WODNIK

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aukepalmhof
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Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

WODNIK

Post by aukepalmhof » Sun Jan 15, 2017 8:18 pm

Navicula gives that the WODNIK is depict on this stamp;

She was a 3 masted galleon built around 1623 in Gdansk.
Tonnage around 100 last, (200 ton). Dim. approx. length of deck 25m. beam 6.8m.
Armament 1- 7pdr., 2 – 6pdr.bronze guns, 7 – 6pdr. iron guns, 3 – 5pdr, 2 – 3pdr, iron guns, 2 falconets and 3 bronze stone thrower guns.
Crew 45-49 and 80 soldiers (Marines).

WODNIK (Aquarius) - Polish ship of war - a small galleon , probably built in 1623. In Gdansk . The ship is in the sources listed under the German name "Meerman" Polonised as "Aquarius". Today, this name carries a training ship ORP AQUARIUS.
History
During the war with Sweden , WODNIK under the command of (most likely) Captain Herman Witte , along with ships, KRÓL DAWID (King David) and ARKA NOEGO (Noah's Ark) , participated in the first battle with a fleet of Swedish warships, encountering on 17 May 1627. In the vicinity of Hel the Swedish more numerous ships, were bound for Piława. After an exchange of gunfire, the two squadrons parted, Polish sailed west. The next day, May 18 there was a skirmish at the height of Białogóry near Leba with a convoy of 24 Swedish vessels. After an artillery duel, with few casualties, Polish ships managed to break away from the enemy and sailed to Kolobrzeg. After several days at sea the Polish ships returned to Wisloujscie , breaking through the lines of the Swedish blockade of the Gulf of Gdansk .
WODNIK distinguished himself during the victorious battle with the Swedish squadron of Oliwa on November 28 1627. His Captain Herman Witte was before the battle appointed Vice-Admiral and commander of the Polish fleet, so that the WODNIK served as the flag-ship. Its skipper was Piotr Wedeman. During the battle, WODNIK attacked and entered wherafter his crew boarded the larger Swedish galleon SOLEN. After a fierce battle, the Polish soldiers gained the upper hand, The captain of the Solen blew his ship up rather than allowing it to be captured. The four surviving Swedish ships quickly headed towards the open sea and managed to escape pursuit. Both admirals were killed in the battle, also 23 members of the crew of WODNIK were killed (a further 10 were killed in the course of previous clashes).
May 2 1628: The new captain of the ship, replacing Witte, who died in November 1627, was Hans Schröder. During the attack of Swedish troops supported by artillery on Polish ships at the mouth of the Vistula River near Fortress Wisłoujście after midnight of July 6 1628 , WODNIK was sailing upstream to help the PHOENIX which was stuck on a sandbank when trying to retreat up the river after she was damaged by artillery fire of the Swedish troops.She managed, however, under the protection of WODNIK and TIGER to refloat, where after she was escorted to the second group of Polish ships in the area of Polish Haku.
In January 1629 year, WODNIK together with other Polish ships was commissioned by King Sigismund III Vasa to the service of the Habsburg Catholic League in the ongoing Thirty Years War , arriving Wismar on February 8. Polish ships stationed in Wismar fought against a fleet of Danish and Swedish ships in occasional minor skirmishes. January 22 1632 after the surrender of Wismar, Polish ships were captured by the Swedes and incorporated into their fleet; WODNIK served as MEERMAN in the Swedish fleet. The further fate of the ship is not known.

Poland 1964 2Z sg1462, scott?
https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wodnik_(1623)
Attachments
wodnik..jpg
1964 wodnik 1.55z.jpg

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