The Jaskółka class was a class of six
minesweepers
A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping.
History
The earliest known usage of ...
of the
Polish Navy
The Polish Navy (; often abbreviated to ) is the Navy, naval military branch , branch of the Polish Armed Forces. The Polish Navy consists of 46 ships and about 12,000 commissioned and enlisted personnel. The traditional ship prefix in the Polish ...
built during the 1930s. They were the first sea-going warships of Polish production. The Jaskółka class was a versatile design which allowed the ships to serve in the role of either a minesweeper, small
minelayer
A minelayer is any warship, submarine, military aircraft or land vehicle deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for ins ...
or a
sub chaser. All were named after birds, therefore the class was nicknamed: ''ptaszki'' ().
Design and building
The first minesweepers in the Polish Navy were the German minesweepers of the FM type. These ships, built during the later part of World War I and bought by Poland during the early 20s, were already worn out by the 1930s so the Polish Navy required a replacement. The Modlin shipyard offered a design for the new class of minesweepers which was accepted. The first four ships of the class were built at Gdynia and Modlin. After they entered service they proved to be a good design so a further two were ordered in the mid 30s.
Service
World War II
Post war
Ships
References
*
* Mały Modelarz 3/2000
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jaskolka Class Minesweeper
Mine warfare vessel classes
Ships built in Poland