ORP Orzel, 1939Orzel means eagle in English. The boat, built in the Netherlands for the Polish Navy, arrived in Poland on February 7, 1939.
She famously escaped the German forces in September 1939 and reached England where she served during the war.
Orzel (commander Jan Grudzinski) sailed on her seventh patrol on May 23, 1940. She was sent to the central region of the North Sea. A wireless message was sent from Rosyth on the 1st and 2nd of June to the Orzel, with an order to change her patrol area and proceed for the Skagerrak. No signals had been received from the Orzel since her departure and on the 5th of June the order was sent for her to return. She failed to acknowledge reception of this signal (as well as the other signals) and she never came back to her base. The 8th of June, 1940, has been officially accepted as the day of the Orzel's loss.
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