Set the scene.
Originally built as the British HMS Oakley, the destroyer became ORP Kujawiak in Polish service. It escorted supply shipping towards besieged Malta.
Here’s the twist.
During Operation Harpoon in June 1942, it attempted to assist another mined ship near Valletta. Kujawiak also struck a mine; thirteen Polish servicemen died.
Why it still matters.
Researchers located the wreck in September 2014. An escort’s job was to protect others, and the circumstances of this loss make that responsibility painfully clear.
🧠 One to think about +
What does this story change about the way you see Malta today? Pick one detail you’d tell a friend — then check its source below.