- Title: British town marks 75th anniversary of Polish warship's WWII battle
- Date: 6th May 2017
- Summary: GDYNIA, POLAND (MAY 6, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BLYSKAWICA DOCKED, USED AS MUSEUM SIGN CONTAINING BLYSKAWICA'S HISTORY VARIOUS OF BLYSKAWICA DOCKED
- Embargoed: 20th May 2017 16:13
- Keywords: Battle of Britain World War Two Isle of Wight Polish warship Blyskawica
- Location: COWES AND CHATHAM, ENGLAND, UK; GDYNIA, POLAND
- City: COWES AND CHATHAM, ENGLAND, UK; GDYNIA, POLAND
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0046FP8Y87
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The British coastal town of Cowes commemorated the 75th anniversary of a Polish warship that defended it during World War Two when over 160 German Luftwaffe bombers attacked the Isle of Wight.
The Blyskawica, built in 1937 by British shipbuilders in the Isle of Wight, escaped to England when Germany invaded Poland and became took part in escort duty in British waters.
On the night of May 4, 1942, the destroyer helped defend the northern part of the English island from a German air raid using its anti-aircraft guns and deploying smokescreen over the town. 70 people died in the attack.
Part of the commemorations featured the Polish Navy ship Gniezno arriving at Cowes, to stand in for Blyskawica.
Blyskawica, which retired from service in 1969, is docked in Gdynia, Poland and serves as a museum. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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