# The Orzeł incident (18 September 1939)

URL: https://allhistories.com/estonia/timeline/1939-the-orzel-incident
Themes: Key Events

In the early hours of 18 September 1939 the Polish submarine ORP Orzeł escaped from Tallinn harbour, where it had been interned by the neutral Estonian authorities. The submarine had entered Tallinn on 14 September after its commander fell ill and equipment broke down. Under German pressure, Estonian officials declared the crew interned and began removing its charts, weapons and ammunition. Led by Lieutenant Jan Grudziński, the crew sabotaged the removal of the remaining torpedoes, quietly prepared the vessel, and slipped out of the harbour at night under fire from the shore. Without charts the crew navigated the Baltic from memory and a hand-drawn map, eventually passing the Danish straits and reaching Britain in mid-October, where the submarine joined the Royal Navy's operations. The escape caused a diplomatic crisis. The Soviet Union, which had invaded Poland on 17 September, accused Estonia of being unable to guard its own waters and of having helped the submarine. Soviet warships and aircraft began patrolling Estonian waters, and Moscow used the incident to claim that its security in the Baltic was threatened. The Orzeł affair became a pretext for Soviet demands on Estonia. Within days Moscow presented an ultimatum for a mutual assistance treaty, the first step towards the loss of Estonian independence.

## Why it matters
The Soviet Union exploited the submarine's escape as a pretext for its demands that led to the occupation of Estonia.

Ruler at the Time: [Konstantin Päts](https://allhistories.com/estonia/rulers/konstantin-pats)

Prime Minister: Kaarel Eenpalu (Non-party)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Orzeł incident](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orzeł_incident)
- [Wikipedia — ORP Orzeł (1938)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORP_Orzeł_(1938))
- [Wikipedia — Jan Grudziński](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Grudziński)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — The Orzeł incident](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=The+Orze%C5%82+incident)
- [Wikipedia — History of Estonia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Estonia)