Lighthouse references and radio repairs bring Orzeł to Britain

A surviving list of lighthouses gave Orzeł enough reference points to follow the Baltic coast, round Denmark and enter the North Sea without its charts. Its radio was also out of action, preventing the crew from identifying themselves to British forces or calling for protection against German forces. Emergency repairs finally allowed a message in broken English to reach the Royal Navy. HMS Valorous, an older V and W class destroyer, went out to meet the submarine. The choice of an older ship is interpreted as limiting the potential loss if the message proved to be a trap, while other vessels stayed farther back to watch and offer support. About forty days had elapsed between Orzeł's departure from Gdynia and its arrival in Britain.