Jan Grudziński and the legacy of the ORP Orzeł

Captain Jan Grudziński was a prominent commander of the Polish Navy during World War II, best known for leading the submarine ORP Orzeł. Following the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, the vessel sought refuge in neutral Tallinn, Estonia. Despite being interned and stripped of maps, documents, and weaponry under pressure from Germany and the Soviet Union, Grudziński and his crew executed a daring escape on the night of September 17–18, 1939.

Navigating the Baltic Sea through improvisation and memory, the crew successfully reached Great Britain to rejoin the Allied fight. A major combat success occurred on April 8, 1940, when the ORP Orzeł torpedoed and sank the German transport ship Rio de Janeiro, which was carrying troops and equipment intended for the invasion of Norway. The exact fate of the ORP Orzeł and Captain Grudziński remains a mystery; the vessel disappeared during a patrol in May 1940 and has never been found.