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Notable events involving Grom include:

1 Sep 1939
The Polish destroyers Burza (Komandor Podporucznik Stanislaw Michal Nahorski, ORP), Grom (Komandor Podporucznik Aleksander Hulewicz, ORP) and Blyskawica (Komandor Podporucznik Wlodzimierz Andrzey Kodrebski-Poraj, ORP) were met in the North Sea by British aircraft and the British destroyers HMS Wallace (Lt.Cdr. William Maurice Lloyd Astwood, RN) and HMS Wanderer (Cdr Reginald Francis Morice, RN). They were escorted to Leith.

15 Sep 1939

Convoy OA 5.

This convoy departed Southend on 15 September 1939 and was dispersed on 18 September 1939.

[The composition of the convoy is currently not known to us.]

The convoy was escorted by the British destroyers HMS Jackal (Cdr. T.M. Napier, RN), HMS Janus (Lt.Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN) and the Polish Grom (Lt.Cdr. A. Hulewicz).

The convoy was dispersed shortly before midnight during the night of 18/19 September.

HMS Janus returned to Plymouth on 18 September, ORP Grom on 19 September and HMS Jackal on 20 September.

19 Sep 1939

Convoy HXF 1.

This convoy departed Halifax on 19 September 1939.

The following ships were part of the convoy; Antonia (British, 13867 GRT, built 1921), Arandora Star (British, 15501 GRT, built 1927), Cameronia (British, 16297 GRT, built 1920), Champlain (French, 28124 GRT, built 1932), Colombie (French, 13391 GRT, built 1931), De Grasse (French, 18435 GRT, built 1924), Dcuchess of Richmond (British, 20022 GRT, built 1928) and Orbita (British, 15495 GRT, built 1915).

The heavy cruisers HMS Berwick (Capt. I.M. Palmer, DSC, RN), HMS York (Capt. R.H. Portal, DSC, RN) and the destroyers HMCS Skeena (Capt. H.T.W. Grant, RCN) and HMCS Saguenay (Lt.Cdr. G.R. Miles, RCN), which had been escorting convoy HX 1 briefly provided cover for the convoy on departure.

Around 0730A/27, the destroyer HMS Amazon (Lt.Cdr. N.E.G. Roper, RN) joined to escort the convoy in the Western Approaches. Around 0850A/27, the destroyer HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN) also joined.

Around 1800A/28, the destroyer Grom (Lt.Cdr. A. Hulewicz, ORP) joined the convoy.

Around 1830A/28, HMS Amazon and HMS Juno parted company with the convoy. They took the merchant vessel Arandora Star with them and escorted her to Dartmouth. The destroyers then proceeded to Plymouth where they arrived very early on the 29th.

The three French ships proceeded to Le Havre.

The remainder of the convoy proceeded up the Irish Sea to Liverpool escorted by ORP Grom. The Cameronia went on to Glasgow. (1)

21 Sep 1939

Convoy OA 8.

This convoy departed Southend on 21 September 1939 and was dispersed on 24 September 1939 though quite a number of ships had to proceed to ports on the east coast of the U.K.

On departure the convoy was made up of the following ships; Alexander Kennedy (British, 1313 GRT, built 1932), Angularity (British, 501 GRT, built 1934), Barrwhin (British, 4998 GRT, built 1929), Betswood (British, 1051 GRT, built 1936), Bovey Tracey (British, 1212 GRT, built 1930), Brockley Combe (British, 662 GRT, built 1938), Cerinthus (British, 3878 GRT, built 1930), Cordelia (British, 8190 GRT, built 1932), Fenja (British, 847 GRT, built 1924), Galway Coast (British, 1431 GRT, built 1915), Gem (British, 640 GRT, built 1924), Grangetoft (British, 975 GRT, built 1920), Gripfast (British, 1109 GRT, built 1910), Highwear (British, 1173 GRT, built 1936), Hoperidge (British, 5222 GRT, built 1939), Imperial Transport (British, 8022 GRT, built 1931), Minnie de Larrinaga (British, 5049 GRT, built 1914), Norfolk Coast (British, 646 GRT, built 1937), Pulborough (British, 960 GRT, built 1933), Robert F. Hand (British (tanker), 12197 GRT, built 1933), The President (British, 926 GRT, built 1936), Umona (British, 3767 GRT, built 1910) and Welsh Rose (British, 581 GRT, built 1922).

The convoy was escorted by the British destroyer HMS Jackal (Cdr. T.M. Napier, RN) and the Polish Grom (Lt.Cdr. A. Hulewicz).

The British destroyer HMS Janus (Lt.Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN) joined on 22 September relieving ORP Grom.

They remained with the convoy until the evening of the 24th of September when the convoy was dispersed.

HMS Jackal and HMS Janus returned to Plymouth in the afternoon of the 25th.

9 Oct 1939
Around 2100 hours the British destroyers HMS Griffin (Lt.Cdr. J. Lee-Barber, RN with Capt. G.E. Creasy, MVO, RN aboard), HMS Gipsy (Lt.Cdr. N.J. Crossley, RN), HMS Keith (Cdr. H.T.W. Pawsey, OBE, RN), HMS Boadicea (Lt.Cdr. G.B. Kingdon, RN) and the Polish destroyer Grom (Lt.Cdr. A. Hulewicz, ORP) were ordered to leave Harwich and establish a patrol in the North Sea. Shortly before that, a German He 59 seaplane dropped two magnetic mines nearby, but there was no time for searching. HMS Gipsy hit one of those mines which tore her into two pieces. Most of the survivors were picked up by HMS Griffin and HMS Keith. (2)

6 Nov 1939
Blyskawica (Porucznik Marynarki Tadeusz Gorazdowski, ORP) and Grom (Komandor Podporucznik Aleksander Hulewicz, ORP) received orders to find and rescue downed British pilots in the Dogger Bank area. The Polish ships were attacked by two German He-115 hydroplanes. One of them dropped a torpedo aiming for Blyskawica. The destroyer turned rapidly and avoided the threat.

7 Apr 1940
The light cruisers HMS Galatea (Capt. B.B. Schofield, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral G.F.B. Edward-Collins, CB, KCVO, RN), HMS Arethusa (Capt. Q.D. Graham, RN) and the destroyers HMS Afridi (Capt. P.L. Vian, RN), HMS Cossack (Cdr. R.St.V. Sherbrooke, RN), HMS Gurkha (Cdr. A.W. Buzzard, RN), HMS Mohawk (Cdr. J.W.M. Eaton, RN), HMS Sikh (Cdr. J.A. Giffard, RN), HMS Zulu (Cdr. J.S. Crawford), HMS Kashmir (Cdr. H.A. King, RN), HMS Kelvin (Lt.Cdr. J.L. Machin, RN), ORP Burza (Lt.Cdr. W. Francki), ORP Blyscawica (Lt.Cdr. S.M. Nahorski) and ORP Grom (Lt.Cdr. S. Hryniewiecki) departed Rosyth in the evening for operations of Norway. They were to proceed to a position west of Stavanger and then were to sweep northwards. On the 9th they made rendezvous with the Home Fleet.

9 Apr 1940
The Polish destroyers Burza, Grom and Blyskawica were ordered to join the British destroyer HMS Tartar and provide escort for convoy HN-24 (31 merchants escaping from Norway to England, some of them were loaded with Norwegian gold). The convoy reached Britain without any loses. (2)

12 Apr 1940
The Polish destroyers Burza, Grom and Blyskawica entered Rosyth for refuelling. Then they were sent to Scapa Flow. (2)

16 Apr 1940

Operation Duck.

Bombardment of the Sola airfield off Stavanger.

Timespan: 16 to 18 April 1940.

The heavy cruiser HMS Suffolk (Capt. J.W. Durnford, RN) and the destroyers HMS Hereward (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN), HMS Janus (Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN), HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN) and HMS Kipling (Cdr. A. St. Clair-Ford, RN) departed Scapa Flow around 1700A/16 for this operation.

Early on the 17th this force contacted the submarine HMS Seal (Lt.Cdr. R.P. Lonsdale, RN) which was to act as a beacon to home in the ships.

Between 0513A/17 and 0602A/17, HMS Suffolk bombarded the airfield. Following this she and the destroyers were ordered to proceeded northwards to intercept a reported group of enemy destroyers, the result was that their air cover that was provided during their retirement did not sight the ships which then came under heavy air attack from the German Luftwaffe for about seven hours from 0825A/17 onwards.

The result was that HMS Suffolk was heavily damaged. She suffered 32 dead and 41 wounded. HMS Kipling was also damaged by two near misses.

Air cover finally arrived at 1415A/17 but even then the Germans continued to attack.

The battlecruisers HMS Renown (Capt. C.E.B. Simeon, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral W.J. Whitworth, CB, DSO, RN), HMS Repulse (Capt. E.J. Spooner, DSO, RN), the AA cruiser HMS Cairo (Capt. P.V. McLaughlin, RN) and the destroyers HMS Eclipse (Lt.Cdr. I.T. Clark, RN), HMS Forester (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Tancock, RN), HMS Fury (Cdr. E.W.B. Sim, RN), HMS Tartar (Cdr. L.P. Skipwith, RN), HMS Javelin (Cdr. A.F. Pugsley, RN), HMS Kimberley (Lt.Cdr. J.S.M. Richardson, RN), ORP Blyscawica (Lt.Cdr. S.M. Nahorski, ORP) and ORP Grom (Lt.Cdr. S. Hryniewiecki) rushed towards to give support. The destroyer HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicholson, RN) joined later.

HMS Suffolk limped towards Scapa Flow where she arrived with a heavy list at 0545A/18. She arrived at Scapa Flow escorted by HMS Renown, HMS Forester, HMS Fury, HMS Hereward, HMS Hyperion, HMS Janus, HMS Juno, HMS Kimberley and HMS Kipling (also damaged). Upon arrival HMS Suffolk was beached to prevent her from sinking.

19 Apr 1940
The Polish destroyers Burza, Grom and Blyskawica left Scapa Flow and head to Narvik. During a storm Burza was damaged by high waves and forced to return. (2)

21 Apr 1940
The Polish destroyers Blyskawica and Grom entered the Vest Fjord, off Narvik, Norway. (2)

24 Apr 1940
A bombardment of the Narvik area was carried out by the following ships; battleship HMS Warspite (Capt. V.A.C. Crutchley, VC, DSC, RN), light cruisers HMS Aurora (Capt. L.H.K. Hamilton, DSO, RN), HMS Effingham (Capt. J.M. Howson, RN), HMS Enterprise (Capt. J.C. Annesley, DSO, RN) and the destroyer HMS Zulu (Cdr. J.S. Crawford, RN). A/S protection for these ships was provided by the destroyers HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, RN), HMS Encounter (Lt.Cdr. E.V.St J. Morgan, RN), HMS Escort (Lt.Cdr. J. Bostock, RN), HMS Foxhound (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Peters, RN), HMS Havock (Cdr. R.E. Courage, RN), HMS Hero (Cdr. H.W. Biggs, RN), HMS Hostile (Cdr. J.P. Wright, RN), ORP Blyscawica (Kmdr.por. (Cdr.) S.M. Nahorski) and ORP Grom (Kmdr.ppor. (Cdr.) A. Hulewicz).

HMS Effingham sank the British merhant ship (she had been captured by the Germans when they invaded Narvik) Riverton (5378 GRT, built 1928) inside Narvik Harbour. Otherwise the result of the bombardment was difficult to observe due to the bad visibility. (3)

4 May 1940
HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) carried out a bombardment on German troop concentrations in the 'Narvik area'.

She later left the area immediately off Narvik due to the threat of air attacks. She proceeded to Harstad.

Also 147 survivors from the Polish destroyer ORP Grom (Kmdr.ppor. (Cdr.) A. Hulewicz) were put on board by HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, RN) and HMS Bedouin (Cdr. J.A. McCoy, DSO, RN). They were taken off later the same day by ORP Burza (Kmdr.ppor. (Cdr.) W.R. Francki). (4)

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