Characteristics of vessels of The Pinsk Flotilla of The Polish Navy and their potential usage

Abstract

The Riverine Flotillas were established at the birth of the Second Polish Republic, however, by 1939 only one of them survived. Both formations (the Pinsk and Vistula flotilla) were military units intended for conducting operations on inland waters. During the twenty years of The Pinsk Flotilla's existence, it expanded significantly and just before the outbreak of the war, it had numerous sub-units and services including, among others, its own war port (in Pinsk), Naval Port Workshop (in Pinsk), communications department, service engineering and sapper, River Riding Squadron, School of River Specialists and a number of vessels. The latter consisted of both fighting vessels of various types as well as smaller support vessels.
The origins of the Pinsk Flotilla as well as the (Marine) Fleet were accompanied by social sentiments in the Second Polish Republic. However, despite the enrichment of its possession by a few relatively modern vessels, it remained, on the whole, an entire archaic formation, and in the opinion of many people it did not fit in to the modern battlefield. The final test of its abilities was its peripheral participation in the September 1939 campaign. During its actions in 1939, despite the heroism of the fighting mariners and sporadic successes, it revealed its limited usefulness in the conditions of the battlefield.
The article presents the basic types of inland war vessels used in the Pinsk Flotilla of the Polish Navy Second Polish Republic in the years 1919–1939. In addition, the basic parameters of selected constructions were set out. The conditions and possibilities of using vessels in combat operations in Polesie are aso presented.