A Great Escape

Orze? (Eagle) was a Polish submarine which participated in Operation Worek when Hitler attacked Poland during the Second World War. The submarine withdrew from the Polish coast as the situation evolved. Damaged by Nazi attack, Orze? reached Tallinn on 14 September 1939.

The Hague Convention of 1907 enjoined signatories from interfering with the right of enemy warships to use neutral ports within certain limits. Initially, Estonia assisted with the repair of a damaged compressor of the submarine. However, probably because of pressure from Hitler, Estonian military authorities soon boarded the ship and declared the crew interned. Armaments were dismantled and the naval ensign at the submarine's stern was removed.

The crew of Orze? conspired to escape. At around midnight on 18 September, the port lights suffered an unexplained malfunction. Seizing the opportunity, the Polish crew prepared the submarine for departure. Two Estonian guards at the dock were lured aboard and nonviolently taken prisoner (they were later deposited off the Swedish coast), the lighting in the port was sabotaged and the mooring lines were cut with an axe. Estonian military discovered the escape too late. They opened up with machine guns and light artillery. Heavier guns were not used for fear of damaging other ships.

After three weeks on sea, Orze? headed for Britain. It took two days to pass through the heavily guarded entrance. The only references that the Poles had were the lighthouse guide and a rudimentary map drawn by the navigation officer.

Orze? made landfall in Scotland on 14 October. The crew sent out a signal in broken English, and a British destroyer came out and escorted them into port. The arrival of Orze? came a surprise to the British Admiralty, which had long presumed the submarine to be lost.