The eighth expedition to search for the resting place of a Second World War Polishsubmarine which endured what Winston Churchill is said to have described as “the greatest adventure story to come out of the war” has been launched. The Orzel, or ‘Eagle’ in English, escaped capture in one of the most fascinating stories of Polish heroism in WW2. The submarine was one of a handful built for the Polish Navy to defend the newly reconstituted nation’s shoreline. She was modern and well equipped for her time with a crew of 54. When Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1st 1939, the Orzel and her crew were under instructions to harrass enemy shipping in the Baltic for as long as possible before making their way to Britain to join the Allies or, if needs must, seek to be interned in a nuetral nation.
The crew of the Orzel did just that, putting to sea shortly after the invasion. They fought the German Kreigsmarine in the Baltic sea for what time they could, but massively damaged and with the boat’s captain falling ill, the Orzel made for the neutral port of Tallinn, Estonia. As a neutral nation, Estonia was obliged under international law to permit vessels of warring nations to make port for 24 hours for repairs.
Unfortunately for the crew, the Estonians, acting under enormous pressure from Germany,
informed the crew they were to be interned and their weapons, navigational charts, and the Orzel herself, would be confiscated. The crew however, had different plans and sabotaged a torpedo hoist to prevent some of their weapons being seized. Later, they made good their escape and, hunted by both the German and Soviet Baltic fleets, spent a long day motionless on the seafloor to avoid detection.
Then, the crew of the vessel named Eagle set out to fulfill the orders given to them and sail to Britain to join the Polish free forces there. They dropped off two captured Estonians in Sweden, providing them with clothing, money, and food before making their way around Denmark through the Skagerrak straits and into the North Sea. One day, they were almost spotted by a German warship, but it’s thought the ship mistook the Polish submarine for a Swedish one and passed them by.
After crossing the North Sea, the Orzel joined the rest of the surviving vessels of the Polish Navy in Scotland. From there, they joined the fight against the Axis Powers alongside the Royal Navy, conducting several successful patrols and even becoming the first Polish submarine of the war to sink an enemy ship using a torpedo.
However, the story of the Orzel remains unfinished as one day, whilst on patrol somewhere in the North Sea, the valiant submarine and her crew vanished. The Orzel and the 54 Polsih sailors on board were never heard from again.
Now, a Polish expedition lead by diver Tomasz Stachura will sail to Denmark, where they will search for the fallen Eagle using specialised hydrographic equipment provided the Gdansk Maritime Institute.
New UK PM says no-deal brexit is „up to the EU”
Britain’s new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has said that whether or not the UK leaves
the EU with a deal is „up to the EU”.
Speaking to the BBC yesterday, Mr Johnson said the process is now very much “up our friends and partners across the channel”. He made the remarks whilst on his first visit to Wales as Prime Minister, part of a tour of the UK. On Monday, Johnson was loudly booed when he visited Scotland for a meeting with Scottish premier Nicola Sturgeon. Scotland voted strongly to remain in the 2016 referendum and the governing Scottish National Party has said a no-deal exit would warrant a second vote on Scottish independence.
President Trump to visit Poland for WWII commemorations
US President Donald Trump is to visit Poland for commemorations marking 80 years since
the start of the Second World War. It was announced yesterday by the Polish president’s chief aide that President Trump will arrive in Warsaw on the evening of August 31st where he will stay until September 2nd.
President Trump will attend a ceremony on September 1st alongside other heads of state from around Europe and the world. Notably, Russian president Vladimir Putin is said not to have been invited as Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister has said his presence would be inappropriate at an event commemorating aggression against Poland when modern Russia
treats its neighbours in much the same way, according to reports from Polish Radio.
A ceremony will also be held in Gdansk at Westerplatte, which will be open to all.
Gdansk and Gdynia named as the EU’s top yacht exporters
Poland’s Baltic ports have been named as Europe’s top exporters of luxury yachts, according to EU figures reported by Euronews.
The figures from Eurostat, the EU’s statistics service, show that Gdansk and Gdynia together
make up 60% of Europe’s yacht exports. Several international yacht-builders including firms like Sunreef and Parker have moved production here thanks to low-cost high-quality labour.
TH/RGEN NEWS
