*Polish - British, WW2, Submarine ORP Sokół (HMS Urchin) – Original Photograph with MOD Crown Copyright*
Original Photograph of WW2 Submarine ORP Sokół. This photograph originally formed part of the Lou Britton British Submarine Collection, which was acquired by the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport in 2007.
Approximate Dimensions: 21.8cm x 16.9cm
Marked on the back: Sokol. 7879. Crossed out: "Ministry of Defence (Navy Department), Crown Copyright Reserved. not to be reproduced or communicated to the press without the approval of the Ministry of Defence."
ORP Sokół (Polish: Falcon) was a U-class submarine, originally built as HMS Urchin by Vickers-Armstrong in Barrow-in-Furness. Launched in September 1940, she was leased to the Polish Navy due to a shortage of experienced Royal Navy submarine crews. Alongside her sister boat Dzik, she operated from Malta in the Mediterranean, earning the nickname "Terrible Twins."
Polish Service
After trials, Sokół was handed to her Polish crew under the Anglo-Polish military alliance. She was commissioned on 19 January 1941 under Commander Borys Karnicki and initially patrolled the Bay of Biscay before relocating to Malta in September. She participated in attacks on Italian ports and escorted convoys.
Her first victory came on 28 October 1941, when she heavily damaged the Italian auxiliary cruiser Città di Palermo. She later sank the transport Balilla (2,469 tons) and penetrated the port of Navarino, damaging the destroyer Aviere and sinking a 5,600-ton transport ship. In February 1942, she sank the Italian schooner Giuseppina (362 tons) in the Gulf of Gabes.
Heavily damaged in a German air raid on Malta in April 1942, she underwent repairs in Blyth before returning to the Mediterranean in mid-1943. She continued attacking Axis shipping, sinking several vessels, including the Meattini, a munitions transport (likely SS Eridania), and the Argentina schooner. Between November 1943 and February 1944, she operated in the Aegean from Beirut, sinking multiple ships. In March 1944, she and Dzik left for Britain, joining the 9th Submarine Flotilla in Dundee. After four patrols off Norway, she was assigned as a training vessel for RAF naval bomber pilots in early 1945. During her service, Sokół sank or damaged 19 enemy vessels totalling approximately 55,000 tons. Her commanders—Lieutenant Commanders Karnicki and Koziołkowski, and Captain Bernas—were awarded the Virtuti Militari. Her patrol records are stored at the National Record Office in Kew, England.
Royal Navy Service & Fate
Returned to the Royal Navy on 27 July 1945 as HMS Urchin, she served for four more years before being decommissioned in December 1948 and scrapped in September 1949.
*Condition*
Excellent used condition. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
