Operation Peking

Poland addresses the looming threat

As war approached in Europe, the Polish Navy realised the German Navy – the ‘Kreigsmarine’ – would have a significant numerical advantage over them in the Baltic Sea – the main, if not only, area in which the two navies were likely to clash.

And with the Baltic Sea also being within the range of the bombers of the German Airforce – the ‘Luftwaffe’ – it was apparent that something needed to be done to ensure the Polish ships did not end up sunk or severely damaged.

That something was the ‘Peking Plan’ – the removal of the Polish Destroyer Division – ‘Dywizjon Kontrtorpedowców’ – from the Baltic Sea completely and sending it to the comparative safety of the United Kingdom.

Furthermore, the plan had to be enacted before hostilities commenced as attempting to move the boats once fighting had begun would be a much riskier proposition.

The Munich Crisis of 1938, where Britain and France appeased Hitler by allowing Germany to annex Sudetenland, emboldened Nazi aggression. As war loomed, Poland anticipated invasion. The Peking Plan, executed in August 1939, ensured Polish naval destroyers were relocated to Britain, preserving naval strength amidst Germany's escalating expansionism.

https://cache.diomedia.com/diocomp/01/B9/5V/comp/01B9-5VN7.jpg

The Polish Navy during the Second World War. Prior to the outbreak of the conflict, It's limited size meant that in the event of war - with Germany and its Kreigsmarine being the likely aggressors - a plan needed to be put in place to ensure the survival of some of the Polish warships. The 'Peking Plan' was the result of this thinking.

https://naval-encyclopedia.com/ww2/polish-navy.php

The Polish Navy in 1939

In the 1920s and 1930s, the Polish Navy emerged as a vital component of Poland’s defense strategy, reflecting the country's renewed sovereignty after the First World War.

Following its re-establishment in 1918, Poland prioritized creating a modern navy to secure its access to the Baltic Sea and protect maritime trade routes.

The Treaty of Versailles, granting Poland access to the Baltic through the Polish Corridor, highlighted the strategic importance of naval development.

The borders of the newly formed Polish Second Republic in 1918. Poland regained independence in 1918 after over a century of partition by neighboring powers. With access to the Baltic Sea through the Treaty of Versailles, Poland needed a navy to protect its sovereignty, secure maritime trade routes, and defend its coastline. The Polish Navy was vital for asserting control over the strategically significant Polish Corridor and deterring threats from Germany and the Soviet Union, ensuring Poland’s geopolitical stability and economic viability in a turbulent postwar Europe.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1180896002/poland-1918-old-map-wall-map-reprint

...a foundation for developing naval operations...

Poland began building its navy from scratch, acquiring surplus ships from Allied nations such as France and Britain.

These vessels were modest but provided a foundation for developing naval operations and training personnel.

Poland also constructed a naval base at Gdynia in the early 1920s, which became the country’s primary port and naval headquarters.

A view of two Polish Navy river monitors ORP Wilno and ORP Kraków, 1928. In the 1920s, the Polish Navy focused on establishing a foundational maritime force to secure its newly regained Baltic coastline. Starting with surplus ships from Allies, Poland emphasized personnel training and infrastructure development, notably constructing the port of Gdynia. Strategies prioritized coastal defense, mine warfare, and securing trade routes. Limited resources meant reliance on smaller vessels and creative tactics to counter regional threats, laying the groundwork for modernization efforts in the 1930s to strengthen its naval capabilities.

https://www.facebook.com/PolishNaval/?locale=fr_FR&_rdr

...became the pride of the fleet...

By the 1930s, Poland’s navy had evolved into a small but modern fleet. The government invested in technologically advanced ships to counter regional threats, particularly from Germany and the Soviet Union.

Poland commissioned destroyers such as ORP Błyskawica, Grom, and Burza, built in British shipyards, which became the pride of the fleet.

These vessels were equipped with high-speed capabilities and heavy armaments, designed for escort duties and offensive operations.

Poland also acquired submarines like ORP Orzeł and Wilk, built with innovative designs for stealth and reconnaissance.

August 1930 - The Polish Navy destroyer ORP Wicher escorting polish liner SS Polonia with president Mościcki onboard, on his visit to Estonia. The ORP Wicher, Poland's first modern destroyer, was built in France and commissioned in 1930 as part of Poland's interwar naval modernization. Designed for versatility, it featured powerful armaments and high-speed capabilities. The ship played a key role in securing Poland's Baltic coastline. Though technologically advanced for its time, Wicher was vulnerable against larger naval forces and limited in scope. It would be destroyed during Germany’s invasion in 1939, marking a significant loss for the Polish Navy.

https://www.facebook.com/PolishNaval/?locale=fr_FR&_rdr

...further constrained its operational capacity...

The Polish Navy’s strengths lay in its modern equipment, well-trained crews, and strategic alliances, particularly with Britain.

However, it was relatively small, with fewer than 50 ships, and lacked sufficient resources to challenge larger naval powers.

Poland’s limited coastline and the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea further constrained its operational capacity.

Additionally, the navy struggled with integrating its efforts with Poland's army and air force, weakening overall defensive coordination.

Despite its limitations, the Polish Navy symbolized national resilience. Its commitment to modernizing and maintaining maritime defense during the interwar years reflected Poland’s determination to safeguard its sovereignty in a region fraught with geopolitical challenges.

Sailors from the Polish Navy destroyer ORP Burza lined up for allocation of duties, 1940. Ships like ORP Burza symbolized the Polish Navy's growth during the 1920s and 1930s, reflecting its commitment to modernization and defense. Built in the 1930s as part of Poland's effort to develop a capable maritime force, Burza represented advanced naval engineering and strategic foresight. These destroyers enhanced Poland’s ability to defend its Baltic coastline, support international operations, and secure trade routes. Their development underscored Poland’s determination to strengthen its sovereignty and adapt to regional challenges.

https://www.facebook.com/PolishNaval/?locale=fr_FR&_rdr

The threat of war increases

The Peking Plan of 1939 emerged as a strategic military manoeuvre during the volatile period leading up to the Second World War, primarily shaped by escalating international tensions and shifting alliances.

Rooted in the geopolitical context of Central and Eastern Europe, the plan aimed to safeguard Poland’s naval forces amidst the looming threat of German aggression.

The Treaty of Versailles (1919) reshaped Europe after the First World War, granting Poland access to the Baltic Sea through the Polish Corridor.

This strategic location, though vital for Poland's economy and security, became a source of contention with Germany.

Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 marked the beginning of Germany’s aggressive expansionist policies, with demands to reclaim the Polish Corridor and the Free City of Danzig.

Simultaneously, Poland was diplomatically isolated, balancing precarious relationships with both Germany and the Soviet Union.

The Peking Plan preemptively moved Polish naval destroyers to Britain in 1939, anticipating Adolf Hitler's invasion of Poland, ensuring their survival and enabling continued Polish contributions to Allied efforts during the Second World War.

https://www.deviantart.com/julia-koterias/art/Adolf-Hitler-in-colour-5-442885029

The Polish Corridor, established by the Treaty of Versailles, gave Poland access to the Baltic Sea but fueled tensions with Germany. Anticipating Hitler’s invasion in 1939, Poland executed the Peking Plan, relocating its naval destroyers to Britain. This strategic move preserved Poland’s naval strength for Allied efforts in the Second World War.

https://www.inyourpocket.com/gdansk/what-was-the-free-city-of-danzig_77251f

...which secretly divided Eastern Europe...

By 1939, German territorial demands intensified, and Poland firmly rejected these, bolstered by guarantees of military support from Britain and France.

The signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in August 1939 between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which secretly divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence, further jeopardized Poland’s security.

Anticipating war, Poland sought to protect its naval assets.

A contemporary cartoon commentating on the surprising alliance between two opposing ideologies. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (1939) was a non-aggression agreement between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, secretly dividing Eastern Europe. This pact heightened Poland's vulnerability to invasion. In response, the Peking Plan preemptively relocated Polish naval destroyers to Britain, ensuring their survival as Germany and the Soviet Union prepared to partition Poland.

https://freedomnews.org.uk/tag/molotov-ribbentrop-pact/

...exemplified Poland's strategic foresight...

The Peking Plan involved the strategic evacuation of three key Polish Navy destroyers—ORP Błyskawica, Grom, and Burza—to Britain in late August 1939, just before the outbreak of the Second World War.

This pre-emptive move was designed to prevent the ships from being trapped or destroyed in the Baltic Sea during Germany’s imminent invasion of Poland.

By ensuring their safety, the plan enabled these destroyers to continue contributing to Allied naval operations throughout the war, preserving Poland's naval legacy.

The Peking Plan would exemplify Poland's strategic foresight amidst overwhelming international challenges, which would help ensure its navy’s survival during the forthcoming global conflict.

A damaged Polish armored train captured by German Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler regiment, near Blonie, Poland, September 1939. The Peking Plan, executed in late August 1939, showcased Poland's foresight in the face of imminent German invasion. Anticipating the swift occupation of Polish ports and the Baltic Sea, by marauding German forces, Poland planned to evacuate some of its key naval assets to Britain.

https://pt.ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=13330&ai_code=20230224

The plan is agreed

Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Carton De Wiart, representing the British Government and Marshal Edward Śmigły-Rydz, commander-in-chief of the Polish Forces, met to discuss the plan on 24 August 1939.

Although initially against the idea, Śmigły-Rydz was eventually won around, and he agreed to the ships being relocated and out of harm’s way.

An additional advantage to the Peking Plan was how it could support Polish contingencies for a Romanian Bridgehead.

Lieutenant-General Adrian Carton de Wiart (left) and Marshal Edward Śmigły-Rydz (right) were responsible for the planning of the Peking Plan.

...hostilities breaking out between German and Poland looked increasingly inevitable...

In the event of the German invasion and Polish forces being unable to repel it, they were to fall back to the southeast of the country, close to the area that bordered Romania.

Here they could organise and hold out, supplied, and supported by the French and British.

The Polish ships could assist in this operation if they had already relocated to the UK.

By 26 August, hostilities breaking out between German and Poland looked increasingly inevitable.

With the signing of the Anglo-Polish alliance the day before, the Commander of the Polish Fleet, Counter Admiral Józef Unrug authorised the operation with the orders being dispatched to the ship’s captains in sealed envelopes.

Admiral Józef Unrug, a key figure in the Polish Navy, signed the order for the launch of the PEking Plan on 26 August 1939, a day after the signing of the Polish-British Common Defence Pact. As a staunch advocate for preserving Poland's naval assets, his leadership ensured the navy’s survival amidst Germany’s invasion, enabling Polish naval forces to contribute to Allied operations. Unrug’s foresight highlighted his dedication to Poland’s maritime defense and sovereignty.

https://tvn24.pl/trojmiasto/sylwetka-admirala-jozefa-unruga-ra871961-ls2327565

“Peking, Peking, Peking”

Three days later, the fleet received the signal “Peking, Peking, Peking: Execute Peking” from Śmigły-Rydz and at 12:55, the ships received flag or radio signals from the communication tower at Oksywie confirming.

After the captains each opened their envelopes, the fleet departed at 14:15. It consisted of three destroyers:

Błyskawica, commanded by Komandor porucznik Włodzimierz Kodrębski,
Burza, commanded by Komandor podporucznik Stanisław Nahorski.
Grom, commanded by Komandor porucznik Aleksander Hulewicz.

Komandor porucznik Roman Stankiewicz was in overall command of the fleet.

The destroyers made it through the Baltic without any interference from the Germans – even passing the German light cruiser Königsberg and an accompanying destroyer – as hostilities had not yet started.

ORP Błyskawica, photographed after the war.

ORP Burza

ORP Grom, sunk on 4 May 1940 in the Rombaken fjord, near Narvik

However, realising they were being tracked by German reconnaissance aircraft, the destroyers changed direction and headed towards Norway in an effort to throw off their trackers during the night, before changing direction again and heading towards the UK.

They reached the North Sea on 1 September, where they learned about the outbreak of hostilities with the German shelling of Westerplatte.

At 12:58, they liaised with the Royal Navy destroyers HMS Wanderer and Wallace before then docking at Leith, Scotland at 17:37.

Polish destroyers during the Peking Plan. Photograph taken from the deck of the Błyskawica with the Grom and Burza in shot.

Aftermath

The Peking Plan was not universally popular in Poland as for many, the idea of some of their best ships departing just as war seemed likely to start, seemed counterproductive, disloyal or even cowardly.

Ultimately though, it proved to be the correct decision.

The three Polish destroyers served alongside the Royal Navy throughout the war with only the ORP Grom failing to make it to the end, being sunk on 4 May 1940 in the Rombaken fjord, Narvik, during the Norwegian campaign).

Anti-Aircraft crew on the ORP Błyskawica (left) in 1940 and the ORP Burza (right) in 1943. After the Peking Plan in 1939, the Polish destroyers Błyskawica, Burza, and Grom reached Britain, ensuring their survival following Germany's invasion of Poland. They joined Allied naval forces, playing key roles in escorting convoys, supporting the Battle of the Atlantic, and engaging in operations against Axis forces. While Grom was lost in 1940, Błyskawica and Burza continued to serve valiantly, symbolizing Poland’s ongoing contribution to the Allied war effort despite its occupation.

https://www.militaryimages.net/

In contrast, those Polish ships which remained in the Baltic once war had broken out were ll sunk of captured by the Germans.

The two largest Polish ships remaining in the Baltic – the Wicher and Gryf – were both sunk after only a couple of days fighting, on the 3^{rd of} September 1939.

Although they had failed to stop the Peking Plan and allowed three Polish destroyers to escape, it did allow the Germans to free up the three light-cruisers who had been tasked with confronting them – the Nürnberg, Köln and Leipzig, and these were recalled from the Baltic Sea for other duties.

The sunken ORP "Gryf" in the Hel port. The Polish naval ship Gryf, a key minelayer, was excluded from the Peking Plan due to its strategic role in Baltic defenses. Unlike the destroyers relocated to Britain, Gryf remained in Poland but was destroyed during Germany’s invasion in September 1939, highlighting the limitations of the Peking Plan's scope.

http://www.1939.pl/uzbrojenie/polskie/okrety-wojenne/orp-gryf/index.html

"Poland's Navy 1918-1945" by Michael Alfred Peszke offers a comprehensive history of the Polish Navy from its re-establishment after the First World War to its contributions during the Second World War. The book explores the challenges Poland faced in building a modern naval force, detailing its fleet's development, key naval operations, and strategic importance. It highlights the pivotal role of the navy in defending Poland’s sovereignty and supporting Allied forces during the war, despite facing numerous limitations and external threats.

"The Polish Navy 1918–45" by Przemysław Budzbon provides an in-depth look at the history and development of the Polish Navy from its re-establishment after the First World War through to the Second World War. The book covers key naval engagements, the challenges Poland faced, and the evolution of its fleet. It explores naval strategies, technological advancements, and the Polish Navy’s crucial role in both defending the country and contributing to Allied operations, particularly during the early days of the Second World War.

"The Eagle Unbowed: Poland and the Poles in the Second World War" by Halik Kochanski provides a detailed account of Poland's experience during the Second World War, examining the nation’s military, political, and social challenges. The book highlights the resilience of the Polish people, the devastation of occupation, and their efforts to resist both Nazi and Soviet forces. Kochanski also explores Poland’s role in the Allied war effort, shedding light on both the country's strategic importance and its post-war fate.

"Polish Campaign 1939" by Steven Zaloga and Victor Madej provides a detailed analysis of the German invasion of Poland in 1939, marking the beginning of the Second World War. The book examines the strategies, tactics, and battles fought by both Polish and German forces, highlighting the challenges faced by Poland’s military, which was outnumbered and outgunned. It also covers the political and military decisions that shaped the campaign, offering insights into Poland’s defense efforts and the role of its allies.

"First to Fight: The Polish War 1939" by Roger Moorhouse examines Poland's defense against the German invasion, highlighting the country's military and civilian struggles. The book details key events, including the early resistance and the eventual fall of Poland. It also references the Peking Plan, the strategic evacuation of Polish destroyers to Britain, which preserved part of Poland's naval strength for Allied operations. Moorhouse explores Poland's crucial role in the Second World War and its contributions to the Allied cause despite overwhelming odds.

"No Greater Ally: The Untold Story of Poland’s Forces in World War II" by Kenneth K. Koskodan highlights the often-overlooked contributions of Polish forces during the First World War. The book covers the Polish Army, Air Force, and Navy, detailing their critical involvement in key battles and campaigns alongside the Allies. It emphasizes the sacrifices made by Polish soldiers and sailors, as well as the challenges they faced, including political obstacles, while showcasing Poland's unwavering commitment to the Allied cause.

Sources:

Wikipedia

https://www.magnum-x.pl/artykul/plan-peking-czy-polska-flota-ucieklado-wielkiej-brytanii-w-1939-roku

https://www.militaryimages.net/

https://www.deviantart.com/julia-koterias/art/Adolf-Hitler-in-colour-5-442885029

https://www.inyourpocket.com/gdansk/what-was-the-free-city-of-danzig_77251f

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/molotov-ribbentrop-pact

https://freedomnews.org.uk/tag/molotov-ribbentrop-pact/

https://naval-encyclopedia.com/ww2/polish-navy.php

https://cache.diomedia.com/diocomp/01/B9/5V/comp/01B9-5VN7.jpg

Peter Chen https://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=195

https://www.facebook.com/PolishNaval/?locale=fr_FR&_rdr