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ORP Burza was launched on 16.IV.1929, in Chantiers Naval Francais in Caen, under command of cmdr. Boleslaw Sokolowski.
After 6 years of construction, the ship was ready and on 19.VIII.1932 ship arrived at Gdynia.
 | | Burza in 1936 |
During days 24-29.VIII.1932 Burza, together with Wicher and squadron of submarines visited Stockholm. During next years Burza visited Leningrad (on 24-28.VII.1934), Copenhagen (7-9.VIII.1934), Cologne (26-29.VI.1935), Helsinki (7-10.VII.1935), Tallinn (17-20.VII.1935), all together with Wicher. In 1937 Burza took part in the coronation parade in Spithead (Britain) and in July the identification sign was removed. On 2.I.1938 new commander was appointed lt. cmdr. Stanislaw Nahorski. On 30.VIII.1939 according to plan 'Peking' Burza with Blyskawica and Grom, left Polish waters and sailed to England, which they reached day later on 1.IX.1939. Two days later Burza, with other destroyers, was moved to Rosyth, where she received tactical number H 73.
On 7.IX.1939 Burza with Blyskawica and Grom carried out an unsuccessful attack on a German U-boat U 27, 10 miles to South from South Uist, at 14:30 hours. Apparently the U-boat attacked the destroyers but missed when it turned for a counterattack. The attack was believed to have been successful until after the war. Possibly the first attack on a U-boat in the war.
 | | Burza in the first days of war |
From 13 to 21 October Burza was staying in the repairs. Month later on 21.XI.1939 Burza was rescuing crew of HMS Gipsy which sunk on the magnetic mine near the Harwich harbour. After short repairs on 12.I.1940 Burza joined 1st Destroyers Flotilla. Month later on 20.II.1940 destroyer attacked a German U-boat in position 52N/02E. Depth charges were dropped on the contact but there is no confirmation of a sinking. The German U-boat U 54 was lost in roughly the same waters but it probably was lost to mining. Until the Norwegian Campaign Burza was operating in the English Channel. From 1.V.1940 to 15.V.1940 Burza is operating in the Norwegian fjords, later she is moved again to the English Channel were she is patrolling the area of Calais. On 24.V.1940 on the patrol with British destroyers Vimiera and Wessex, ships are attacked by a group of 27 enemy bombers. Wessex was sunk, Burza and Vimiera are heavily damaged, Polish destroyer lost her bow, but one enemy plane was shut down by Polish artillerist. Until August Burza is staying in the renovation. Burza during drills on 8.VIII.1940, attacked German U-boat near West Hartlepool, and probablydamagedd enemy submarine. Until November 1940 Burza is escorting coastal convoys. On 26.X.1940 Burza rescued 262 people from sunken huge liner Empress of Britain. On 16.XI destroyer collided with British minesweeper Arran (which was sunk in accident) and damaged his bow seriously. The renovation lasted until June of 1941. On 16.IX.1941 Burza joined 'Irish Sea Force'.
From February 1942 to September Burza is staying in dock, for general renovation. Main armament was changed (instead of two 130 mm guns, one hedgehog and onequadruplee 40 mm AA guns was mounted) new radar was installed. On 20.VII.1942 new commander was appointed lt. cmdr. Franciszek Pitulko. On 11.XI.1942 joined the B-3 escort group. On 9.XII.1942 Burza, while escorting convoy HX-217, spotted and attacked a German U-boat. The destroyer tried to ram it but missed as the boat dived at the last moment. Depth charges were dropped and strange underwater sounds were detected indicating a possible sinking. After the war it was discovered that no German U-boat was lost in this attack.
 | | Burza in 1943, with beautiful Atlantic camouflage |
From 20.XII.1942 to 27.I.1943 Burza is operating with another escort group - B-6. On 21.II.1943 Burza was refereed to help the ON-166 convoy, escorted by A-3 escort group. On 22.II.1943 destroyer joined the convoy (that day on the early morning, Burza sunk Norwegian abandoned tanker, with one torpedo. It was the first torpedo attack, in the WW2 from the Polish destroyer!!). Late that night German U-boat U 606 attacked the convoy but was soon spotted by Polish destroyer and depth charged. The attack was so accurate that U-boat was forced to surface and then was finished off by the US Coast Guard Cutter USS Campbell. Until the end of May 1943 Burza is escorting convoys in the Atlantic Ocean. Then she is moved to the Western Africa. In September Burza is again in Britain. In October she took part, with Garland, in operation Alacrity (installing allied bases in Azores). In November Burza is escorting convoy to Murmansk (JW-54A) and to Gibraltar (KMS-35). From January to March 1944 Burza is operating from Gibraltar. In April, ship was directed to West Hartlepool, where she was staying as a school ship and submarine tender. On 26.IX.1946 the Polish flag was lowered, and ship was transferred to British. During years 1947-1951 destroyer is staying useless in Harwich.
In mid July Polish tug Swarozyc towed Burza to Gdynia. General renovation lasted until June 1954. During the renovation the silhouette of the ship changed as well as her armament (4 x 100 mm, 8 x 37 mm). On 3.IV.1955 the Polish flag was raised and ship received tactical number 'N 52'. Also ship was reclassified from destroyer to AA ship. In June tactical number was changed to '55'. In September 1955 Burza and Blyskawica visited Portsmouth. In July 1956 ship visited Baltijsk and in October 1959 Burza went to the shipyard for renovation, which has ended inDecemberr. In May 1960 Burza was converted to the museum ship. Destroyer was staying in Gdynia. During 15 years of the duty as museum ship, Burza was visited by over 2 millions people. In September 1977 ship was scrapped.
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