Błyskawica

13.11

Błyskawica

Destroyer | Europe | Tier VII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase price4,800

Hit Points15,500

Main Battery

120 mm/50 wz.36 Bofors on a shielded mount3 х 2 / 1 х 1 pcs.

Rate of Fire10 shots/min.

Reload Time6 sec.

Rotation Speed10 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time18 sec.

Firing Range12.01 km.

Maximum Dispersion105 m.

HE Shell120 mm HE

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,700

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

HE Shell Weight24 kg.

AP Shell120 mm AP

Maximum AP Shell Damage2,200

Initial AP Shell Velocity900 m./s.

AP Shell Weight24 kg.

Torpedo Tubes

533 mm potrójna2 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.86 shots/min.

Reload Time70 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

Torpedo533 mm Mk 10

Maximum Damage14,400

Torpedo Speed57 knot

Torpedo Range8.01 km.

AA Defense

13.2 mm Hotchkiss wz.19304 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second14

. . . Firing Range1.2 km.

40 mm/56 Bofors wz.19362 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second22.2

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed39 knot

Turning Circle Radius610 m.

Rudder Shift Time5.8 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range7.51 km.

Air Detectability Range3.07 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

13.11

Błyskawica

Destroyer | Europe | Tier VII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase price4,800

Hit Points15,500

Main Battery

120 mm/50 wz.36 Bofors on a shielded mount3 х 2 / 1 х 1 pcs.

Rate of Fire10 shots/min.

Reload Time6 sec.

Rotation Speed10 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time18 sec.

Firing Range12.01 km.

Maximum Dispersion105 m.

HE Shell120 mm HE

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,700

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

HE Shell Weight24 kg.

AP Shell120 mm AP

Maximum AP Shell Damage2,200

Initial AP Shell Velocity900 m./s.

AP Shell Weight24 kg.

Torpedo Tubes

533 mm potrójna2 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.86 shots/min.

Reload Time70 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

Torpedo533 mm Mk 10

Maximum Damage14,400

Torpedo Speed57 knot

Torpedo Range8.01 km.

AA Defense

13.2 mm Hotchkiss wz.19304 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second14

. . . Firing Range1.2 km.

40 mm/56 Bofors wz.19362 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second22.2

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed39 knot

Turning Circle Radius610 m.

Rudder Shift Time5.8 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range7.51 km.

Air Detectability Range3.07 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

VII

4,800

Błyskawica — European premium Tier VII destroyer.

The most powerful destroyer of her time in Europe. The ship greatly surpassed rival navies' destroyers in terms of speed and artillery power. When commissioned, she had the most powerful AA defense among all destroyers in the world.

ORP Błyskawica is now preserved as a military museum ship in Gdynia, Poland. Błyskawica was first released for sale on 20 December 2015 for the EU server and 25 December 2015 for the NA server.

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Dispersion (m)	Maximum HE Shell Damage (HP)	Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell (%)	Maximum AP Shell Damage (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
120 mm/50 wz.36 Bofors on a shielded mount	10	18	105	1,700	8	2,200		0	0

	Hit Points (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Main Turrets (pcs.)	Secondary Gun Turrets (pcs.)	AA Mounts (pcs.)	Torpedo Tubes (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Błyskawica	15,500	7	16	1/3		4/2	2			0	0

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	Torpedo Tubes Reload Time (sec)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Damage (HP)	Torpedo Speed (knot)	Torpedo Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mark 10	0.9	70	7.2	14,400	57	8		0	0

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
SKO Mod. 7		0		0	0

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 54,000 hp	39		0	0

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4

Player Opinion

Performance

Warning: The data presented in the AA Defense sidebar section may be incorrect.
Refer to the in-game Port screens for more useful data.

Tier VII's Błyskawica is a stalwart ship that can fill the niche of a premium credit earner for aspiring destroyer captains. Sporting several 120mm guns in fast turning turrets and a reasonable set of torpedoes, she is effective whether fighting other destroyers at close range, performing stealth torpedo attacks on enemy capital ships, or harassing them with long-range fire.

Once her commander has the Level 4 skill Concealment Expert, Błyskawica’s detection radius is low enough that she is capable of the ninja torpedo tactics that characterize the Japanese destroyer line. Her main battery is strong enough to do her well in gunnery engagements with opposing destroyers, especially if they are already down hit points from previous engagements. Błyskawica’s commander can also pick up the Level 4 skill Advanced Firing Training to extend her main battery range significantly; her shells are comfortable to fire at such ranges — with similar shell performance to Soviet counterparts Minsk and Leningrad — but they will struggle to do consistent damage to larger targets. The best she can hope for against enemy battleships and heavy cruisers is to light fires for extra damage output.

As is typical of destroyers, her anti-aircraft suite is abysmal. While she packs a top speed in excess of most other same-tier rivals, Błyskawica’s handling is a mixed bag; she has a good turning radius, but has the least-responsive rudder of all Tier VII destroyers. This particular flaw can be mitigated somewhat with the Steering Gears Modification 1 upgrade.

Whether played as a gunboat or a torpedo boat, Błyskawica is a very balanced ship that can dish out the damage and rake in the credits.

Pros:

• Surprisingly potent guns; good chance of fire when using high explosive shells.
• Long firing range at 12km.
• Guns have acceptable turning and reload time, similar to Soviet destroyers.
• Large health pool for a Tier VII destroyer.
• Torpedoes have solid punch.
• With signal Sierra Mike (), she can reach 41 knots.

Cons:

• Below-average detection values for her tier.
• Slow torpedoes with poor firing arcs.
• Weak anti-aircraft armament; main guns are not dual-purpose.
• Poor rudder shift time.
• Large turning circle radius.
• Torpedo range is within a few hundred meters of her base detection radius.

Research

As a premium ship, Błyskawica doesn't have any upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Błyskawica are as follows:

• Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1
• Slot 2: Engine Room Protection
• Slot 3: Aiming Systems Modification 1
• Slot 4: Steering Gears Modification 1

Commander Skills

Key skills for Błyskawica commanders include Level 4's Concealment Expert, Level 3's Survivability Expert, and Level 2's Last Stand. When up-tiered into Tier IX games, Błyskawica will need all the extra concealment she can get to avoid being focus-fired by the enemy team; Survivability Expert will provide additional health in case it happens anyway. Last Stand will keep her engines and rudder functioning even while under sustained fire. Skills with additional utility include Demolition Expert at Level 3, Adrenaline Rush and Expert Marksman at Level 2, and Advanced Firing Training at Level 4.

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack				Defense
1	Grease the Gears +15% main battery traverse speed. ★★	Liquidator +30% chance (multiplicative) of causing flooding.	Consumables Specialist −7.5% cooldown time of all Consumables except:  Damage Control Party ,  Repair Party .	Gun Feeder -40% time to switch shell type.	Incoming Fire Alert Receive a warning about a salvo fired at your ship from more than 4.5 km.	Preventive Maintenance −30% chance of main armament, engines, steering becoming incapacitated +15% to HP of secondary and AA guns. ★★
2	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire. +15% to the damage-inflicting area of HE shells fired at submarines. ★★	Swift Fish +5% torpedo speed.	Consumables Enhancements +10% action time of: Hydroacoustic Search , Surveillance Radar , Smoke Generator , & Engine Boost .	Extra-Heavy Ammunition +7.5% main battery AP shell damage. +10% damage from depth charges.	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies aiming at you with main battery.	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver - slowly - while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★★★
3	Main Battery & AA Specialist -5% main battery reload time. +10% continuous AA damage. ★★	Fill the Tubes -10% torpedo tubes reload time.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells Base fire chance reduced by half.	Superintendent +1 charge to all consumables.	Survivability Expert +350 HP per ship tier. ★★
4	Main Battery & AA Expert +20% main battery range. +15% flak damage. ★★	Swift in Silence So long as the ship remains undetected: +8% ship speed +5% main battery reload time.	Radio Location Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken..	Fearless Brawler +1 flak burst per salvo. -10% main battery reload when ship is spotted. ★★	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship. ★★★	Dazzle For 15 seconds after you are detected: * +20% dispersion of enemy shells fired at you. * +8% ship speed.
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful      ★★ - Frequently Useful      ★ - Occasionally Useful     No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Błyskawica equips the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
• Slot 2: Smoke Generator 
• Slot 3: Engine Boost 

Camouflage

As a premium ship, Błyskawica comes with Default permanent camouflage and a set of permanent combat bonuses.

Signals

Błyskawica captains should equip Victor Lima () and India X-Ray () signals to maximize the fire chance of her main battery shells, as well as Sierra Mike () to maximize her ability to disengage when needed.

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Charlie Kilo +5% ship HP; +2.5% squadron HP.	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration. ★★★	India Yankee -20% to fire duration.	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy.	Victor Lima +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +4% chance of torpedoes causing flooding. ★★	India X-Ray +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. ★★
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding.	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time.	November Echo Setteseven +5% continuous AA damage at all ranges. +5% damage from flak bursts.	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★★★	November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when Repair Party  is used.
X-Ray Papa Unaone +10% action time of a Smoke Generator .	Sierra Bravo +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search  -10% reload time of Defensive AA Fire .

Gallery

• 

  Flag of ORP Błyskawica. Given to players who purchased a special bundle containing Błyskawica.

Historical Info

ORP Błyskawica, 1937

Construction

Builder: J. Samuel White Shipyard; Cowes,
   Isle of Wight, England, United Kingdom

Laid down: 1 October 1935

Launched: 1 October 1936

Commissioned: 1 October 1937

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Specifications

2,011 tons displacement, standard

114m length

11m beam

3.30m draft

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Machinery

4 boilers, 2 turbines

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Performance

39 knots at 54,500 shaft horsepower

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Armament

Main

Seven (3x2, 1x1) 120mm guns

Anti-aircraft

Four (2x2) 40mm guns

Eight (4x2) 13.2mm guns

Torpedoes

Six (2x3) 550mm torpedo tubes

History

Design

Błyskawica, the second of two Grom-class destroyers, served in the Polish Navy during the Second World War. The Grom-class originated from a competition to design and build destroyers for the Polish Navy to succeed the Wicher class. The preceding two-ship Wicher class had been ordered from France's Chantiers Naval Francais, perhaps in part due to an implicit agreement between the the Polish and French governments that France would extend credit to Poland if Poland were to commission the newly-created shipyard. However, the resulting Wicher-class destroyers possessed considerable flaws, including low speed, large silhouettes, and inadequate armor. It seems likely then that this negative prior experience drove the Polish Navy's selection in 1934 of J. Samuel White, a British shipbuilder, over competing designs from other British (Hunter) and French (Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire) shipbuilders. Two destroyers were ordered on 29 March 1935. On 1 October 1935, the keel of Błyskawica was laid down at White's Cowes, Isle of Wight, shipyard, and the vessel launched on 1 October 1936. Successful sea trials were followed by her commissioning on 1 October 1937.

Service

On 29 August 1939, two days before the outbreak of the Second World War, Błyskawica, Grom, and the Wicher-class destroyer Burza departed from their base on the Baltic as part of the Peking Plan (Operation Peking), an attempt to preserve the vessels in the event of war with Germany. The three vessels, among the most modern elements of the Polish Navy, successfully evacuated with their crews and stores despite being spotted by the German light cruiser Königsberg and a destroyer escort, as hostilities had not yet begun. The flotilla was spotted by German seaplanes on 31 August 1939, but managed to elude them by altering their course during the night. On 1 September 1939, the ships made contact with elements of the British Royal Navy (destroyers HMS Wanderer and Wallace) and proceeded to Leith (Edinburgh's port), having received news that morning that Germany had invaded Poland. The remaining vessels of the Polish Navy in the Baltic were captured or sunk in combat with German forces over the following weeks, with the sinking of both Wicher and Gryf (a heavy minelayer and largest vessel in the Polish fleet) on 3 September 1939.

Having escaped destruction, the destroyers conducted joint actions with the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. Modifications were made to address the new issue of top-heaviness due to the change from the less turbulent Baltic to the Atlantic, resulting in the removal of a searchlight tower on top of the bridge, the aft deckhouse, and the original funnel cap. Additionally, the forward torpedo launcher was removed and replaced with a 3-inch anti-aircraft gun.

Having received these modifications, Błyskawica returned to duty. On 7 September 1939, Błyskawica engaged a German U-boat. In May 1940, Błyskawica and Grom participated in the Norwegian campaign, shelling German positions and downing two German aircraft. During the campaign, Grom fell victim to German aerial bombardment and sank. Błyskawica later took part in Operation Dynamo, the Franco-British evacuation of Dunkirk (27 May - 4 June 1940). Błyskawica was afterward assigned to convoy duty in the Atlantic and Mediterranean theaters, engaging German U-boats and Luftwaffe aircraft.

In December 1941, Błyskawica received a refit of her armament, the original 120mm guns replaced with 102mm dual-purpose guns, the 13.2mm machine guns replaced with 20mm Oerlikon cannon, the 3-inch anti-aircraft gun removed, and the forward torpedo launcher re-installed.

Returning to convoy duty, Błyskawica escorted vessels including the RMS Queen Mary, being one of the few vessels capable of keeping pace with the liner. On the night of 4 May 1942, Błyskawica proved instrumental in the defense of her erstwhile home of Cowes, Isle of Wight, against a raid by 160 Luftwaffe aircraft. Having been undergoing refit at her shipyard, the ship engaged the Luftwaffe aircraft with ferocity, firing such a volume of rounds that her guns required dousing with water and leaving her stores of ammunition depleted. Błyskawica additionally deployed smokescreens obscuring vision of the town, compounding the bombers' difficulty in delivering ordnance due to the volume of anti-aircraft fire. While both the shipyard and town received significant damage, assessments credited the crew of Błyskawica with preventing further destruction, an evaluation reflected in commemorations in Cowes.

In March 1943, Błyskawica replaced HMS Lightning following its destruction on 12 March 1943 by German E-boats. While deployed with Cruiser Force Q based in Bône, North Africa, Błyskawica participated in the Battle of Ushant (8 June 1944), though her element (HMS Eskimo and Javelin, ORP Piorun and Błyskawica) did not make contact with the German force.

During the war, Błyskawica logged 270,000 km (146,000 nm) and escorted eighty-three convoys, damaged three U-boats, assisted in the sinking of other vessels, and downed at least four aircraft. As part of Operation Deadlight (17 November 1945 - 11 February 1946), Błyskawica used her guns to scuttle surrendered German U-boats designated for destruction.

For her service, Błyskawica received the Virtuti Militari Golden Cross (Class IV) medal, the only ship in the Polish Navy so honored. Decommissioned in 1976, she was later converted to a museum ship and resides at Gdynia, Poland. Błyskawica holds the title of oldest preserved destroyer in the world.

In-game historical inaccuracies

• Błyskawica is depicted in her original 1937 condition; she had no camouflage at the time of her commissioning. A simple solution would be to demount the premium camouflage, but at the cost of the camouflage's bonuses.
• Błyskawica’s 1941 refit is missing. Her 120 mm Bofors and 13.2 mm Hotchkiss guns were replaced by four twin 102 mm (4-inch) dual-purpose guns and four 20 mm Oerlikon cannons respectively. She received her camouflage during this time.
• Another missing configuration is the temporary replacement of her aft set of torpedo tubes with a 76 mm (3-inch) anti-aircraft gun.
• During the Cold War, her main battery was replaced with Soviet-made 100 mm guns. Two 37 mm anti-aircraft guns were mounted on the bridge wings and two more twin 40 mm Bofors were mounted on the quarterdeck behind X turret. One set of torpedo tubes was removed to reduce weight. This is her current configuration as a museum ship.

Historical Gallery

• 

  Błyskawica under construction.

• 

  The launching of Błyskawica, 1 October 1936.

• 

  Błyskawica and sister-ship Grom fitting out on the Isle of Wight, 1937.

• 

  Błyskawica underway.

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  Błyskawica and Grom at Royal Navy base, late 1939.

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  Błyskawica returning to her berth in Gdynia following a refit.

• 

  Błyskawica’s centerline mounted 533mm torpedo launchers.

• 

  One of Błyskawica’s 40mm anti-aircraft mounts.

• 

  Błyskawica’s after turrets.

Video

References

LittleWhiteMouse's Premium Ship Review: Błyskawica from the NA forums

• ORP Błyskawica - Wikipedia
• Grom-class destroyer - Wikipedia
• A Polish Ship Sails into View! Say Hi to Błyskawica - Premium Ship Spotlight - News - World of Warships
• Armada: Błyskawica - News - World of Warships
• Naval Legends: Błyskawica - News - World of Warships

Ship Change Log

See here for links to Update notes.

• Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.5.0.1.
• First appeared on sale in December 2015.
• Update 0.5.3.2:
  • Type 7 camouflage renamed to Type 10.
• Returned to the premium store on March 18, 2016.
• Update 0.5.6:
  • Added for sale for doubloons directly in the game client (previously only available in the premium store).
• Update 0.5.7:
  • Fixed errors in the geometry and texture of the ship.
  • Improved the quality of the coat of arms.
  • Refined the hull armor model.
• Update 0.5.10:
  • Fixed the display of the coat of arms, with which there were problems on some graphics settings.
• Update 0.6.0:
  • Adjusted the appearance using a special technology for improved rendering of thin elements.
• Update 0.6.12:
  • Detectability when firing main guns in smoke changed to 2.78 km.
• Update 0.6.13:
  • Fire extinguishing time now 30 s instead of 60 s.
• Update 0.6.15:
  • Added a 10% discount to the cost of post-battle maintenance bonus to the "Type 10" permanent camouflage.
• Update 0.8.7:
  • Moved to the nation of Europe.
• Update 0.8.9:
  • Main battery reload time reduced from 6.5 to 6 s.
• Update 0.9.0:
  • Extended the horizontal firing angles of her main guns on both sides:
    • First turret: by 10 degrees.
    • Second turret: by 1 degree.
    • Fourth turret: by 15 degrees.
  • Extended the traverse angles of her torpedo tubes by:
    • 8 degrees to the bow.
    • 2 degrees to the stern.
• Update 0.11.5:
  • Minor fixes to geometry and textures of the ship.
• Update 0.11.8
  • Fixed textures for the Szarza camo.
• Update 12.9:
  • Fixed textures and models for the ship.
• Update 13.3:
  • The number of bombs per Depth Charge drop increased from 6 to 8.

Ships of Europe

Destroyers