ORP Żuraw

ORP Żuraw was a Polish Navy minesweeper. It served in the Second World War and afterwards in the post-war Polish Navy until the 1970s.

Originally built in Poland before the war, Żuraw (Polish for "Crane") belonged to the Jaskółka-class minesweepers. The Jaskółka-class were designed and built in Poland during the 1930s as a modern, indigenous design to equip the Polish Navy with coastal defense and minesweeping capabilities.

During the German invasion of Poland in 1939, ORP Żuraw participated in the defense of the Polish coast, primarily by laying naval mines and patrolling the waters around the Hel Peninsula. After Poland's surrender, the ship was seized by the Germans and renamed Tannenberg. It was used by the Kriegsmarine for various auxiliary duties, including minesweeping and convoy escort, in the Baltic Sea.

Following the end of World War II, Żuraw was recovered by the Polish Navy. It was returned to its original name and continued to serve as a minesweeper in the post-war Polish fleet. It participated in clearing mines left over from the war in the Baltic Sea and performed other naval duties.

ORP Żuraw was eventually decommissioned in the 1970s. It represents a significant piece of Polish naval history, embodying the pre-war ambitions of Polish shipbuilding and the challenges faced by the Polish Navy throughout World War II and its aftermath. Although no longer in service, the name "Żuraw" is evocative of a lineage of Polish naval vessels.