Tenth Expedition in Search of the Wreck of WWII Lost Polish Submarine ORP ORZEŁ

In August 2023, the Santi Odnaleźć Orła (to Locate “the Eagle”) team, including four TEC members - Tomasz Stachura FI’13, Benedykt Hac FI’15, Piotr Michalik FI’22 and Karol Jacob FI’23, organized the search expedition for the ORP Orzeł wreck for the tenth time. This is the flagship submarine of the Polish Navy, lost in action in the North Sea during World War II.

The section of the North Sea searched was the region of the placement, during WWII, of several extensive mine barrages in the area of the German Bay east of the last patrol of ORP Orzeł.

During the 9 days of the expedition (7 days at sea), an area of 20,000 square kilometers was searched and 165 positions of known wrecks were checked (only a small fraction of which was marked on nautical charts).

In these positions 130 wrecks were found, of which as many as 6 were submarine remnants. 4 of them were previously unrecognized as wrecks of this type of naval craft. The positions on the maps rarely contain information about the nature of the wreck.
Based on the images taken by MBES (Multibeam Echosounder), our divers made only one dive to a depth of 45 meters on a probable next submarine wreck. The wreck was very badly damaged, but it had the shape, size and features typical of the unit they were looking for, so they had to check it visually. However, it turned out to be the wreck of a submarine chaser from WW I.

The expedition was very fruitful. Based on the collected materials, an international team of experts recognized, identified and described all 6 submarine wrecks, and the SANTI search expedition significantly contributed to updating the international wreck database. Next year, the searchers announce their return to the North Sea with another 11th expedition.

 

 

Obraz1

Expedition Santi Poster.

In August 2023, the Santi Odnaleźć Orła (to Locate “the Eagle”) team, including four TEC members - Tomasz Stachura FI’13, Benedykt Hac FI’15, Piotr Michalik FI’22 and Karol Jacob FI’23, organized the search expedition for the ORP Orzeł wreck for the tenth time. This is the flagship submarine of the Polish Navy, lost in action in the North Sea during World War II.

The section of the North Sea searched was the region of the placement, during WWII, of several extensive mine barrages in the area of the German Bay east of the last patrol of ORP Orzeł.

During the 9 days of the expedition (7 days at sea), an area of 20,000 square kilometers was searched and 165 positions of known wrecks were checked (only a small fraction of which was marked on nautical charts).

In these positions 130 wrecks were found, of which as many as 6 were submarine remnants. 4 of them were previously unrecognized as wrecks of this type of naval craft. The positions on the maps rarely contain information about the nature of the wreck.
Based on the images taken by MBES (Multibeam Echosounder), our divers made only one dive to a depth of 45 meters on a probable next submarine wreck. The wreck was very badly damaged, but it had the shape, size and features typical of the unit they were looking for, so they had to check it visually. However, it turned out to be the wreck of a submarine chaser from WW I.

The expedition was very fruitful. Based on the collected materials, an international team of experts recognized, identified and described all 6 submarine wrecks, and the SANTI search expedition significantly contributed to updating the international wreck database. Next year, the searchers announce their return to the North Sea with another 11th expedition.

 

 

Obraz1

Expedition Santi Poster.

 

Obraz2 obszar poszukiwan

Search area with a trace of hypothetical path of the last patrol ORP Orzeł.

 

Obraz3 kolejne wyprawy

Traces of the Ten Expeditions SANTI in Search of the ORP ORZEŁ

 

Obraz3 zbadane pozycje wrakow

The North Sea – registered wrecks positions (without explanation of the character of wrecks).

 

Obraz4 Montaz MBES

Instalation of MBES.

 

Obraz5 Czlonkowie wyprawy

Investigating Eco sonar pictures.

 

Obraz8 i jeszcze jeden OP

Sonar image of a submarine wreck, later searched by our divers.

 

Obraz10 Zapis drogi na mapie elektronicznej

Map of  the 10th Santi Expedition.

 

Obraz11 skladamy wieniec ku pamieci zalogi

Honoring the Sailors missed in actions on the North Sea

(L – R ) Maciej Honc, diver, Michał Niemkiewicz, hydrograph, Benedykt Hac FI’15, technical manager, hydrograph, Tomasz Stachura FI’13, expedition leader, diver, Piotr Michalik FI’22, historian and Karol Jacob FI’23, hydrograph.

 

 

Contact

The Polish Chapter of the Explorers Club
The headquarters:
69 Nowy Świat Street, Warsaw, klatka (stairs) B, pokoj (room)107

The correspondence:
Polish Chapter of the Explorers Club
Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28
00-927 Warsaw Poland

kontakt@theexplorersclubpolska.pl

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