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Destroyers Burza and Wicher were the first large, modern ships of the Polish Navy. The design was based on that of the French torpilleurs d'escadre of the Bourrasque class, extensively improved, however, according to the requirements of the Polish side. The ships were ordered on 2.IV.1926 from an inexperienced yard (for the political reasons), with the time limit of 27 months for the first destroyer and 39 months for second. As it occur the first destroyer - Wicher, was delivered after 52 months and second - Burza after 68, because of the bankruptcy of the yard. Despite many improvements to the original design, they still had a number of shortcomings. The most significant alternation made before the war was the removal of the mainmast. The names of the ships were given as in the original French series from the atmosphere phenomenon.
It was planned to modernise the ships during the early 1940s in order to standardise gunnery, improve the AA defence and standardise the silhouettes with the Grom class destroyers. (see plans) |
