- ORP “Orzeł” was the first of 3 submarines ordered in the Netherlands to enter service in the Polish fleet in 1939.
- At the turn of May and June 1940, the ship was lost with the full crew. Date, place and origin not known
- Despite respective search expeditions, the wreck was inactive not found.
- More crucial information can be found on the Onetu homepage
Two months later, on 11 June 1940, the command of the Polish Navy issued a message from London: “In the absence of any news and non-return from patrol within the specified time limit, the submarine of the Republic of Poland “Orzeł” should be considered lost”.
Thus ended the war era of the ship, which, apart from the sinking of the German unit, became celebrated in September 1939, when, despite internment, it penetrated Britain.
The initiator of the legendary escape was Jan Grudziński, who replaced the indisposed Lieutenant Commander Henryk Kłoczkowski. That's how the last ship commander recalled the circumstances:
"We entered Tallinn on the night of September 14. We wanted to put the sick commander in infirmary and fix the compressor. We knew that we were entitled, under global law, to a 24-hour stop, and with all assurance we accepted the assurance of the Estonian officers that we would receive complete supplies and that they would repair our damaged equipment. Tired of an all-night watch, aware of the safety in the neutral port, I went to sleep.”
The next day, there was an unexpected internment. Disarming began, maps and navigation log were taken from the deck. On 18 September, the day after russian aggression against Poland, the captain decided to flee. After 27 days of sea odyssey ended in Scotland. On 1 December 1939, the Orp “The Eagle” was included in the British fleet. Meanwhile, Kłoczkowski, accused of violating his duties and cowardice, was sentenced and demoted to the rank of a sailor in 1942.
‘Earl’ and ‘ Vulture’
The successes of submarines, especially the celebrated U-boats, during the large War caused that after 1918 independent Poland wanted to own units of this kind in its fleet. The first 3 were ordered in France and were de facto "Ryś" ORP, "Żbik" ORP and "Wilk" were commissioned in the early 1930s, but at the time of the start of the war they proved obsolete and faced method problems. The dream of buying six torpedo ships proved to be a dream.
In the end, a public assembly was organized, which gained any of the funds to acquisition 2 duplicate ships from the Netherlands. The contract was signed in January 1936 in The Hague. The Polish side was represented by Rear Admiral Jerzy Świrski. any of the materials needed for the construction were delivered from the country. In addition, we paid a crucial part of the debt by exporting agricultural products. The ship plan was attended by engineer Kazimierz Leski, later intelligence officer of the Home Army. The Eagle and Vulture ORPs were launched in 1938. A year later they entered the service.
Dutch acquisitions were modern, large, well-armed units capable of carrying out long-term tasks outside their own bases, which proved crucial in the case of escape from Tallinn.
What method parameters did they have? The full dimension of the Eagle was 84 m, width – 6.7 m, maximum depth – 100 m. The maximum velocity was estimated from 10 (under water) to 20 (over water) knots. The scope was determined at an awesome 7,000 nautical miles. The buoyancy in the immersion was 1473 tonnes. The weapon was 20 torpedoes operated from 12 launchers placed on the bow, stern and before and behind the kiosk (turnover). This gave the anticipation to attack at any angle, without additional manoeuvres. In addition, the equipment included a cannon, 2 anti-aircraft guns and 2 device guns. The full was hydraulically controlled and powered by diesel-electric engines. The crew was 60.
Maciej Zieliński, Adam Earthenowicz / PAPORP “Orzeł” arrived in Gdynia on 7 February 1939. The authoritative welcome, observed by 30,000 people, was held 3 days later on Navy Day. Intensified training was started immediately, followed by patrol missions and tracking of German units in the Baltic. In June, Grudziński was appointed deputy to Kłoczkowski, who was transferred from the Vulture. Both officers were conflicted from the start. On 1 September, the Eagle was located at the war port in Gdynia-Oxiv. In the absence of a full crew that the commander had authorized to land, the ship didn't leave until after 7 and went to the designated sector.
What was the participation of the Eagle in the September campaign? Developed for Polish submarines, typically defensive and passive, the alleged Worek Plan ended in defeat. Contrary to the assumptions, there was no sea landing on Hel. All units were rapidly detected and damaged. ‘Rys, Vulture’ and ‘Żbik’ were interned in Sweden. "Wilk" arrived in Britain.
Meanwhile, the Eagle left the sector on 4 September without the command's approval and headed for Swedish Gotland. On September 10, the captain's illness was reported ("weakness, I cannot command"). In response, it was ordered to blow up Kłoczkowski in Hel or in a neutral port. The choice was on Tallinn, where the ship arrived on September 14, late at night.
“We didn’t even have 1 drop of fresh water on board”
After internment from the ship, handguns, ammunition and 14 of 20 torpedoes were taken. The escape began with incapacitating 2 guards, cutting cables and cum. The first difficulties arose in the port: "We failed to scope the pier erstwhile an emergency shot was fired from the Estonian warship. They went into motion of the headlights, we couldn't get out in a tight pool and we ran into rocks at the breakwater" (Grudziński). Despite the impact and temporary immobilization, the beginning of fire and pursuit, after the sinking of the Eagle, they managed to go out into the sea.
The Hel command was immediately notified of the escape and deficiency of encryption and maps. German propaganda accused Poles of murdering Estonians who were yet blown up in Gotland. Navigation was based on makeshift maps prepared on the basis of an old roster of lanterns.
After the surrender of Hel, it was decided to leave the Baltic Sea. The biggest challenge was to bypass the patrols and cross the Danish Straits. Finally, on 14 October, a reconnaissance signal was given that allowed a gathering with the British destroyer "Valorous". The ship was brought first to Rosyth and then to Dundee, where the renovation included "Wilk". As the captain recalled, erstwhile the bravado escape was over:
In mid-December 1939 – after a short renovation, congratulations from General Władysław Sikorski, Rear Admiral Świrski and King George VI, and complementing the crew with 3 British officers – the unit began missions under the British Second Fleet of Ships.
3 April 1940. The Eagle sailed on its next patrol off the Norwegian coast. 5 days later, at 10 a.m., he detected an approach to Bergen. a ship without a flag which has been identified as German and called upon to stop. After intercepting a distress signal and refusing to leave the ship Captain Grudziński has ordered torpedo preparation. The first 1 hit starboard. Then, in the face of the forthcoming support, the Polish ship sank and launched another torpedo, which led to the breaking and sinking of "Rio de Janeiro". Over 180 soldiers and crew members were killed. The success of the Eagle was not so much the sinking of the enemy unit, but above all on the transmission of information and confirmation of the commencement of the German landing on Norway.
Public domain/wikimediaFreighter ‘Rio de Janeiro’
Last patrol and controversy
On 23 May 1940, the ship sailed from Rosyth on its patrol in the North Sea. He was to return to the Scottish port on June 8. For unexplained reasons, the sixth independent patrol turned out to be the last. At the turn of May and June, the ship was lost with the full crew. Date, place and origin not known. Among the hypotheses considered are, among others, the entry into the seamine, the sinking by a German bomber or patrol, the mistaken torpedo by an allied unit or as a consequence of an air strike, a navigational mistake and an unexpected failure. Despite respective search expeditions still The wreck was never found.
The commander of the Royal Navy Underwater Fleet, Vice Admiral Max Horton, stated: “The courage and efficiency that accompanied “The Eagle” in carrying out his service deserve the highest praise, and the function that fell upon the ship was a very valuable part of the Allied war effort.”
