Heavy Polish naval losses after Germans bombing the Hela Peninsula according to a report of of the American Naval Attaché at Berlin, Germany Nr. R562 dated 15 September 1939

Polish destroyer Wicher 7 January 1935. Bundesarchiv RM 20_2092.

Diary note dated Sunday 3 September 1939. An item reported that German forces still bombed the Hela Peninsula (1) with as result the sinking of two Polish submarines, the destroyer Wicher (2) by two bombs and badly damaging the minelayer Gryf.(3) Later was information received that instead two three submarines were sunk, one by depth charges thrown by a destroyer, one by air bombs and the third one by the German 250 tons German submarine U-14 which was armed with 1 anti aircraft machine gun and 3-21” torpedo tubes.(4)

Notes

1. The Peninsula had great military importance being part of the Polish Corridor and was by the Polish converted into a fortified region. After Germany captured Hela or Hell the defence was further increased.

2. Part of Wicher-class, succeeded by Grom-class, ordered on 2 April 1926, laid down by Chantiers Navals Français, Blainville-sur-Orne, Caen, France on 19 February 1927, launched on 10 July 1928, commissioned on 8 July 1930 and sunk on 3 September 1939, salvaged by German forces in November 1939. Some sources claiming she was to be repaired and commissioned as the Seerose; never executed.

3. Ordered on 11 May 1934, laid down by Chantiers et Ateliers A. Normand, Le Havre, France on 14 November 1934, launched on 29 November 1936, commissioned on 27 February 1938, sunk on 3 September 1939 and broken up in the 1950s.

4. With the outbreak of the Second World War the Polish navy possessed four submarine namely the Dutch built Orzel and Sep belonging to the Orzel-class and the French built Wilk, Rys and Zbik belonging to the Wilk-class. The Orzel and Wilk escaped to England, the Sep was damaged on 2 September by the German destroyer Friedrich Ihn, but survived torpedo attacks by German submarines U-18 and U-14 on 3 September although the Germans claimed she was sunk, she escaped to Sweden and was there interned and returned to Polish control in September 1945. The Zbik and Ryw ere also interned at Sweden during the war and returning to Poland in 1945. In the month September were none Polish submarines destroyed as the Germans claimed. 

Source

National Archives. FDR Presidential Library&Museum Roosevelt PSFC000175. War diary Naval Attaché Berlin, volume 1 (1 September 1939-26 May 1940)