Thank you for bringing the story of the Orzeł to KZfaq. My father, Antoni Szymczak, was on the submarine during the escape from Tallin. He was hospitalised in Rosyth when the Orzeł sailed on its final voyage which is the only reason I am here today. He felt survivor guilt for the rest of his life for "deserting" his crew mates. He had spoken about the terror of being in the sub and hearing depth charges exploding around you, not knowing if the next one would rip through the hull and kill everyone. He died about 30 years ago in the town he made his home after the war, Dundee, Scotland. One interesting feature in the design of the submarine was the two rotating torpedo tubes that could be positioned independently from the ship, allowing them to fix on a target without turning the whole submarine. I was told that the Orzeł was out on testing maneuvers when Germany invaded and were given orders not to return to port. I was not aware of any attack before they reached Tallin. Kłoczkowski had taken sick and headed towards the then neutral port of Tallin. Many people labelled Kłoczkowski as a coward but my father disagreed and said that Kłoczkowski was genuinely ill. The Estonians wanted all the latest technology from the submarine and were stripping it completely. During the removal of the radio the crew faked a short circuit and sparks and convinced the guards that it would best to put the radio back to repair it before it was removed. After the charts were confiscated, one of the crew drew new ones from memory that they used during the escape. The cat and mouse chase last for almost 30 days. My father related this part towards the end of the journey. "It was an inky night, lashed by rain sleet and hail when we approached Malmo at the southern tip of Sweden, but these conditions were perfect for our purpose. We had ‘doctored’ our engine to make it sound like the two-stroke of a fishing boat. To heighten this impression in the dark we were three quarters submerged, making the Orzeł look the size of a fishing boat. We came upon two German destroyers, with searchlights, they were checking shipping in the narrow channel. They had blocked it with booms, and here and there were small minefields. We moved in behind a merchant naval ship and followed it closely to see what the procedure was. Suddenly a loud clang of something striking our hull outside caused panic. We thought we had struck a mine. There was no explosion and we realised we were aground, The electric motors took us off, then we stopped the motors and had a conference. Our acting commander was Jan Grudziński in his late twenties, but he had a baby face and looked more like eighteen. He decided we should go through with our original plan, make up on the merchantman and try to slip through. This was agreed. As we approached the destroyers, one on each side of the channel, we were all wearing life jackets. The searchlights switched on and the whole channel seemed to be bathed in blinding light. Somebody hissed 'Say your prayers and jump overboard now’ Before anyone could move, the lights were extinguished. We could hardly believe it. We got nearer and nearer the boom which had been opened for the ship in front of us. The searchlights were switched on and off again. WE WERE THROUGH!"

Thank you for this story. At school in Australia , we were taught that the Polish military were completely outclassed by the Germans and were fighting tanks with cavalry. I knew about the airmen who flew out and had a squadron in Britain because many of them migrated to Australia after the war. I knew nothing about the navy nor the gold reserves. I think that not enough emphasis is given to the fact that Poland was fighting two invading armies at the same time. The Poles were brave, intrepid people and it was a tragedy that Russia was able to retain control of their country after the war. Many of those airmen have died without ever having contact with family, again.

The morning, minutes after I finished viewing this, our cleaning lady arrived, and since she’s Polish, I started this video for her. Within seconds she said, “Oh, the Eagle!” She recognized it almost immediately. So this bit of history is not entirely forgotten!

my grandmother was born in Poland and I'm very proud to say that

I read this story a long time ago in Military History magazine. Truly an amazing story, and the first officer was a brilliant man. I wish we could have done more for Poland at the time. But everything happened so fast, and by the time we could actually fight a war, their fate was sealed. RIP brave Orzel crew, may one day you be found and honored.

Another story that deserves to be remembered, thank you. This was the first I heard of the Polish subs of WW2.

That boat and her crew are still on patrol as far as I'm concerned, heroes in this world and the next.

Building Submarines with Beer Money. The single most perfect military expenditure of the war. RIP brothers. Sailor, rest your oar When your final dive is made, and your battery's running low, You'll know there lies a boat for you many fathoms here below, With your annunciators jammed on full and your depth gauge needles bent, Your accumulator's dry of oil and your air banks all are spent, It's then you get to wonderin', "is my life's boat rigged for dive?" Your guessing drill commences, "am i dead or still alive?" You pace the flooded decks with scorn and curse the flaws of man. Into realms of rex you've stepped, and here you'll make your stand. To live your life, as sailors must, at the bottom of the sea. There's one you'll have to reckon-that one, my friend, is thee. Will your conscience do you justice when the final muster's in? Did you lead the kind of life you should in every port you've been? The answers to these questions and many, many more, Are locked in the hearts of sailormen from Cannes to Singapore. So, when your day for mast rolls 'round. the choice is up to you, Sailor chart your course of life right now. chart it straight and true. Now's the time to flood your tanks and trim up 'fore and aft. It's a trifle late when the klaxon sounds to square away your craft. Your final billet lies below, on "old ocean's" floor. So, be ready when that last word's passed. Sailor, rest your oar!

Some of the fiercest fighters of the Allies, and good reason for it. Through Poland's history, it is a place fought over countless times. Russians, Germans, Tartars, Mongols, Ottomans, etc.

At the IWM. Duxford there is a plaque to the memory of the first Polish pilot killed there, I always make a point of visiting it and bowing my head in respect. I am ashamed of the way our government treated them after the war to appease Stalin, it was disgusting that they were denied a place in the British victory celebrations.

Millions of people fought in WWII. No doubt there will be thousand of stories of heroism that will never be told because they are unknown, and will remain unknown. Thank you for bringing forth this one. It certainly deserves to be remembered.

Valor. By the truest sense of the word. Men of Valor. Bless them all. Those who sacrificed for a greater good.

Being Norwegian and more than average interested in history, I knew a bit of this history beforehand. Only along the lines of "Polish sub in British service sunk Rio de Janeiro outside of Lillesand around noon on the 8. april 1940, thus starting armed resistance against the German invasion"... Frightfully decent of you to put flesh on the bones, as it were. The Polish contribution to the allied cause can hardly be valued too highly. 500 Poles gave their lifes to take Narvik from the Germans, not to forget the Second Polish Corps at Cassino, to but name a few. And yet no Polish flag flew in the victory parade when the war was won.

Getting Poland’s gold reserves out of Poland ahead of the Germans woulld be a good story.

The Poles were also ferocious fighters during the Battle of Britain. As a free Englishman I will always be in their debt!

The highest scoring RAF squadron in the Battle of Britain was 303 squadron which was manned by Polish pilots.

They served they country well. They didn’t give up, they kept on trying.

My father, who served aboard various US Navy ships in WWII, was a student of the war's submarine activities. He briefly told me of the Orzel and its escape to England at the start of hostilities in 1939. Your video has given me the sub's story in memorable detail and I thank you for that. The treaty that enabled ships and subs of warring nations to harbor in neutral ports, some times simultaneously, also made for intrigue in South America.

Poles were totally epic, in WW2. Battle of Britain.

Great video. As the first son of my Polish family to be born in the US, I'm very proud that my country never gave up on their quest for independence during WW2. The subsequent Russian influence was horrible for my family. Only my father's side immigrated to the US, and he brought my mother over in marriage shortly after serving as a fighter mechanic in the US Navy during Vietnam, but my mother's side of the family stayed in Poland. I met my maternal grandparents and great grandmother once, and never met my uncle or cousins in Poland, but I do stay in touch with my cousin's daughter on Facebook, who is into art, photography and punk/alternative music, the same as myself. She enjoys the American slang and free English lessons. I think she's a very cool kid with a bright, free future. The only minor problem that i have with the video is the pronunciation of the ship. I understand that Polish is a difficult language and just want to offer you the correct pronunciation. In American English, the closest phonetic pronunciation I can offer through text would be "ush-zow". I can see how Polish can be very difficult and nonsensical to English speakers. I'm never upset about people butchering my surname. I expect it, and get a kick out of people actually trying. If you come within range of it, I'll give you a high five. Only my high school latin teacher ever got it right first try, and I was speechless.

James Michners, POLAND is a good read. The Poles were way ahead of Europe in the political arena. They just are unfortunate in geography. But, many an army has met their end in Poland. The Germans, Russians, Baltic states, and the Tartars have all learned the Poles are fierce fighters. Thanks for sharing.

My great grandfather left Polska in 1915 (for America) because the Russians came into his town just south of Warsaw & they tattooed him to be in the Russian Army. So he grabbed his sister in the middle of the night to make their way to AmericA. They never spoke to their parents again b/c he was afraid to be found and get his parents in trouble. We ARE a very strong people and proud of that

An interesting insight into Polish culture that would surface decades later in the rise against communism imposed by the Soviets

"uploaded 4 minutes ago" best part of the day so far.

Incredible that they even managed to bring the Polish gold reserves..

Hello form Pulaski, Wis, Great job as always! A very interesting story. I'm VERY proud to be Polish.

love Polish people...they are so welcome here in the UK........fantastic story....

Hello there, the Poles never gave up still haven't. An amazing forgotten piece of history Thank you Peace Charlie UK 🇬🇧

11:15 [Henryk Kłoczkowski, former captain of Orzeł convicted and dismissed from the Navy] - It bears adding that while he was unsuccessful in his later appeals, he joined US Merchant Marine and served on the Liberty ships in the convoys across Atlantic. While he may have had his doubts initially about the war, we cannot know today, but no one can accuse him of a lack of courage, as service in the convoys was no picnic. After the war he lived in Portsmouth, NH and worked in a submarine shipyard. He passed away in 1962.

Nigdy nie zapomnimy bohaterów matki Polska. (We will never forget the heroes of mother Poland). Thank you for this video.

An excellent example of Forgotten history thank you for helping us to remember it

Or the role of Polish mathematicians in deciphering the German military's secret coding device, Enigma.

RIP to the crew of the Orzel.

Thank you for bringing us this account, as a former submariner these accounts have special value to me.

Now that is a piece of forgotten history. My father was a partisan fighter and spent the last nine months in a prison camp. He was always proud of being Polish. But he was more than grateful and proud of being a Canadian after immigrating here after the war. It’s difficult to pronounce the name of the submarine correctly so I’ll try to spell it phonetically to help out...ohzew...eagle indeed...flying high

The polish air force got to englnd too. They had the highest kill ratio in p 40s during the battle of brittain

Handmade maps prepared based on signals from lighthouses remembered by the Orzeł navigator Marian Morski are on display in Polish Institute and Sikorski museum in London (20 Prince's Gate, London, SW7 1PT). Kudos for polish diacritical mark in the submarine name "Orzeł"!

A list of lighthouses. Legend, and true.

ironic, i am currently building a model of the orzel by cobi

R.I.P., crew of the Orzel.

So little of the true history of this country and it's contributions to mankind is talked about.

Thank you all for the kind words about polish fighters during WWII and beyond. Check out the incredible story of the polish destroyer Piorun, taking on Bismarck. Taking Monte Casino by polish units is a good one as well.

I used to live in Holland many years ago. I find it interesting that the Dutch built this ship. They used to be, and still are, great ship builders. As so many have noted, the Polish who were able to fight against Germany from England were fierce. There was an Allied operation in Holland called Operation Market Garden, the largest parachute drop ever of troops. I'm afraid it was a disaster, mainly due to a Panzer group north of Arnhem resting up after fleeing Belgium. This operation was made in to a movie with an all-star cast in the late '70's called, "A Bridge Too Far". I used to cross that same bridge every day. And the reason I mention it, is because along with American and British forces, there were Polish troops as well. They are a proud people. I enjoyed my time in Poland very much. It's too bad the Orzel disappeared so mysteriously.

You have such a talent for presenting these bits of history I'm always excited when I see one of your videos in my feed.

I love the way the Poles named their subs.

One of the best of the best videos you have done. Enjoyed it immensely.

Thank you for telling the history that are books failed to reveal

Even the kriegsmarine would be impressed by the Orzel. Thanks for this amazing history. RIP Orzel

@The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered Good one, thank you. Greetings from Poland!

I love the naval history stories. Thank you for making these videos.

I am originally from Detroit. And, God knows, I still love a good Polak joke. But, I have heard several stories about the Polish Air Force in World War II. And now, here is the story of the Orzel. The Poles defend their country with commitment and patriotism and immense courage. Old Marine that I am, it would be an honor to occupy a fighting hole with Stash, anytime. And: to the fine ship Orzel, her Sterling captain and her courageous crew, still on patrol: fair winds and following seas.

No Polish jokes, please. Fascinating as always, best thing so far today. The kind Heroes you hardly ever hear about, a pleasure to hear this fact out of history and the obscure past.

I had heard about this before but I enjoyed hearing it again, especially in your unique way of presenting it.

Thank you for sharing this piece of history. It seems the U. S. school system is lacking when it comes to the teaching of the sacrifices military men and women from around the world have made to insure our freedom. I am a new subscriber and hope to see you present more history like this. I will also be searching your previous posts.

I just binge-watched about ten of these and subscribed. I love your presentation and the way you manage to fit in all the pertinent facts without the end result feeling rushed. Very well done videos on a ton of neglected or nearly forgotten subjects occupying the shadowy corners of world history. Thanks!

Thank you for another wonderful video. My family and I always look forward to watching you bring forgotten and unknown history to us.

Yet another great story. Thank you Sir for sharing!!

I really enjoy your channel! Thank you for sharing your work. :) I especially love the History Cat. ;)

I love videos where the most information is dispensed concisely in the least period of time. Faving this channel and thumbs up to the video.

These stories are often the best part of my week. Thanks a bunch!

Great Story. Like fighter pilots, submariners generally died in combat rather than survive to tell the tale. Polish people are clearly nationalist, and this is a strength in the Eurozone. After evading domination by both Soviets and Nazis, they have managed to retain their ethos, and are with Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, the future of Europe.

Must have been nerve racking to navigate without charts.

Fascinating, thoroughly enjoyed your video. Were it not for your video, this story could quite simply slip away and be forgotten .

Another fantastic story! I'm so glad I found your channel.

there's just a few less interesting stories you put out, but I'm still at the edge of my seat to the end!! Good job on keeping me rivited 😊

Great video as always. People need to remember history is the past. You can change it you can only make it.

My Grandfather was on the ORP GROM and my Great Uncle was on the ORP BLYSKAWICA both very brave men and i am very proud of what they done for my freedom. Alot of the UK dont have a bloody clue what the polish done for this country and i thank the history guy for making a video to show what these brave men done. Never left a fight until they were out of ammo or low on fuel the captian looked after the crew and left any sinking ship quickly so the men could get another ship and continue the fight, my Grandfather was an engineer and survived the war as did my Great Uncle.

Excellent as usual, thank you so much for a great story.

Another brilliant episode, Mr HG. Please consider doing an episode on San Francisco's Barbary Coast and the "Ducks" an Australian gang that took over the area for a while until removed by vigilantes. We are all aware of many immigrant gangs - but this was the first mention of Australian gangs in the US that I have seen. Thanks again for your wonderful work.

since the middle ages, the poles have been a beacon of fortitude in defense of civilization and liberty time and time again.

You have one of the most resourceful, educating, entertaining KZfaq channels.

Excellent! Thanks for sharing another fascinating historical event.

You do the coolest little stories from history

My father always said: "The Poles never bend, they would rather break before they ever agree to bend." Henryk, the name of the Orzel's captain- is pronounced Henrik- not Heinrick, is one of my names. It's a great shame this submarine just vanished, if it had survived, like one of Poland's destroyers, it would now be a Polish national war museum.

So glad your channel is doing well. Keep it up!

Nicely done, HG! Interesting story, great supporting pictures.

You could do a show on another Polish ship that served in WWII. The M/S Batory. She was a luxury cruise liner that was enlisted as an amphibious assault ship and for one, participated in the invasion of Sicily. I believe she embarked the 1st Canadian Division for that action. I have built a model of her.

Great episode. Thank you.

Brilliant as always! Only found this two days ago and I'm obsessed!

This was really good!! Thank You for your reseach. There was so much information I watched it twice just to get it all.

I grew up in Poland during 80’s, unfortunately history class was mostly about how great Lenin and Stalin were since we were under occupation of communist scum, now I’m watching the same scum in USA. Great Video as always!! JESZCZE POLSKA NIE ZGINEŁA!!

I never knew, which is why I like this channel and support it.

You are very talented on numerous levels in your delivery of information.

Bravo! another great snippet of little known history. Thak you and keep up the great wotk!

amazing episode History Guy! thank you for covering this incredible story. Until know I was only aware of the service of exiled Polish ground & air forces with the British. Its also nice you mentioned polish service to the royal navy . As for the brave crew of the Orzel I hope an acclaimed maritime archaeologist like Dr Robert Ballard can find the wreck & uncover the fate of her crew

Another great video. I'd love to see you do one on the Salton Sea.

Very nice video. The History Guy has done it again! He is full of surprises.

Addicted to KZfaq, your contributions are a wonderful testment to its value. I'm glad one of your videos came up as a suggestion.

Morning!! Nice vid.

The Poles do not ask - "how many are enemies?", but - "where are they?"!

Brilliant video, definitely one for your best subjects so far! It is certainly my favourite.

You are an asset to the study and preservation of history, as well as to this medium. Outstanding work.

What an amazing story! I hope the submarine is found so the war grave can be honored. RIP to all the brave sailors who are on eternal patrol.

While much of our past seems below the surface, you're never sunk watching a new History Guy video!

another great part of history learned keep going my friend

Your videos are SO good! Great work, as usual!

A great story about a great people.

Great video History Guy... could you please do a video detailing the history of "SAPPERS" Thanks.

Hey History Guy: Another fantastic video! Thanks. Keep them coming!

This is what makes your stories so great. Keep up the great work.