Polish submarine ORP Orzel COBI 4855 - World War II 1:300

ORP ORZEŁ Model | COBI 4855

The construction set of the legendary submarine with number 85A in the standard colors of the Marynka Wojenna features two rotating propellers and an adjustable rudder. From bow to stern, an antenna wire of the RN-32 radio station runs across the bridge. The assembled model can be safely placed on a stable display stand with a nameplate.

Did you know that:

The Polish naval command was well aware of the growing tension in Europe and decided to strengthen its submarine fleet. Existing vessels of the Wilk class built in French shipyards did not have good seakeeping qualities and were extremely unreliable. Their only advantage was a higher level of crew comfort, but this is not a decisive parameter for a war machine. The design and construction of new submarines was entrusted to the Dutch company De Schelde. Construction began on August 14, 1936. 

The history of the submarine and the events connected with its crew and commander are full of tension, adventure, hardship, betrayal, and small victories, as if written by a novelist with a vivid imagination. However, this was harsh reality. After the invasion of Poland, the submarine’s commander Jan Grudziński opened a secret envelope marked W. The order instructed the submarine to protect the Gulf of Gdańsk. Nazi Germany’s air superiority was overwhelming, and the submarine Orzeł was bombed almost every time it surfaced to recharge batteries and exchange air. Commander J. Grudziński fell into severe depression and refused to leave the command cabin. The vessel was sent to Tallinn, Estonia, where a trap had already been prepared. German and Soviet diplomats forced the Estonian government to temporarily detain the vessel for 24 hours. However, German soldiers were already waiting at the anchorage; after boarding the deck, they immediately tore down the Polish flag and detained the crew. The Polish sailors refused to accept their fate and decided to resist. At night they overpowered and tied up the guards and, after many difficulties, escaped with the submarine into the open sea. The German and Estonian guards were landed unharmed on one of the nearest islands. The captain decided to flee to England, but a major problem was the lack of navigation charts confiscated by the Estonians. In this context, something incredible happened aboard the submarine. The navigation officer Marian Tadeusz Mokrski began drawing a new navigation chart from memory. He managed to put everything on paper with such accuracy and detail that it has no equal in the history of cartography. No one before or since has been able to draw such a map. It is a pity that this feat was drowned out in the “roar” of subsequent wartime events. Nevertheless, the submarine successfully reached its dreamed-of England.

From British bases, the submarine Orzeł carried out numerous missions until May 23, 1940, when it ceased communication. After several days, the submarine and its crew were officially declared missing. The cause of its disappearance and the possible location of the wreck remain unknown to this day, and many legends and conspiracy theories have arisen around the submarine. 

Technical specifications:

• dimensions: length 84.0 m, beam 6.7 m, draft 4.17 m
• displacement 1,147 tons
• propulsion: 2× Sulzer diesel engines with a total output of 3,480 kW; for underwater movement 2× electric motors with a total output of 820 kW
• maximum speed 36 km/h on the surface and 17 km/h submerged
• maximum diving depth 100 m (design limit 120 m)
• armament: 1× 105 mm Bofors gun, 1× 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun, 1× 13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun, and 20× 533 mm torpedoes
• RN-32 radio station
• crew 60–63 men

From a report in the newspaper Kuryer Codzienny dated January 17, 1938:

“The godmother of the new submarine Orzeł was chosen to be the wife of President Maria Mościcki. Clearly nervous, Mrs. Mościcka handled her task well, which is hardly surprising as, at the crucial moment, the lenses of photographers from all over the world were focused on her. The launching was not without difficulties. After the mooring lines were released, the submarine did not slide down the slipway. It was as if it did not want to enter the cold water. The cause was hardened grease applied to the slipway, which in the prevailing frost had stiffened so much that it prevented smooth movement into the gray waves. Shipyard workers attempted to pull the submarine down with a tugboat, but eventually two locomotives were called in, which after long minutes finally pushed the vessel into the water.” 

About the COBI construction set:

• COBI construction set 4855 is made of 193 high-quality ABS parts
• collection World War II 1:300
• pad printed – no stickers
• accurate detailing
• made in the EU
• compatible with other construction brick brands