Project 664-class torpedo boat
# Project 664-class torpedo boat

The Project 664 (NATO reporting name Wisla) class were Polish torpedo boats, designed in Poland in the 1970s. They were one of the few vessels of this size, powered by a gas turbine, and could achieve a great speed.

## Development

In the late 1950s the Polish Navy decided to develop fast torpedo boats of own design, to supplement Soviet-origin project 183 (P-6) class torpedo boats. It was decided to use a gas turbine for propulsion and arm them with four torpedo tubes. Due to lack of previous experience in designing such craft, development was very long. In order to test the technology, a single experimental project 663D torpedo boat was built, ORP Błyskawiczny. Her building started in 1961 and she entered service in 1965. Trials revealed some faults, and further development work was carried out. The result were the boats of the final project 664. They shared a similar silhouette, hull shape and a propulsion fit of 4 diesel and a TM-1 gas turbine engine in a CODAG arrangement. The gas turbine itself was an adaptation of a licence-built Klimov VK-1 aircraft jet engine. The gas turbine being used at speeds above 12 knots.

From 1968, eight boats were built in Stocznia Północna (Northern Shipyard) in Gdańsk. They were given numbers from KTD-452 to KTD-459 (an abbreviation of kuter torpedowy duży - "torpedo boat, large") and names.

## Service

The boats entered service in the Polish Navy in 1971–1972, and were assigned to the 3rd Navy Flotilla (along with ORP Błyskawiczny).

The design was overall not successful. First of all, the hulls, made of hydronalium (aluminium alloy), had limited durability, especially when sailing at high speed on a rough sea, resulting in cracks. Propulsion was also not optimal, the gas turbine was not fuel efficient limiting range, and there were problems with the gearing of paired engines. The boats were very compact, and were not comfortable for the crews, being cramped, noisy and prone to vibration. Their advantage of very high top speed, was however limited by sea conditions.

Due to service problems and wear, project 664 class boats were relatively quickly phased out in the 1980s, after only 9 to 14 years of service.

The only one preserved was ORP Odważny - in 1990 it was given to the White Eagle Museum in Skarżysko-Kamienna. Its original twin 30 mm AK-230 gun is however replaced with twin 25 mm 2M-3M gun.

## List of boats

| Number | Name | Laid down | Launched | Com- missioned | Decom- missioned |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| KTD-452 | ORP Bitny | 15 August 1968 | 15 September 1969 | 20 January 1972 | 31 January 1986 |
| KTD-453 | ORP Bystry | 20 February 1969 | 29 March 1970 | 20 January 1972 | 31 December 1983 |
| KTD-454 | ORP Dzielny | 15 December 1969 | 20 October 1970 | 22 July 1972 | 31 December 1981 |
| KTD-455 | ORP Dziarski | 16 June 1970 | 30 November 1971 | 20 October 1972 | 31 December 1984 |
| KTD-456 | ORP Sprawny | 23 November 1970 | 29 May 1972 | 13 January 1973 | 15 November 1986 |
| KTD-457 | ORP Szybki | 16 December 1971 | 29 September 1972 | 28 April 1973 | 31 August 1984 |
| KTD-458 | ORP Odważny | 7 April 1972 | 21 February 1973 | 15 September 1973 | 31 January 1986 |
| KTD-459 | ORP Odporny | 8 August 1972 | 31 May 1973 | 17 November 1973 | 15 November 1986 |
