ORP "Warszawa I" – the Polish project 56AE rocket destroyer

When the Polish Marynarka Wojenna was preparing to write off two not very new Project 30bis destroyers, ORP "Grom" and ORP "Wicher", in the late 1960s, a Project 56AE rocket destroyer was purchased in the Soviet Union, which was given the name ORP "Warszawa". And although it was not a new ship, it served in the Polish Navy until 1986. The Project 56 destroyers were the first Soviet destroyers, built in large series after World War II. They were projected by Arved L. Fischer of the Leningrad CKB-53. A series of 31 ships of this type, also known as the "Spokoinyj" type (NATO reporting name: "Kotlin"), were built between 1953 and 1958. However, the "Spokoinyj" was not the first ship of this series to be built (the "Byvalyj" became the first), and the "Spokoinyj" was the first in the list of ships, the keel of which was laid on April 19, 1953. 27 of these ships were built as artillery destroyers (Project 56), while the 28th was redesigned during building into a rocket destroyer of the 56EM type. The three remaining were built in the same configuration from the very beginning of building and are designated as the Project 56M. Later, several ships were converted from artillery versions to rocket versions according to the project 56A or 56AE (the destroyer "Spraviedlyvyj", intended for sale to Poland, was converted into this). The ship was purchased on October 2, 1969, at the moment, when its conversion was nearing completion, the flag of the Polish Navy was raised on it on June 25, 1970. It was included in the 3rd Ship Flotilla, which was established in March 1970, in which later was formed the 7th Destroyer Division. In it served three ships: ORP "Wicher" (stricken in 1972), ORP "Grom" and ORP "Warszawa". The fourth ship of this Division was the old ORP "Blyskawica", which was removed from the lists in 1975. In 1974 the “Grom” was also decommissioned - thus ORP “Warszawa” remained the only Polish MW destroyer for 11 years. During her service the ship participated in many exercises and maneuvers between Poland and the Warsaw Pact countries. The first anti-aircraft missiles were launched from her mechanisms from the deck of a Polish ship in May 1971. In total, 28 of the 52 missiles purchased, were used. The ship was decommissioned on January 31, 1983 and then the Polish Navy was briefly left without destroyers until the newer “Warszawa” was purchased. Throughout its service, ORP “Warszawa” was designated with the tactical number 275.

A complex, well-designed and excellently detailed model, that will suit only medium-experienced and experienced modelers. However, even for them it will be a "hard nut to crack". Perfectly detailed hull, propulsion - steering complex, superstructures, armament, deck and rescue equipment, antennas, small parts, other equipment. There is a considerable gray color reserve, where necessary, the parts are printed double-side (the entire other side of the sheet). There are no textual instruction. However, the graphical one - huge, detailed, informative and easy to read - is simply exemplary.