Q&A · 1:50:11-1:51:42

Could ORP Orzel have ambushed Bismarck?

A submarine counterfactual separates weapon lethality from the historical timing needed for an encounter.

German Battleship Bismarck ORP Orzeł Polish Navy Submarine Warfare World War II

Question

Could the Polish submarine Orzel have sunk Bismarck in the Kattegat?

Short answer

Her torpedoes could have sunk Bismarck, but the ships' timelines make an encounter unlikely because Orzel was lost before Bismarck completed commissioning and trials.

Notes

The magnetic-pistol problem that afflicted early American torpedoes is not the decisive issue. Orzel's June 1940 loss and Bismarck's later commissioning and trials leave little realistic overlap in the Kattegat.