Eugeniusz Jozef Stanislaw Plawski, ORP
| Born | 26 Mar 1895 | Novorossiysk, Russian Empire | |
| Died | 23 May 1972 | (77) | Vancouver, Canada |
 | Ranks
Decorations |
Warship Commands listed for Eugeniusz Jozef Stanislaw Plawski, ORP
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| ORP Piorun (G 65) | Kmdr.por. (Cdr.) | Destroyer | 5 Nov 1940 | 2 Aug 1941 |
| ORP Piorun (G 65) | Kmdr.por. (Cdr.) | Destroyer | 30 Aug 1941 | 21 Dec 1941 |
| ORP Dragon (D 46) | Kmdr. (Capt.) | Light cruiser | 15 Jul 1943 | 12 Jan 1944 |
Career information
List of officer ranks: ?????? – 1914 (Russia) podkapitan – 1917 (Russia) porucznik marynarki – 1918 (Polska) kapitan marynarki – 1921 (Polska) komandor podporucznik – 1931 (Polska) komandor porucznik – 1935 (Polska) komandor – 1942 (Polska).
More info on him in Polish wiki: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugeniusz_P%C5%82awski
Events related to this officer
Destroyer ORP Piorun (G 65)
9 Dec 1940
Around 1045A/9, ORP Piorun (Kmdr.por. (Cdr.) E.J.S. Plawski) and HMS Vimy (Lt.Cdr. D.J.B. Jewitt, RN) arrived at Belfast from escort duty. (1)
25 Jan 1941
At night, the 7th Destroyer Flotilla (including Piorun) left Scapa Flow with main forces of Home Fleet. The Allied ships were trying to intercept the German battlecrusiers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau that were breaking into the Atlantic. The 7th Destroyer Flotilla was ordered to provide cover for HMS Nelson, HMS Rodney and HMS Repulse. (2)
27 Jan 1941
The Allied forces had to split. Piorun and two British destroyers were ordered to escort the battleship HMS Rodney and the light cruiser HMS Edinburgh. (2)
28 Jan 1941
Piorun and HMS Keppel are forced to return to base due to damaged caused by a storm. (2)
20 Feb 1941
The Polish destroyers Garland and Piorun were ordered to leave a convoy they were escorting and provide escort for two troop ships returning to England. (2)
24 Mar 1941
Piorun and British destroyers escorted a convoy to USA. The convoy was also protected by the battleships HMS Rodney and HMS Nelson and the light cruisers HMS Edinburgh and HMS Cairo, this was due to the fact that the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were operating in the North Atlantic.
(2)
26 Mar 1941
The destroyers left the outbound convoy and joined another convoy heading to England. (2)
13 Apr 1941
Two destroyers, HMS "Legion" and ORP "Piorun", were ordered to rescue survivors from AMC "Rajputana". The ships picked up 283 men. (2)
26 Apr 1941
Piorun was part of the escort of large convoy bound for the Middle East. (2)
30 Apr 1941
Piorun and four British destroyers were ordered to join four troop ships returning from the Middle East to the U.K. (2)
3 May 1941
The convoy reached the Clyde without losses. Piorun was sent for repairs which lasted to 20 May 1941. (2)
26 May 1941
At 11.00 AM Capt. Vian (in HMS Cossack) received a radio report about the position of the Bismarck. He realized that the 4th Destroyer Flotilla was only 50 miles away and ordered to chase the enemy. Due to bad weather and high waves, the destroyers were able to maintain 27 knots speed (only two knots more than Bismarck), but continued the pursuit. Fortunately, British aircraft managed to hit the enemy with two torpedoes. One of them jammed the rudder and damaged the screws. The allied destroyers steamed in line formation, one about 25 cables from another. In darkness, Piorun lost contact with her British partners. At 2214hours lookouts spotted a large ship which identified herself as HMS Sheffield. At 2237 lookouts detected another large ship. The Polish commanding officer Cdr. Plawski was afraid of attacking the unidentified vessel, because it could be HMS Sheffield again. Piorun used an Aldis lamp to transmit a signal. The answer was 6" gunfire, The detected ship was the Bismarck!!! Cdr. Plawski ordered to open fire with the six 4.7" guns. During 59 minutes Piorun continued transmitting radio reports and traded fire with German battleship achieving several hits. Of course, 4.7" shells were able only to destroy some light AA guns, but not to penetrate heavy armour. The Polish destroyer was making lot of evasive manoeuvres, because Bismarck also used her 15" main armament. The British destroyers appeared on scene and conducted a torpedo attack against the German battleship. But all torpedoes missed the target. At 2336hours Piorun lost contact with the enemy. (2)
27 May 1941
Piorun continued searching for the German battleship, but only detected her own flagship HMS Cossack. At 05.00 AM Capt. Vian ordered Piorun to break off the action and return to base due to fuel shortage. However, the Polish destroyer tried to find the enemy for one more hour. At 06.00 AM Cdr. Plawski ordered to change course and head for Plymouth. (2)
28 May 1941
Piorun reached Plymouth with only 37 tons of fuel left in her tanks. (2)
3 Sep 1941 (position 52.15, -21.10)
The Polish destroyers Piorun and Garland are ordered to pick up the survivors from the British merchant Fort Richepanche that was torpedoed that day by German U-boat U-567 some 450 miles southwest of Bloody Foreland in position 52°15'N, 21°10'W. Ten crew members, five gunners and seven passengers were picked up by the Polish destroyers on 4 September and landed at Greenock on 5 September
14 Nov 1941
Piorun arrived at Glasgow for general repairs.
Sources
- ADM 199/376
- Personal communication
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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