Wicher-class destroyer
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Wicher |
| Builders: | Chantiers Naval Français |
| Operators: |
 Polish Navy
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| Succeeded by: | Grom class |
| In commission: | 1930 - 1960 |
| Completed: | Two |
| Lost: | One |
| Retired: | One |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | destroyer |
| Displacement: | 1,540 tons |
| Length: | 106.9 m (351 ft) |
| Beam: | 10.5 m (34 ft) |
| Draught: | 3.5 m (11 ft) |
| Speed: | 33.8 knots (38.9 mph; 62.6 km/h) |
| Complement: | 162 officers and enlisted |
| Armament: |
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Wicher-class destroyers served in the Polish Navy during World War II. Two ships of this class were built for the Second Polish Republic by Chantiers Naval Français during the late 1920s. They were modified versions of the Bourrasque-class destroyers built for the French Navy.
After the Great War, Poland's shoreline was very short (only 142 km) and there was no need to create a large naval force. Initially consisting merely of four naval trawlers and two monitors — all inherited from the Kaiserliche Marine — in 1924, the Polish Navy was to start the construction of nine submarines. As Poland's greatest possible enemy at that time was perceived to be the Soviet Union, their only task would be to secure supply convoys from France in case of a war. However, due to the economic crisis and the customs war with Germany, this plan had to be abandoned and eventually only three ships were ordered from France.
At that time, the government of Władysław Grabski tried to obtain a large credit from France. It has been suggested that many members of the French government were stock owners of the newly created Chantiers Naval Francais shipyard in Caen, and such a credit would be granted if the shipyard signed a contract with the Polish government. As the shipyard had no experience in shipbuilding and submersibles were believed to be very complicated to build, on September 9, 1925 it was decided instead to purchase two destroyers for the approximate price 22 million złotys. After initial talks, the shipyard presented Poland with a plan for two modified Bourrasque-class destroyers. On April 2, 1926 the contract was signed.
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