Mysterious motor launch "Osa", Identification of the photo

Does anyone know anything about a little river launch "Osa", seen recently on the Dniestr (Nistru) River in the 1920's or 1930's?

In the Polish Naval Forum - Forum Okretow Wojennych (http:/fow.idysk.com/) there was published recently on the subpage: Statki Handlowe, Pasazerskie i inne (Merchant, Passenger and other ships), post: Statek "OSA" (Ship "Osa") really very interesting photo. It was shot on the apparently Romanian bank of the Dniestr River, just near partially destroyed railway bridge, not far away from the town Zaleszczyki (then Polish, later Soviet, now Ukrainian). It shows white painted launch with the name "Osa" (it means "Wasp" in Polish language). Near this unit we may see 3 seamen, dressed in a strange for me uniforms, few (scouts?) boys and a person dressed in a military like garb. It is not possible to recognize properly ship's ensign. May it be, that this "Osa" was the Romanian ship? In any case, I think, that it was not your border patrol boat, because as far as I know, there were but 3 Romanian patrol boats for service on the Dniestr - Gr N 1, 2 and 3 and have never heard about any "Osa". On the other hand my informations about navigation in this area are very limited.

Cordially yours
Jacek G. Kolodziejczyk
Warsaw, Poland

PS. I am also looking for the not too expensive bookshops with the Romanian naval books.

"Osa" has a similar meaning also in Bulgarian (I know because there was an airplane type called 'Osa' in Bulgarian service).
Was the name written in Latin or Cyrillic characters?

Gen. Dénes

This post has been edited by Dénes on September 30, 2004 07:24 pm

In Latin.

Also in russian means WASP. OSA is name for a class of fast attack boats (with rockets) with a much succes in export. Romania have some OSA and modified - with torpedo launchers.

Iama

Thank you for the answers, but this "Osa" has nothing common with the missile boats - the photo from which we have learned about existence of this launch was made long before WW II. From the point of view of the name alone, it is possible that it could be Polish civil vessel. In Poland, little Zaleszczyki town was a kind of the local spy and this could be the excursion boat, for instance. Why I decided to ask you about it? It is mainly due to the presence 3 sailors in the military like uniforms. I also believed, that this photo was shot on the Romanian bank of the Dniestr river. Now some members of our forum say, that it was however Polish side! The real problem is, that actually we have very few (if any) informations about merchant and passenger ships in these eastern parts of Poland, which in 1939 were forcible incorporated into the Soviet Union and now are parts of the Lithuania, Ukraine and Belarus. Well, typical Central European story!

Cordially,
Jacek G. Kolodziejczyk