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It is almost 84 years since the Polish submarine ORP Orzeł disappeared without a trace. Since then, there have been several searches for the Royal Schelde Shipyard-built submarine. Two Polish filmmakers hope to make another attempt in the coming years and perhaps even finally answer the question of what happened to the Orzeł. Marcin Jamkowski and Piotr Kardasz recently visited Damen Naval in Vlissingen to undertake research for their search and accompanying documentary.
ORP Orzeł is the last pre-war submarine built by De Schelde and one of the company’s first maritime exports. The 84-metre-long “Eagle”, with hull number 205, was commissioned on 2 February 1939. When Germany invaded Poland seven months later, on 2 September 1939, and World War II began, the Orzeł diverted to the port of Talinn, Estonia.
Polish submarine ORP Orzeł disappeared in 1940 during her seventh patrol off the coast of Norway.
There, the submarine is unexpectedly seized. But while the torpedoes are dismantled and all navigational equipment confiscated, the crew plot a daring escape. With no armaments and no navigation or even sea charts, the Orzeł manages to reach Rosyth in Britain to join the British fleet in October 1939. On 23 April 140, the submarine departs for Norway for her seventh patrol but never returns.
There are several theories about the Orzeł’s fate, but as the boat has not yet been found, there are no definitive answers. This, combined with her short but illustrious career makes the submarine a favourite subject of documentaries and even the 1959 feature film “The Eagle”. The search for the wreck of the Orzeł is also ongoing.
“We were approached by Marcin and Piotr earlier this year and we invited them to Vlissingen to help them further with their research and their film,” says Naval Consultant Ric Dekkers. “We welcomed them at the head office and showed them the Orzeł’s place on the stairs and gave a short presentation. Then we went to the Zeeland Archives to see the original archive documents on the submarine. A lot of material is still available there including the original contract, specifications, drawings and photos. It was a successful visit.”
Piotr Kardasz, Ron van Maanen, Marcin Jamkowski and Ric Dekkers.
The Polish filmmakers have made an impressive career of tracking down shipwrecks. For instance, they were involved in the Polish Navy expedition that discovered the wreck of the German transport ship Steuben and the search for the ORP Kujawiak, a Polish Navy destroyer that sank in 1942 in the port of Valletta, Malta. Now they have set their sights on finding the Orzeł. “We had a very interesting visit to Vlissingen,” Marcin says. “We are grateful for the help we received and impressed by the amount of material we were able to see. We will keep you updated on our project.”