Divers Find Part of ORP Gdynia Sunk in 1939 in Poland — RMF24

In Poland’s Puck Bay, divers from the Baltictech group discovered a preserved part of the structure of ORP “Gdynia,” which was sunk by German aircraft at the beginning of World War II. Among the items found at the site was a large steering wheel. Previously, postwar documents indicated that the vessel had been completely raised and dismantled for scrap.

How the wreckage was identified

As RMF24 reports, part of the vessel was discovered at a shallow depth several kilometers from the shore. Its connection to ORP “Gdynia” was confirmed by plaques with Polish inscriptions on a deck inspection hatch and characteristic structural elements.

Head of Baltictech Tomasz Stachura said that after the war, PRO did not raise the entire wreckage but only destroyed it with explosive charges. In this organization’s archives, ORP “Gdynia” was listed as raised and cut up for scrap metal.

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History of ORP Gdynia

The passenger steamship SS “Gdynia” was built in the 1920s at the Gdańsk shipyard. Before the war, it operated sightseeing voyages in the Baltic Sea and Gdańsk Bay as part of “Polish Shipping.” On August 28, 1939, the vessel was mobilized and incorporated into the Polish Navy under the name ORP “Gdynia.”

On September 2, 1939, the ship was anchored south of Jastarnia when it was attacked by German Luftwaffe aircraft. About 35 crew members were killed in the bombing. The vessel’s commander, Captain Stanisław Kosko, was seriously wounded and died in hospital six days later.

According to Stachura, the discovery site should be placed under legal protection by the Maritime Office. Baltictech is working with the Naval Museum in Gdynia to raise and preserve the steering wheel together with its column. A presentation of the discovery’s results is scheduled for October 26 at 5:00 p.m. at the museum.