, but was ultimately sunk as a target ship by the Air Force at coordinates 54°41′28″N 18°33′05″E on the Rybitwa Rewa in Puck Bay and rests at a depth of approximately 4 meters.
Technical specifications
General Information
A small semi-double-hull submarine designed for coastal operations and adapted to Baltic Sea wave heights. Constructed of steel using welding techniques, the hull was divided by five watertight bulkheads into six compartments (starting from the bow): I – torpedo (with berths for sailors), II – crew quarters (crew quarters), III – main command post (control room), IV – crew quarters, V – diesel engines and VI – electric motors. Above the control room was a kiosk, and battery banks were located beneath the crew quarters. External saddle-shaped ballast tanks were located on both sides from the middle of compartment I to the middle of compartment V, and another ballast tank was located at the stern inside the rigid hull; a trim tank and a rapid-submergence tank were also located beneath compartment III. The bow depth rudders were located at the level of the torpedo compartment and at the stern behind the propellers (where a single rudder was also mounted).
The overall length was 49,5 meters, the beam was 4,4 meters, and the draft ranged from 2,6 meters at the bow to 2,8 meters at the stern. The standard displacement in surface configuration was 283 tons, and 353 tons when submerged. The maximum permissible diving depth was 80 meters, and the operational (working) depth was 60 meters. The maximum continuous underwater endurance was 48 hours. The ship’s endurance was 14 days.
The ship’s crew consisted of six officers, 15 petty officers, and 10 sailors (a total of 31 people).
Propulsion
On the surface, the ship was propelled by two 11D diesel engines, each rated at 441 kW (600 hp). Submerged propulsion was provided by two PG-17 electric motors, each rated at 160 kW (218 hp). Two propeller shafts driving two propellers enabled a maximum speed of 15,7 knots on the surface and 7,8 knots submerged (cruising speeds were 10 and 3 knots, respectively). The range was 4500 nautical miles at a speed of 8 knots on the surface and 85 nautical miles at a speed of 2,9 knots submerged (or at maximum speeds of 965 nautical miles on the surface and 9,7 nautical miles submerged). The liquid fuel supply was 28 tons. Electrical power was stored in two 2-MS lead-acid battery banks, each with 60 cells.
Armaments and Equipment
The ship was equipped with four fixed 533-mm bow torpedo tubes, with a total of four torpedoes on board. It used Type 53-38 steam-gas torpedoes, 7,19 meters long and weighing 1615 kg. Guided to the target by a gyroscope, they had a diving depth of 0 to 14 meters. The torpedoes could be launched from a depth of up to 30 meters, and they were loaded from the bow at the base using a crane after the stern was submerged and the bow was raised using ballast tanks. The ship’s artillery armament initially consisted of a single 45-mm 21-KM multi-purpose deck gun mounted in front of the conning tower, with an ammunition supply of 200 rounds. The ship used fragmentation-tracer, fragmentation, incendiary, armor-piercing-tracer, and cast-iron (training) rounds, which were fired at a rate of 30–40 rounds per minute.
Some sources indicate that the ship was additionally armed with two 7.62 mm machine guns. The radio-electronic equipment included an R-641 radio set, whose antenna mast allowed for communication at a periscope depth of 5 meters, a Mars-16K noise detector with a range of 30 cables, and a direction-finding device with an antenna mounted on the conning tower. A single PZ-7 periscope was installed on the ship as an optical detection device. The rescue equipment consisted of an emergency buoy equipped with a wired telephone, a radio signal transmitter, and a signal light.
Interesting facts about the wreck
At the bottom of Puck Bay lies the sister ship of the "Kujawiak," the "Ślązak," nicknamed "Malutka" by divers. The wreck lies at a depth of 32 meters and is open for recreational diving - read the description here.
If you have additional info on the ship or would like to correct the information on the site - please contact us
