The Extraordinary Voyage of the Polish Submarine Orzeł

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  • Опубликовано: 11 фев 2025
  • In 1939, Germany invaded Poland, and the Polish Navy went to war. The astonishing escape and journey of the ORP Orzeł, a Polish submarine, was proof that a nation beaten on land was not beaten in spirit.
    This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As images of actual events are sometimes not available, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
    This episode deals with violent historical events. All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Non censuram.
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    Script by THG
    #wwii #thehistoryguy #militaryhistory

Комментарии • 1,7 тыс.

  • @SilverScotia
    @SilverScotia 6 лет назад +873

    Thank you for bringing the story of the Orzeł to RUclips. 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!"

    • @stevejordan7275
      @stevejordan7275 5 лет назад +52

      I homestayed in Scotland with a Pole, Henryk Chmiel, who had escaped from Auschwitz with his brother. But he alone made it to the UK's saftey, living in Wishaw. Generous with his home, his knowledge and his time. I didn't know enough to ask more, and stupidly thought it kinder not to bring it up. Big mistake.
      Thanks so much for sharing Antoni's story!

    • @kerriwilson7732
      @kerriwilson7732 5 лет назад +39

      Written like a good novel; compelling!

    • @callumWAW
      @callumWAW 5 лет назад +48

      This is an amazing story, thank you for sharing it!
      Few people outside of Poland realise the role of the small Polish navy in WW2. For example, hardly anyone knows the role of the Polish destroyer Piorun during the hunt for Bismarck (The Piorun was the first ship to reestablish contact with the Bismarck after it was "lost" by the Royal Navy and it tracked Bismarck for over an hour, trading shots with it until joined by HMS Cossack and other RN destroyers), or how the Blyskawica practically saved Cowes on the Isle of Wight from a Luftwaffe bombing raid.

    • @SilverScotia
      @SilverScotia 5 лет назад +90

      @@callumWAW My father was assigned to the Błyskawica for about 5 months in 1944. The ship is now a floating museum in Gdynia. I visited it in 2015, I was amazed how many visitors still go there. There is section below decks that displays the Orzeł story, I saw my father's name there as part of the crew. I donated some of my father's documents and medals to the museum.

    • @evilmoif
      @evilmoif 5 лет назад +17

      I'm curious as to how those independent torpedo tubes operated. Do you know anything else about them?

  • @susanc4622
    @susanc4622 5 лет назад +34

    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.

    • @piotrmalewski8178
      @piotrmalewski8178 Год назад +2

      I know it's an old comment but just had to adress this; 'fighting tanks with cavalry' - I'm guessing they didn't mention that Polish cavalry was armed with effective (for the time) 37mm anti-tank guns, Bofors 40mm autocannons, 75mm field guns and anti-tank rifles. Some units were effectively tank-destroyer infantry with increased mobility rather than cavalry. Those that weren't were mainly used as high-mobility infantry. The anti-tank tactic was to use mounted troops to scout the area, provoke the enemy and pretend withdraw to lure them into anti-tank trap.
      As for the disastrous result of the campaign, it was, like you said, an attack from all sides, but also a political problem. High command was aware that from military perspective they should have formed defences around a center ring inside the country, but politically they were afraid that if Poland doesn't show off a fight for the its western lands, Hitler could take them without fight, then ask for peace and France and Great Britain would grant it like they did to Czechs. So the whole defence plan was made not with military effectiveness in mind, but rather with showing the world there can be no borders negotiations.
      Then, what is rarely mentioned, there was a problem with cowardice of some generals. Many had mental breakdowns or didn't execute orders out of fear which disorganized the entire defence and was a main cause of the fall of the Bzura counteroffensive. While low and mid-rank officers and frontline soldiers were determined and heroic, the generals were 50:50 determined competent soldiers, and incompetent cowards. Despite these issues and shortcommings, the German invasion was just about collapse and stall when the Soviet Union invaded and finished the job. Despite all shortcomings and issues, the Polish army probably would have been able to hang on for few months in the Red Army didn't attack.

    • @susanc4622
      @susanc4622 Год назад

      @@piotrmalewski8178 That’s an interesting comment. No, I didn’t know about the mounted guns. Possibly, my teachers were influenced by Hollywood!

    • @piotrmalewski8178
      @piotrmalewski8178 Год назад +1

      @@susanc4622 Glad if you enjoyed my comment. I think it was a regular school simplification. Yes, our ancestors were not fools and they actually had adequate anti-tank weapons and tactics. The biggest issue for cavalry was not that sabres were not effective against tanks, but that the Germans had air domination, and that many units did not have enough of anti-tank weapons. We were aware of the problem, we just didn't have funds to turn enough cavalry units into tank-destroyers units in time. On the other hand, there were a few cavalry units that in reality were fully German-style tank units. They were just called cavalry because they were reorganised from cavalry units, but they used tanks instead. At the end of the day I think that school simplification does disserivice (in any country), instead of pointing the actual source of disadvantage (political, economical etc), just says 'backward' but gives no explanation why it would be.

    • @michaelmacaulay8074
      @michaelmacaulay8074 19 дней назад

      My Polish father fought in France and then from UK bases during WW2. He was injured twice but recovered and luckily survived the war.

  • @Ken11235813
    @Ken11235813 6 лет назад +198

    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!

  • @normangerring4645
    @normangerring4645 6 лет назад +376

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

    • @josemoreno3334
      @josemoreno3334 6 лет назад +6

      Me Too. God Bliss those Brave Men of the Orzel. God Bliss Poland.

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 6 лет назад +3

      @@josemoreno3334 - Religion fuels all the mass murdering/wars...

    • @charlesroberts3650
      @charlesroberts3650 6 лет назад +2

      @@BuzzLOLOL Greed and avarice using "religion" as a cover and an excuse.

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 6 лет назад +2

      @@charlesroberts3650 - Religion is one of the most vicious, greedy, hate-inducing, mass murdering things on the planet...

    • @charlesroberts3650
      @charlesroberts3650 6 лет назад +2

      @@BuzzLOLOL "As you would that others do unto you, do unto them also"

  • @TSemasFl
    @TSemasFl 6 лет назад +38

    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.

    •  5 лет назад +2

      They are honored, found or not.

    • @TSemasFl
      @TSemasFl 5 лет назад +2

      @ yeah I get that, but when they're found, they'll be even more honored and with a place to do more honoring.

  • @moparsquid
    @moparsquid 6 лет назад +65

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

  • @mouija1450
    @mouija1450 6 лет назад +6

    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.

  • @artgriggs3062
    @artgriggs3062 6 лет назад +27

    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.

  • @blackstone777
    @blackstone777 6 лет назад +90

    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.

    •  5 лет назад +4

      The Poles, too, once had an empire. I do not admire empires, but I salute the Poles for their valor against the Germans. I don't know if Gdansk was a major port during WWII, but it is now. Lech Walesa started the end of the Soviet empire there, as a trade unionist.

    • @mark_sugar42
      @mark_sugar42 10 месяцев назад

      Don’t forget the Swedes!

  • @tinamclaughlin1991
    @tinamclaughlin1991 5 лет назад +2

    Wow! And never found. Sad ending to such adventure in a bad time. Thank You for enlightening us!

  • @perihelion7798
    @perihelion7798 6 лет назад +8

    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.

  • @orwellboy1958
    @orwellboy1958 6 лет назад +86

    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.

    •  6 лет назад +2

      After you, put your greatcoat on and march to Moscow.

    • @orwellboy1958
      @orwellboy1958 6 лет назад +5

      @ so comrade are you a fully paid up member of the communist party?

    • @kobusg7460
      @kobusg7460 6 лет назад +5

      Me myself, living in Africa: In my youth, I was told and believed that Churchill was a war hero. After learning more (thank the gods for the - for now- 'unedited' internet), I have come to think of Churchill as a warmonger. I'm no fan of Uncle Adolf, but I am coming to think Genl Patton was (part) right when he said: "We have beaten the wrong man"; he wanted to take out Stalin and communism; same as Uncle Adolf. Meanwhile Churchill was crowned "UK hero" and he was okay with that, leaving Uncle Joseph to over-run many countries (incl Poland) and kill many people...

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 6 лет назад +1

      @@kobusg7460 - We beat the right guy/people... Patton was just a semi-Hitlerite sympathizer...

    • @neilwilson5785
      @neilwilson5785 5 лет назад +1

      Geopolitics is nasty sometimes. The UK dumped Czechoslovakia in 1938, the Russians sided with the Nazis in 1939, Vietnam was betrayed by the French and USA post WW2 leading to carnage. It's sad.

  • @Tmrfe0962
    @Tmrfe0962 6 лет назад +150

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

  • @nautifella
    @nautifella 6 лет назад +339

    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!

    • @Seamus322
      @Seamus322 6 лет назад +11

      Who wrote that? I'm an ex-USN sub sailor- it's great!

    • @juststeve5542
      @juststeve5542 6 лет назад +3

      @@Seamus322 Seems to have some links to Leslie Nelson Jennings, but I can't find if it's directly attributed to him.

    • @nautifella
      @nautifella 6 лет назад +5

      @@Seamus322 I could not find the name of the author. I copied it from the goatlocker and even there it was unattributed.

    • @markbowles2382
      @markbowles2382 6 лет назад +6

      thats beautiful nautifella, thank you so much for that post - sounds like it was written by someone in the silent service, thanks again.

    • @oldgoat142
      @oldgoat142 6 лет назад +15

      nautifella I can't explain in coherent terms just what that did to me right at this precise moment in time, but that hit me like a heavyweight champ's straight right hand to my face, but in a good way. Anybody who's ever lost shipmates at sea, but especially the sub guys, knows what I'm talking about. Yeah, the Goat Locker. Man, thank you so very, very much for posting this. It's a personal reminder to me that even though I've been separated from my beloved service, warts and all, for a number of years, I still bleed navy blue-and-gold. My thoughts and prayers for those who serve on the sea.

  • @jamiesmith143
    @jamiesmith143 6 лет назад +21

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

  • @MACLAD6666
    @MACLAD6666 5 лет назад +1

    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.

    • @Fartsmucker1
      @Fartsmucker1 5 лет назад

      The ORP Blyskawica is still fondly remembered on the Isle of Wight for its defence of Cowes and its shipyards, during a concentrated attack by the Luftwaffe.

  • @RADARTechie
    @RADARTechie 6 лет назад +64

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

  • @ppumpkin3282
    @ppumpkin3282 6 лет назад +219

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

    • @redshirt5126
      @redshirt5126 6 лет назад +13

      Someone should make make a movie out of this story!

    • @gregszy8575
      @gregszy8575 6 лет назад +19

      Actually it is not that exciting story, though quite interesting.
      To the attention of Mr History Guy, this story is somewhere on RUclips but in Polish language
      Ask the authors and they would certainly will be ready to translate the story and give it to you.
      If any problem I would volunteer to help you in this matter.
      Another and this time very exciting story from Polish contribution in the victory in the WW2 is story of German encrypting/decrypting machine ENIGMA. The Enigma code has been cracked by 3 young Polish mathematicians of the Dept. of Cryptography of Polish Army General Staff. I t has been done before war and results has been shared with French and British Intelligence Services.

    • @dasboot5903
      @dasboot5903 6 лет назад +6

      @@redshirt5126

    • @andersforsgren3806
      @andersforsgren3806 6 лет назад +6

      @@gregszy8575 Hmm I do not quite agree, I found it very interesting. :)
      And indeed, it were the Polish mathematicians who cracked the 3 wheel variety of the Enigma - a fact sometimes forgotten in the story of Henchley park. Though a TV program I did see some time back did indeed mention them and how the information were smuggled to England.

    • @icemule
      @icemule 5 лет назад

      @@andersforsgren3806 www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/03/15/polish-codebreakers-cracked-enigma-before-alan-turing/

  • @timshelby2324
    @timshelby2324 6 лет назад +279

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

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 6 лет назад +6

      Yes... hopefully they just went into hiding to escape all the corruption all around...

    • @notsosilentmajority1
      @notsosilentmajority1 5 лет назад +11

      Tim Shelby
      That's a great way to look at it. Well said.

    • @michamcv.1846
      @michamcv.1846 5 лет назад +2

      they didnt sink 1 military ship .... heroes ....

    • @JoshuaTootell
      @JoshuaTootell 5 лет назад +7

      Referred to as 'Eternal Patrol'

    • @rosemarienikkels5345
      @rosemarienikkels5345 4 года назад +4

      Yes I believe! God bless Poland.

  • @robajohnson
    @robajohnson 6 лет назад +15

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

  • @royalsbaseball5180
    @royalsbaseball5180 6 лет назад +241

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

    • @colinp2238
      @colinp2238 6 лет назад +7

      Say what you will but the Polish did a lot to fight in the war, whereas the French? DeGaulle only criticised the British whilst given shelter in England and never forgave them for all his life.

    • @davidlyon1899
      @davidlyon1899 6 лет назад

      @@colinp2238 i feel shame that england was not able to do more for poland,but we were able to do something.every other country did eff all.except the french,they at least declared war on germany with us.de gaulle was an ungrateful shit but he did fight.war is not pretty.it is easy to criticize.

    • @mmabagain
      @mmabagain 6 лет назад +5

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

    • @georgeb8701
      @georgeb8701 6 лет назад +6

      @@mmabagain As a proud U.S. NAVY veteran, I Salute those sailors. They fought bravely and well. It's a story that needs to be told. A tribute to the tradition of fighting ships and the crews who sail aboard them. ✌🏻🇺🇸

    • @Flaktower-expert
      @Flaktower-expert 6 лет назад

      Obviously not, that sub crew is still on that smoke break

  • @HoH
    @HoH 6 лет назад +262

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

    • @Joonaskaa
      @Joonaskaa 6 лет назад +45

      Yup. That is amazing. Estonian reserve got taken by the Soviets. Even though it was moved to the UK when the war started, it got given back to them by the Brits with all private assets of Estonian people that were stored in the UK after the war ended and the occupation started. Grandfather always told stories of the wealth his uncle and father had accumulated while sailing as merchants but it got given to the soviets. I am sure there are nuances that he wasn't aware of but always made him think "what could have been"

    • @gpwgpw555
      @gpwgpw555 6 лет назад +23

      House of History , The History Guy should do a vid about the US Sub that brought the Philippine gold out of the Philippines. There is an episode of " The Silent Service " about it but I can't remember witch sub did the mission.

    • @Joonaskaa
      @Joonaskaa 6 лет назад

      gpwgpw555 yes pls !

    • @gregszy8575
      @gregszy8575 6 лет назад +38

      Yes with great effort most of Polish gold has been brought to England then some of that has been retained by Britain as cost of maintenance of the Polish Army and Polish Gouvernement on exile on the British soil which is morally disputable. Especially in the light that none of Polish Navy Polish, Airforce or Polish ground troops has been used to liberate Poland. Polish pilots were the most numerous just after British in Battle of Britain and the most efficient ones. Ground forces took part in battles i Africa, Italy and in Normandy and Belgium and Holland. And after the war Poland has been sold to Soviets, Sorry, not sold, given to soviets as a gift. See Teheran and Jalta conferences.

    • @Joonaskaa
      @Joonaskaa 6 лет назад +10

      The sad truth of the eastern countries.

  • @DonkeyHammer
    @DonkeyHammer 6 лет назад +12

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

  • @charliemansonUK
    @charliemansonUK 6 лет назад +127

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

    • @ystoobme
      @ystoobme 6 лет назад +2

      The war ended in May 1945, do I sense a joke here.

    • @charliemansonUK
      @charliemansonUK 6 лет назад +10

      @@ystoobme
      No, not at all. They never truly accepted Soviet rule and are currently trying to hold back the tide of the European Union imposing its rules by political and financial pressure.

    • @conveyor2
      @conveyor2 6 лет назад

      @@ystoobme The Poles started a new war on the German residents of Silesia and Pomerania in May 1945 that went on for two years.

    • @darekjaskulski3375
      @darekjaskulski3375 6 лет назад +4

      EU actually it is communists state. Marxism agenda spread all over western Europe.

    • @dasboot5903
      @dasboot5903 6 лет назад +2

      To the idiot called @@conveyor2

  • @alanmoss3603
    @alanmoss3603 6 лет назад +827

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

    • @josephdupont
      @josephdupont 6 лет назад +27

      Yes the Polish Pilots were fearless and we're flying inferior aircraft against the Germans and figure out ways to survive fighting those Superior aircraft even before they fill that they use techniques to use their biplanes against their high speed Fighters and bombers very resourceful people

    • @sirmeowthelibrarycat
      @sirmeowthelibrarycat 6 лет назад +36

      Alan Moss Indeed so! I live not far from one of the RAF airfields where Polish squadrons were based. Nearby is the Polish War Memorial. After the war many Polish people stayed in my part of London where they are most welcome.

    • @conveyor2
      @conveyor2 6 лет назад +10

      @ Well said!

    • @josephdupont
      @josephdupont 6 лет назад +2

      They never compare the hurricane against the me-109 the always compare the Spitfire against the me-109 because he the hurricane was basically easy to build it didn't require as much resources as the Spitfire so therefore it did help in the war but it was not a preferred plane to be in when you're up against the measure Messerschmitt or the folk wolf

    • @josephdupont
      @josephdupont 6 лет назад +4

      Search Results
      Hurricane or Spitfire
      The Spitfire and Bf 109E were well-matched in speed and agility, and both were somewhat faster than the Hurricane. The slightly larger Hurricane was regarded as an easier aircraft to fly and was effective against Luftwaffe bombers.

  • @katjagolden893
    @katjagolden893 6 лет назад +111

    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

    • @JohnRodriguesPhotographer
      @JohnRodriguesPhotographer 6 лет назад +14

      Poland's intelligence services are the ones that cracked enigma.

    • @ralph40
      @ralph40 6 лет назад +7

      Thank you, I Can' remember the name of the Polish dough wrapped goodies filled with meats,fruits, or vegetables, but they are good

    • @katjagolden893
      @katjagolden893 6 лет назад +7

      Ral Ph - The are called paczki.
      We had them every morning in 1997 when I was in Poland 🇵🇱 for 9 days. My cousins had to get there before 7am because the “disappeared” so fast 💨. 😂

    • @januszszymanski4311
      @januszszymanski4311 6 лет назад +6

      @@JohnRodriguesPhotographer Yes, nice to know there are intelligent people still looking for knowledge. Janusz

    • @januszszymanski4311
      @januszszymanski4311 6 лет назад +6

      @@ralph40 Pierogi

  • @mountainhobo
    @mountainhobo 6 лет назад +231

    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.

    • @orangelion03
      @orangelion03 6 лет назад +30

      Thank you for "the rest of the story".

    • @6Sally5
      @6Sally5 6 лет назад +11

      Amazing!

    • @makorek
      @makorek 6 лет назад +1

      so Poland was right he was a traitor

    • @mountainhobo
      @mountainhobo 6 лет назад +24

      According to the various testimonies court determined he wanted the sub to be interned in a neutral port. That amounted according to the court to attempted desertion, not treason. I cannot read people's minds. He always denied it. Many people in those days had their doubts. Some still thought it was going to be like WWI, with some protocol and gallantry. Few believed it was going to become a war of attempted genocide on Poles and Jews. Perhaps seeing how overwhelming the odds were, he wanted to save his crew from a pointless exercise? I don't know. One thing is known, once the full horror of it became known, he signed up for convoy duty and served through the war.

    • @doctorsartorius
      @doctorsartorius 6 лет назад

      One thing I didn't understand was this: Kłoczkowski was the captain of the Orzel. In the beginning of the video the narrator said that Grudzinski was the captain. Why the discrepancy?

  • @ddd3240
    @ddd3240 6 лет назад +13

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

  • @carbonhelix1686
    @carbonhelix1686 6 лет назад +10

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

  • @swamppappy7745
    @swamppappy7745 6 лет назад +63

    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.

    • @blackstone777
      @blackstone777 6 лет назад +11

      Poland: God's playground. I may be an American, but I will never forget my Polish heritage. The bloodline of the Winged Hussars is not dead...

    • @Ajourneyofknowing
      @Ajourneyofknowing 6 лет назад +1

      Swamp Pappy77 - Geograohy is very important as to the country living on it. A central battleground where the other forces fight on or through.

    • @swamppappy7745
      @swamppappy7745 6 лет назад

      Ajourneyofknowing 1912 exactly.

    • @foulanchor9537
      @foulanchor9537 6 лет назад +3

      The had the oldest parliament in Europe, the Sejm.

    • @Blogengezer
      @Blogengezer 6 лет назад +4

      @@blackstone777 -Without Jan Sobleski's Winged Hussars relentlessly brave intervention, 'The Gates of Austria' would have fallen long ago, leaving Austria a far different demographic.
      As of today, the Gates are swung wide open by their own welcoming of invasion. Austria, including western Europe, sadly, deserves it's globalist fate.

  • @jamesschafer6037
    @jamesschafer6037 6 лет назад +16

    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.

  • @Bearded_Tattooed_Guy
    @Bearded_Tattooed_Guy 6 лет назад +159

    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.

    • @rorto002
      @rorto002 6 лет назад +3

      Den boka kan du finne her, har tilbrakt mange somre på Brekkestø. Veldig god bok om lokal historien rundt Lillesand. www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2014070708099

    • @AndreAndFriends
      @AndreAndFriends 5 лет назад +10

      GOD BLESS YOU & STAY HEALTHY 🙏👼

    • @yaqppl
      @yaqppl 5 лет назад +17

      Polish flag flew in Berlin, right next to the soviet one. That's more badass than some London parade I think.

    • @jankubiak324
      @jankubiak324 5 лет назад +9

      It is said that the Poles got to the Brandenburg gate first, however the Russian troops that followed just behind them opened fire upon the flag and turned it into "confetti". Then proceeded to to fly their own and celebrate.

    • @yaqppl
      @yaqppl 5 лет назад +9

      @@jankubiak324 well, it's a fairytale, but ther is some truth in this story. Poles were first, but soviets took polish flag, and replaced it with their own. On the next day both flags were there, because of the orders from "above".

  • @bigblue6917
    @bigblue6917 6 лет назад +80

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

    • @maconescotland8996
      @maconescotland8996 6 лет назад +3

      @ The RAF had many experienced pilots by the time of the Battle of Britain, having tangled with the Luftwaffe during the French campaign - they claimed over 250 Germans downed over 9 days of Operation Dynamo, the evacuation at Dunkirk. It's a fallacy to say that the bulk were raw novices.

    • @TheByQQ
      @TheByQQ 6 лет назад +7

      @ Both were experienced, but Poles gained that experience on slower, less manoeuvrable planes. They had to learn how to squeeze out every drop of potential of their planes to keep up with the Luftwaffles

    • @paulmazan4909
      @paulmazan4909 5 лет назад +5

      The Core of the RAF was staffed by pilots with a lot of experience however the pilots supplied during the build-up to and during the BOB were not. I think both you and Me hee are correct to a degree on this one. Yes, the Poles were thrilled to get Hurricanes after flying PzL11's in Poland and other obsolete planes in France. This was the first time they were in a plane that was competitive with the 109. According to Kent, the Canadian that lead 303 in his book "One of the Few" the difference was that the British pilots had a far different attitude toward the Germans than the Poles. The British were fighting other skilled pilots and out to destroy the machines. The Poles hated the Germans on a personal level and were out to kill the people in the planes.

    • @maconescotland8996
      @maconescotland8996 5 лет назад +1

      @@paulmazan4909 Agreed

    • @paulmazan4909
      @paulmazan4909 5 лет назад +3

      I was stationed in the London Suburbs for 2 1/2 years (1967-69) at RAF West Ruislip and knew several of the firemen at RAF Northolt. I spent many an evening at the Garden Pub in Ruislip talking to Poles that never went home and served at Northolt during the War. The Poles and the Scotts seem to have had a natural affinity for each other and got on well. The Poles also warmed up to the English once they learned that they were going to fight the Germans, unlike the French who fought and then gave up with half the country still unconquered. The Irish were a totally different story and the Irish Guards that provided security at Northolt had to be transferred elsewhere when things got to the point that some shots were exchanged between them and some of the Poles on base.

  • @edschermer
    @edschermer 6 лет назад +41

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

  • @countteddy
    @countteddy 6 лет назад +69

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

    • @kloss213
      @kloss213 6 лет назад +1

      UK hasent been welcoming poles google UK treatment of poles

    • @TSemasFl
      @TSemasFl 6 лет назад +5

      The Polski's make great Americans too, they are welcome anytime.

    • @BrightonandHoveActually
      @BrightonandHoveActually 6 лет назад +3

      @@kloss213 Blame the Brexiteers. Some of us welcome Poles. Some of us remember that Britain declared war on Germany to defend Poland (albeit that Britain failed).
      Some of us even know that Poland invented its own Enigma machines and provided one to Britain just before the outbreak of war.

    • @AndreAndFriends
      @AndreAndFriends 5 лет назад +3

      @ I did. Thx for spreading ChiComm propaganda.

    • @dannyc7839
      @dannyc7839 5 лет назад +2

      All peoples should be welcome everywhere

  • @1allanbmw
    @1allanbmw 5 лет назад +2

    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.

  • @MultiKruczek
    @MultiKruczek 6 лет назад +8

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

  • @ferrarimarek
    @ferrarimarek 6 лет назад +9

    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

  • @waynebender7720
    @waynebender7720 6 лет назад +139

    RIP to the crew of the Orzel.

    • @hshs5756
      @hshs5756 6 лет назад +14

      The best way to think of submarines is that they sink themselves every time they go to sea. It's never a question of if they will sink, it's a question of will they ever see the surface again. Only the bravest men need apply for this job.

    • @Bearded_Tattooed_Guy
      @Bearded_Tattooed_Guy 6 лет назад +6

      The German Kriegsmarine suffered 75% loss amongst its submariners during WWII
      Only the bravest need apply indeed.

    • @georgeboehringer5530
      @georgeboehringer5530 6 лет назад +2

      Somebody opened the screen door

    • @12345sc1
      @12345sc1 6 лет назад +9

      The Orzel is still going, on it's eternal patrol.

    • @Blogengezer
      @Blogengezer 6 лет назад

      @@Bearded_Tattooed_Guy- 'Das Boot'.. tells the story of one.

  • @JackpineGandy
    @JackpineGandy 6 лет назад +1

    splendid video, and as a US submariner I have a particular appreciation of this episode - the streamlining of this sub before the beginning of the war indicates a strong likelihood of other superior characteristics unmentioned, in this boat

  • @petertoczek1343
    @petertoczek1343 4 года назад +6

    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.

  • @kallekillerapa
    @kallekillerapa 6 лет назад

    Another great story about the polish submarine fleet is about the three submarines (Sęp, Ryś och Żbik ) that ended up in lake Mälaren just outside Stockholm in Sweden just after the war broke out in 1939. Not quite as daring the the one we were just told about. Thank you History Guy for the best channel on RUclips.

  • @TwoHorndUnicorn
    @TwoHorndUnicorn 6 лет назад +17

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

    • @sirmartinfrobisher
      @sirmartinfrobisher 5 лет назад +1

      I love them too. A few years go, I did some research on HMS Kelly. I was interested in Lord Louis Mountbatten, her captain. The cousin of Queen Elizabeth 2. The ship had a reputation for never ducking a fight. The pictures of her on Google amply prove it. After being attacked on one patrol she was just a totally blackened hulk. Thanks google. As a reader, I loved that he sat in his bridge chair everyday, reading Hornblower.

  • @gregszy8575
    @gregszy8575 6 лет назад

    Thank you for this episode. As a Polish-Canadian, I wanted to check if I need to comment anything and almost nothing need to be added.
    One thing which is still speculation rather than official theory is that Orzeł has been sunk by "friendly fire" as there is some reports of sinking supposedly German u-boot in the time and the area where Orzeł disappeared.

  • @lbovee
    @lbovee 5 лет назад +3

    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.

  • @jimboAndersenReviews
    @jimboAndersenReviews 6 лет назад +10

    A list of lighthouses.
    Legend, and true.

  • @oldesertguy9616
    @oldesertguy9616 6 лет назад +4

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

  • @1MahaDas
    @1MahaDas 5 лет назад +1

    Wow! I wasn't aware that Poland even had a navy during this period! This is a great wartime story and it deserves its place in history. Thank you for your research and your conscientious recounting of the event!

  • @mo59602
    @mo59602 6 лет назад +4

    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.

  • @NightOwlPal
    @NightOwlPal 5 лет назад +1

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

  • @therenumerator9198
    @therenumerator9198 6 лет назад +15

    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.

    • @Ajourneyofknowing
      @Ajourneyofknowing 6 лет назад

      The Renumerator - But why?

    • @foulanchor9537
      @foulanchor9537 6 лет назад +5

      Ironically, I have heard about every Polish joke there is. I am not Polish, but I was a Polish linguist in the navy so I caught the butt of all the Polish jokes. Sadly the jokes falsely stereotype the Polish as dumb and stupid. Anyone ever hear of Chopin, or Kopernicus? Brilliant mathematicians and cryptographers. Just damned good engineers and scientists. Known as the best field artillerists in Europe since the 17th century. Tough neighborhood between Czarist Russia, Austria and Germany who partitioned Poland and extinguished the Polish nation.

    • @Ajourneyofknowing
      @Ajourneyofknowing 6 лет назад

      Fouled Anchor - Yes I did hear of those people. But what, should we ban jokes on the Poles. What about other countries like Vietnam, China, India, France, Scotland, or Israel. Are jokes on countries that strugged for self independence too taboo

    • @vonstroop9866
      @vonstroop9866 6 лет назад

      @@foulanchor9537 In western Canada, it was Ukrainian jokes. I laughed at the jokes but never held it against them. They were some very tough, good hard working people that helped open up the Northwest in the pioneer days.

    • @AndreAndFriends
      @AndreAndFriends 5 лет назад

      @@foulanchor9537 thx brother.

  • @colingibson8018
    @colingibson8018 6 лет назад +2

    Another good one sir, I have read several short stories about this incident also about the fact that while searching for the sub they managed to find a lost British sub ,so by clearing up one mistery. You know as a Brit it has always amazed me that being one of the so called winners of that conflict, we have never tried harder to solve the mystery of our nation's missing . Anyway thanks for your efforts to inform the world's population of the brave actions of of some of the REAL HEROES.

  • @stasiekpiekarski
    @stasiekpiekarski 6 лет назад +100

    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"!

    • @pawekaczmarek2542
      @pawekaczmarek2542 6 лет назад +6

      The funny bit is that when translating navigators surname into english - Marian MORSKI turns into Marian SEA. Talk about destiny ;)

    • @Jablicek
      @Jablicek 6 лет назад +1

      stasiekpiekarski - Thanks for letting us know! I'll take a look next time I'm up that way.

    • @1ktb1
      @1ktb1 5 лет назад +2

      @@pawekaczmarek2542 stasiek made a mistake in surname of lieutenant Mokrski. So no fun for you...

  • @VomitPinata
    @VomitPinata 6 лет назад +2

    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!

  • @georgemckenna462
    @georgemckenna462 6 лет назад +126

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

    • @georgemckenna462
      @georgemckenna462 6 лет назад +14

      @Anthony Roic We should all consider ourselves lucky to exist. Each country has it's own unique legacy. Poland's true history just happens to be repressed. It can be accessed but it has not been easy.

    • @georgemckenna462
      @georgemckenna462 6 лет назад +3

      @@hyfy-tr2jy Ewa Kurek's; Polish -Jewish Relations 1939-1945. Opened my eyes up to a great many things, a must read.

    • @samiam619
      @samiam619 6 лет назад +10

      Try reading the historical novel “Poland” by James A. Michener. Novel, yes. But very well researched. It shows how the Poles were stabbed in the back by EVERYONE including their own leaders. After reading this, I no longer make Polish jokes. They suffered enough.

    • @stasiekpiekarski
      @stasiekpiekarski 6 лет назад +3

      @Anthony Roic Should the solar system consider itself to be lucky to exist as well?

    • @hshs5756
      @hshs5756 6 лет назад +8

      A highly readable account of Poland's history can be found in the book _Poland_ by James Michener. Long live Poland!

  • @painterdood2484
    @painterdood2484 5 лет назад +1

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

  • @Allan_aka_RocKITEman
    @Allan_aka_RocKITEman 6 лет назад +18

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

  • @eddiepires3998
    @eddiepires3998 5 лет назад +1

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

  • @TheMosinCrate
    @TheMosinCrate 6 лет назад +65

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

    • @diverdownaaron
      @diverdownaaron 6 лет назад +14

      I don't know about the Polish submarine service. However, in the American submarine service, no sub is lost. It is considered to be "still on patrol".
      Fair Winds and following Seas, Orzel.

    • @oldgoat142
      @oldgoat142 6 лет назад +3

      @@diverdownaaron Well said. That's how they're always remembered. Still on patrol. I join you in that salute. Fair winds and following seas, Orzel.

    • @davidrenton
      @davidrenton 6 лет назад +2

      to be fair the kriegsmarine wasn't all that, out of the main combatants, it ranked 4th outta 5.It had little significance in the war, even the U-boat menace was#nt the threat it was out to be.

    • @rabarba6
      @rabarba6 4 года назад +1

      @@diverdownaaron in Poland we say that "they left for an eternal watch"

  • @markgardner4426
    @markgardner4426 6 лет назад

    Thank you for sharing the story of the Polish submarine Orzeł...I am extremely well-read on World War II and did not know anything other than two Polish Navy subs reached Great Britain. The Poles are an amazingly resilient people. Niech żyje Polska!

  • @ShuttleFactoryScaleModels
    @ShuttleFactoryScaleModels 6 лет назад +3

    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

  • @grosbeakmc
    @grosbeakmc 6 лет назад

    I have know about this story since childhood, when family friends gave me a book for Christmas called Adventure Stories for Boys. One of the stories was The Escape of the Orzel. We knew these folks, he in the foreign service, from early in the 70s when my father, then in the Canadian military, took a secondment to external affairs that led to a two-year posting to China. When I got the book in 1979, we were living in Germany, and our friends joined us for Christmas. It was a short drive from their posting... in Poland.
    Thank you for bringing life and detail to this wonderful story. It certainly deserves to be remembered.

  • @rickjones2303
    @rickjones2303 6 лет назад +6

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

  • @omgaud
    @omgaud 5 лет назад

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

  • @walterdavis4808
    @walterdavis4808 6 лет назад +79

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

    • @keptinkaos6384
      @keptinkaos6384 6 лет назад +6

      nope hurricanes watch the movie battle of Brittan

    • @Galvars
      @Galvars 6 лет назад +9

      Taking in to account no Polish squadron flew P-40's then it is for sure a great achievement...

    • @keptinkaos6384
      @keptinkaos6384 6 лет назад +3

      @@Galvars the RAF did have a version but they all went as far as I know to north Africa and maybe Burma.

    • @Galvars
      @Galvars 6 лет назад +3

      @@keptinkaos6384 It had, Polish pilots did transfer them on Takoradi-Kair route and then some of them join 112 Sqn. and flew some combat missions. But there was not a single Polish Squadron that used P-40's of any type. And for sure not in times of BoB.

    • @walterdavis4808
      @walterdavis4808 6 лет назад +5

      @@Galvars some one else pointed out my error, hurricanes. So sotty

  • @favorunmerited
    @favorunmerited 5 лет назад +1

    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.

  • @detroitredneckdetroitredne6674
    @detroitredneckdetroitredne6674 6 лет назад +27

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

  • @erictaylor5462
    @erictaylor5462 5 лет назад

    There are so many stories about heroes from both sides that we never hear about you could have an entire channel dedicated to history that deserves to be remembered just for the time from about 1935 to 1945.
    Thank you for these stories.

  • @phillipflannigan4021
    @phillipflannigan4021 6 лет назад +5

    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 😊

  • @daddybob6096
    @daddybob6096 6 лет назад +1

    Many Polish people including children immigrated to New Zealand around the 1950s and later and settled there. They all became very good citizens of New Zealand, such good people,
    industrious, integrated into society socialising and working alongside New Zealanders, and now they are all New Zealanders. Gen dobry to all Polish New Zealanders.

  • @cryptotharg7400
    @cryptotharg7400 6 лет назад +57

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

  • @davidnorman4149
    @davidnorman4149 6 лет назад

    Thank you for sharing the story of these brave Polish submariners.
    My grandparents were from Poland but got out before WW I only to have my grandfather go back and fight for the US army during the great war in an all Polish immigrant division.
    The Polish people have suffered much over the last century being caught in the crossfire several times.

  • @evanames5940
    @evanames5940 6 лет назад +6

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

  • @westernjeep4015
    @westernjeep4015 4 года назад

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

  • @darylcjackson
    @darylcjackson 6 лет назад +3

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

  • @cvcoco
    @cvcoco 5 лет назад +1

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

  • @christopherlynch3314
    @christopherlynch3314 6 лет назад +25

    I love the way the Poles named their subs.

    •  5 лет назад +1

      Not very nautical, I'm afraid.

    • @piotrd.4850
      @piotrd.4850 4 года назад

      @ Indeed - bit of ex-Russian (pre Soviet) influence, I'm afraid.

  • @113dmg9
    @113dmg9 6 лет назад +1

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

  • @MitchMaker
    @MitchMaker 6 лет назад +50

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

  • @Adam-if3zd
    @Adam-if3zd 5 лет назад

    Excellent. I have been to the presentation and talk about the Orzel at the Polish club in London. I'm so pleased people are putting so much effort into solving this mystery .

  • @johnd6646
    @johnd6646 5 лет назад +5

    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.

  • @vbickford
    @vbickford 5 лет назад

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

  • @thefattymcgee5801
    @thefattymcgee5801 6 лет назад +7

    You do the coolest little stories from history

  • @unionsquaregrassman
    @unionsquaregrassman 4 года назад

    The people of Poland have the strength of spirit and courage that literally cannot be defeated, even through times when their nation was invaded and dissolved, or occupied and exploited.
    Adversity breeds character, and Poland's geography and topography has given them a very difficult history. As an example of this, the museums of Poland celebrate their defeats, as well as their victories, because the Polish people know that to let go of any of your history is to forget who you really are.
    When the Polish Destroyer class Piorun approached to attack the German Battleship Bismarck in 1941, she was challenged by her gigantic foe. Commander Plawski famously replied: "I am a Pole."
    May God see the Poles through their current difficulties.

  • @Mishn0
    @Mishn0 6 лет назад +6

    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.

  • @gorg8882
    @gorg8882 6 лет назад +1

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

  • @LarS1963
    @LarS1963 6 лет назад +3

    Great episode. Thank you.

  • @Smart-Skippy
    @Smart-Skippy 5 лет назад +1

    Thank you so much for telling this story !

  • @williamswenson5315
    @williamswenson5315 6 лет назад +57

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

    • @albertwolanski7688
      @albertwolanski7688 4 года назад +5

      Also delivered unexploded V2 to the British

    • @williamswenson5315
      @williamswenson5315 4 года назад +4

      @@albertwolanski7688 Yes, another case that isn't recognized very often. The British did have most of a V-1 that managed a more-or-less decent crash landing without the electric fuse detonating, but intact, is intact. The information from the two V-2s was sent to the US where it was used to produce a copy known as the "Loon" which was produced by the Ford Motor Co. There is one on display at the NASM annex in Chantilly, MD.

  • @jimgordon1563
    @jimgordon1563 6 лет назад

    Thank you once again for a fascinating video. I am writing from Dundee, Scotland, where the Orzel was temporarily based. Our museum has photos of it. Some years ago, I was standing on the banks of the River Tay here and thinking of the Orzel and its brave crew. I became aware of the noise of jet aircraft flying across the River from the south bank to north, where I was. I recognized the jets; MIG29 fighters, a very unusual in this NATO country!. Imagine my surprise when they flew above me and I was able to see the red and white markings of the Polish Air Force.
    Dundee was also involved in another wartime submarine tragedy when the British Government supplied the. Soviet Navy with a submarine. The Soviet crew accepted it and left Dundee with the sub. It went out into the North Sea and was sunk by a RAF coastal command aircraft that considered it a German U boat. Another wartime tragedy

  • @AlphaGator9
    @AlphaGator9 6 лет назад +3

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

  • @tardis9905
    @tardis9905 6 лет назад

    Excellent! Thanks for sharing another fascinating historical event.

  • @diverdownaaron
    @diverdownaaron 6 лет назад +34

    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.

    • @paulzukowski6643
      @paulzukowski6643 6 лет назад +2

      Polak jokes are from the time of Nazi propaganda of ww2 making fun of polish military. But who else can fight like us Polish people???

    • @diverdownaaron
      @diverdownaaron 6 лет назад +1

      @@paulzukowski6643 And, Polish food? Mon Dieu! There was this bakery in Hamtramck... Oy!
      There is, indeed, a great deal about the Poles and Polish culture to admire.

    • @foulanchor9537
      @foulanchor9537 6 лет назад +1

      You might be interested to know "polak" is the Polish word for a male Pole. (Auto correct tried to force polak to be polka. Gotta love auto correct.)

    • @paulzukowski6643
      @paulzukowski6643 6 лет назад +1

      @@foulanchor9537 thank you I know,born and raised proud to be Polish !

    • @AndreAndFriends
      @AndreAndFriends 5 лет назад +1

      @@diverdownaaron nothing wrong with a little joke & a healthy laugh. Don't take anything too seriously. GOD BLESS & STAY HEALTHY 🙏👼

  • @stuartharper3968
    @stuartharper3968 6 лет назад

    Another great and professional presentation. I have been reading and watching WW2 history for over 50 years and The History Gun keeps presenting new material, many thanks for keeping history enjoyable and interesting!!

  • @johnnydeville5701
    @johnnydeville5701 6 лет назад +3

    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.

  • @batmangaming9770
    @batmangaming9770 6 лет назад

    Wow, I’m polish and didn’t know this story. Thank you History Guy!

  • @Jessewren1968
    @Jessewren1968 6 лет назад +3

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

  • @timrockman7
    @timrockman7 6 лет назад

    In my highschool years 70 to-1972, in Fontana California, my art instructor was off sick for a month and our substitute teacher who was an amazing old gentleman and was a Polish General. No kidding.
    He told us only a little about his part in WW2, but later showed me photos of his paintings.
    He only shared the photos with me and maybe two other students.
    They were all world class oil paintings done in a European Expressionist style. I was very impressed with his skills, but I am ashamed to admit not recalling his name over the decades.It ended in 'sky', I think.
    Of all the people who were part of history that I was privileged to meet, I consider him to be one of the best characters.
    I haven't tried to get in touch with the Fontana School District to find out what happened to him or learn more about his life, but would like to. Maybe he would make a fun project for you?

  • @tomn.9879
    @tomn.9879 6 лет назад +3

    Great story. Thank you. Shame the crew was lost.

  • @JimCTSCLO
    @JimCTSCLO 5 лет назад

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