MS Piłsudski

MS Piłsudski
MS Piłsudski in New York

M/S Piłsudski (later renamed ORP Piłsudski) was a large ocean liner of the Polish Merchant Marine, named for Józef Piłsudski, Marshal of Poland. She was built in Italy, with part of the payment being shipments of coal from Poland. Launched in 1935, she displaced 14,294 Ton, with a length of 162 metres (531 ft) and a beam of 71 ft. She was propelled by 2 sets of diesel engines driving 2 screws giving a speed of 18 knots.

She first saw service as a liner in September 1935 on the Gdynia to New York route. In 1939, she was taken up for war service, and converted to an armed merchant cruiser. She was torpedoed and sunk on 26 November 1939 off of the River Humber during her first wartime voyage. She was the sister ship of Poland's other pre-war ocean liner, the MS Batory. The Pilsudski's first and only commanding officer was Cmdr. Mamert Stankiewicz.

Sitting at 53°45.75′N 0°45.67′E / 53.7625°N 0.76117°E / 53.7625; 0.76117Coordinates: 53°45.75′N 0°45.67′E / 53.7625°N 0.76117°E / 53.7625; 0.76117 in 34 metres (112 ft), this is the biggest shipwreck in Yorkshire.

External links

References

  • Cruising Ships, W.H. Mitchell and L. A Sawyer, Doubleday, 1967