ORP Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko explained

ORP Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko, formerly USS Wadsworth (FFG-9), is one of two guided-missile frigates in the Polish Navy.^[1] She is the 2nd "short-hull" ship to be built and 3rd overall. She is named after Tadeusz Kościuszko, an American Revolutionary War hero as well as a hero of Poland's struggle for independence; in US Navy service she was named after Commodore Alexander S. Wadsworth. Originally commissioned in 1980, she served in the US Navy until 2002, when she was decommissioned and immediately turned over to the Polish Navy.^[2] Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko has participated in numerous NATO exercises in the Baltic Sea.

History

Ordered from Todd Pacific Shipyards, Los Angeles Division, San Pedro, California on 27 February 1976 as part of the FY75 program, Wadsworth, originally classified PF-111, was laid down on 13 July 1977, launched on 29 July 1978, and commissioned on 28 February 1980. Wadsworth was sponsored by Mrs. Patricia P. Roberts, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Commodore Alexander S. Wadsworth.^[3]

Wadsworth portrayed USS Reuben James (FFG-57) in the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October^[4] along with USS Gary (FFG-51).

The ship's motto in American service was "For One's Country" and originates from the words of Captain Isaac Hull, Commanding Officer of USS Constitution before her August 1812 battle with HMS Guerriere. Hull said, "Men, now do your duty. Your officers cannot have entire command over you now. Each man must do all in his power for his country."^[5] .

Wadsworth and her crew received Battle Effectiveness Awards for operations in 1993, 1998 and 2001.^[6]

Decommissioned on 28 June 2002, Wadsworth was handed over to Poland the same day as part of the Foreign Military Sales programme and commissioned under her current name. She was formally stricken from the Navy list on 23 July 2002.

See also

• , Polish ocean liner also named after Tadeusz Kościuszko

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain. The entry can be found here.

1. Saunders, p. 558
2. Web site: 17 July 2002 . Poland - Transfer of Second Frigate and Helicopters . live . 13 July 2024 . US Department of State Archive.
3. Web site: Wadsworth III (FFG-9) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240524192037/https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/wadsworth-iii.html . 24 May 2024 . 20 June 2024 . Naval History and Heritage Command . en-US.
4. Web site: History . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120424232006/http://www.usswadsworth.org/html/history.html . 24 April 2012.
5. Web site: Coat of Arms . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20210614085217/http://usswadsworth.org/html/coat-of-arms.html . 14 June 2021.
6. Web site: Navy Unit Awards . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20041014224730/https://awards.navy.mil/ . 14 October 2004.

Bibliography

• Book: Saunders . Stephen . Jane's Fighting Ships 2004–2005 . 2004 . Jane's Information Group . Coulsdon, UK . 0-7106-2623-1.