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Description
This time ship based on real design but with a twist as in reality no proposals about ships were successfully pressesd in Treaty of Riga (those proposals could very well be a part of negotiation strategy and were never meant to be obtained...).

ORP Oliwa was laid down in 1913 as Svetlana for the Imperial Russian Navy, the lead ship of the Svetlana class. She was built by the Russo-Baltic Shipyard in Tallinn, Estonia, and launched in 1915. Her hull was evacuated to Petrograd when the Germans approached the port in late 1917 and laid up at 90% competition during the Russian Revolution. Four years later in 1921, during negotiations of the Treaty of Riga, ending the Polish-Bolshevik war, Polish negotiators raised the question of ships built with tax money obtained from the Polish lands. Many propositions were laid, including one of the Gangut-class battleships, but finally there was agreement that Poland would obtain eponymous Svetlana that was sitting at pier at 90% completeness after the evacuation of the ship from Tallinn. Late 1921 the ship was towed for competition to the Estonian yard that was original builder. The construction was long due to limited funds available to Poland at the time and lack of proper port for the Polish Navy but she was finally commissioned in 1924 as ORP Oliwa. The ship served as the flagship for Polish Navy but also served as a training ship for Naval Academy students.

She took part in many visits in Copenhagen, Riga, Helsinki, Liepaja, Kalmar and other Baltic ports. In June 1929 she welcomed Italian training cruisers Francesco Ferrucio and Pisa during their visit in Gdynia. A year later she sailed in similar cruise, visiting Kopenhagen, Oslo, Amsterdam, Portsmouth, Brest, Lisboa and Naples. In August 1932 she took part in a visit by Polish Navy in Stockholm (alongside OORP Wicher, Burza, Wilk, Rys, Zbik).In 1932 she took a decisive role in Danzig crisis, forcing the Senate of Free City of Danzig to respect Versailles awarded Polish rights to use the port of Danzig. In 1934 she was planned to visit Leningrad with other ships of the Polish Navy, but finally it was decided that such a visit may be treated as provocation and only Wicher and Burza were sent.

By this time Oliwa was showing her age and it was decided that she should be thoroughly modernized. The reconstruction took place in Ateliers et Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire Penhoët, between 1935-38. New turbine and oil firing boilers were fitted, allowing the removal of bow boiler room with its funnel. A section was added to the bow to to counter the increased weight of the bow superstructure. Large bow superstructure was fitted modeled on French light cruisers (especially Emile Bertin). The armament of the ship was switched for Bofors 152mm guns in three twin turrets and a pair in aft casemates while bow casemates were built over.The ship was fitted with relatively strong AA battery composed of 4 single 90mm guns (midships and on aft superstructure) and 5 twin Bofors 40mm guns (3 on aft superstructure and two on bridge wings). After returning to Poland Oliwa resumed her duties as a flagship.

In the late August of 1939 Oliwa was evacuated with destroyers Grom and Błyskawica to Great Britain, meeting British warships just after midday of 1st September. The ship operated with Royal Navy throughout 1939 without major incidents. In April nad May 1940 Polish ships took part in Norway Campaign, fighting German planes and shelling coastal positions. Oliwa was slightly damaged on rocks while shelling German positions close to Narvik, but kept in fight. She faced multiple serious areal attacks and managed to shoot down 2 He 111 bombers and damage a few more. On 5th June Oliwa was lightly damaged by two 50kg bombs and was prepared to return to England. She was sent as a cover for British cruiser HMS Devonshire transporting Norwegian royal family. On the afternoon of 8th June 1940 radio report was received from the carrier HMS Glorious under attack by German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. While Devonshire was compelled to continue with it's top priority mission, it's commander ordered Oliwa to investigate. Arriving in the scene of battle around 6.15PM she spotted retreating German battlecruisers and sinking British ships. Oliwa rushed towards the area were Acasta was still visible on surface and massive amount of debries marked the place where Glorious went under. Faced with almost impossible dilemma between shadowing and reporting the battlecruisers and rescuing survivors captain Pławski decided on the latter due to massive amount of people in the water. So, rescue operation was started while watch kept eye on Germans, who lucky disappeared quickly to the south soon-east. Only after picking Acasta survivors captain Plawski learned that hasty retreat was due to one of battlecruisers being successfully torpedoed. In an action lasting 6 hours Oliwa managed to save lives of 785 sailors and airmen from Glorious, 83 sailors from Acasta as well as 43 from Ardent. After return to UK the ship was sent to dock for refit.

Description
This time ship based on real design but with a twist as in reality no proposals about ships were successfully pressesd in Treaty of Riga (those proposals could very well be a part of negotiation strategy and were never meant to be obtained...).

ORP Oliwa was laid down in 1913 as Svetlana for the Imperial Russian Navy, the lead ship of the Svetlana class. She was built by the Russo-Baltic Shipyard in Tallinn, Estonia, and launched in 1915. Her hull was evacuated to Petrograd when the Germans approached the port in late 1917 and laid up at 90% competition during the Russian Revolution. Four years later in 1921, during negotiations of the Treaty of Riga, ending the Polish-Bolshevik war, Polish negotiators raised the question of ships built with tax money obtained from the Polish lands. Many propositions were laid, including one of the Gangut-class battleships, but finally there was agreement that Poland would obtain eponymous Svetlana that was sitting at pier at 90% completeness after the evacuation of the ship from Tallinn. Late 1921 the ship was towed for competition to the Estonian yard that was original builder. The construction was long due to limited funds available to Poland at the time and lack of proper port for the Polish Navy but she was finally commissioned in 1924 as ORP Oliwa. The ship served as the flagship for Polish Navy but also served as a training ship for Naval Academy students.

She took part in many visits in Copenhagen, Riga, Helsinki, Liepaja, Kalmar and other Baltic ports. In June 1929 she welcomed Italian training cruisers Francesco Ferrucio and Pisa during their visit in Gdynia. A year later she sailed in similar cruise, visiting Kopenhagen, Oslo, Amsterdam, Portsmouth, Brest, Lisboa and Naples. In August 1932 she took part in a visit by Polish Navy in Stockholm (alongside OORP Wicher, Burza, Wilk, Rys, Zbik).In 1932 she took a decisive role in Danzig crisis, forcing the Senate of Free City of Danzig to respect Versailles awarded Polish rights to use the port of Danzig. In 1934 she was planned to visit Leningrad with other ships of the Polish Navy, but finally it was decided that such a visit may be treated as provocation and only Wicher and Burza were sent.

By this time Oliwa was showing her age and it was decided that she should be thoroughly modernized. The reconstruction took place in Ateliers et Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire Penhoët, between 1935-38. New turbine and oil firing boilers were fitted, allowing the removal of bow boiler room with its funnel. A section was added to the bow to to counter the increased weight of the bow superstructure. Large bow superstructure was fitted modeled on French light cruisers (especially Emile Bertin). The armament of the ship was switched for Bofors 152mm guns in three twin turrets and a pair in aft casemates while bow casemates were built over.The ship was fitted with relatively strong AA battery composed of 4 single 90mm guns (midships and on aft superstructure) and 5 twin Bofors 40mm guns (3 on aft superstructure and two on bridge wings). After returning to Poland Oliwa resumed her duties as a flagship.

In the late August of 1939 Oliwa was evacuated with destroyers Grom and Błyskawica to Great Britain, meeting British warships just after midday of 1st September. The ship operated with Royal Navy throughout 1939 without major incidents. In April nad May 1940 Polish ships took part in Norway Campaign, fighting German planes and shelling coastal positions. Oliwa was slightly damaged on rocks while shelling German positions close to Narvik, but kept in fight. She faced multiple serious areal attacks and managed to shoot down 2 He 111 bombers and damage a few more. On 5th June Oliwa was lightly damaged by two 50kg bombs and was prepared to return to England. She was sent as a cover for British cruiser HMS Devonshire transporting Norwegian royal family. On the afternoon of 8th June 1940 radio report was received from the carrier HMS Glorious under attack by German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. While Devonshire was compelled to continue with it's top priority mission, it's commander ordered Oliwa to investigate. Arriving in the scene of battle around 6.15PM she spotted retreating German battlecruisers and sinking British ships. Oliwa rushed towards the area were Acasta was still visible on surface and massive amount of debries marked the place where Glorious went under. Faced with almost impossible dilemma between shadowing and reporting the battlecruisers and rescuing survivors captain Pławski decided on the latter due to massive amount of people in the water. So, rescue operation was started while watch kept eye on Germans, who lucky disappeared quickly to the south soon-east. Only after picking Acasta survivors captain Plawski learned that hasty retreat was due to one of battlecruisers being successfully torpedoed. In an action lasting 6 hours Oliwa managed to save lives of 785 sailors and airmen from Glorious, 83 sailors from Acasta as well as 43 from Ardent. After return to UK the ship was sent to dock for refit.