Between 1930 and 1939, Poland had seven ocean liners: 'Polonia', 'Kościuszko', 'Pułaski', 'Piłsudski', 'Batory', 'Chrobry', and 'Sobieski'. Dzieje.pl (PAP), 2026. Only two of them survived the war, and the most famous among them, 'Batory', has its own separate guide. This article tells the story of the others: the old steamships that once sailed under the flag of Tsarist Russia, the luxurious 'Piłsudski' built with Polish coal, the 'Chrobry' which burned off the coast of Norway, the 'Sobieski' which participated in nearly all major landings of the war, and 'Stefan Batory', the last Polish liner.
This is also the story of people: Captain Mamert Stankiewicz, the prototype of 'Znaczy Kapitan', Officer Karol Olgierd Borchardt, who described these ships in his books, and thousands of emigrants for whom these ships were the way to America.
See also: the full history of the most famous Polish liner is described in the guide MS 'Batory': history of the Polish ocean liner.
Note on sources: the technical data of the ships varies in records, and wartime accounts were often written under censorship. When sources differ, we provide both versions or a range. At the end, we have collected popular stories that could not be confirmed.
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Three Steamships from Tsarist Russia and the Beginning of Polish Shipping to America
In 1930, the Polish Transatlantic Shipping Company (PTTO) was established, a Polish-Danish company with a majority stake held by the State Treasury. Under an agreement with the Danish company East Asiatic Company, it took over its subsidiary along with three passenger ships, personnel, and offices. From 1930, the ships sailed directly from Gdynia to New York. From 1934, the company was named Gdynia–America Shipping Lines. Szymon Czwarno, „Przegląd Archiwalny IPN”, 2023.
All three ships were built between 1910 and 1915 by the Scottish shipyard Barclay, Curle in Glasgow for the Russian American Line. They were originally named 'Kursk', 'Car', and 'Caryca'. Scottish Built Ships, „Kursk”. From the early 1920s, they sailed under the Danish flag as 'Polonia', 'Estonia', and 'Lithuania'. The Poles retained the name 'Polonia', while the other two ships were renamed 'Pułaski' and 'Kościuszko' to emphasize ties with America. „Przegląd Archiwalny IPN”.
These were ships for emigrants. During the interwar period, approximately 2.2 million people left Poland for economic reasons, mainly poor peasants and workers from eastern and southern Poland. In Gdynia, there was a transit center where emigrants usually spent several weeks, with medical care and language lessons. Dzieje.pl (PAP) on PTTO ships. However, U.S. immigration restrictions quickly reduced traffic on the New York route. „Przegląd Archiwalny IPN”.
'Polonia', a Name Given by the Danes
'Polonia' was launched on July 7, 1910, in Glasgow as 'Kursk'. It was about 137 meters long and had 1,596 passenger places. During World War I, it was taken over by the British, and in 1920 it returned to its Danish owner, who renamed it 'Polonia', the Latin name for Poland. Scottish Built Ships, „Kursk”. The ship bore this name for about ten years before being purchased by Poland.
From 1933 to 1938, 'Polonia' operated the Palestine line from the Romanian Constanța to Haifa, intended for Jews emigrating from Poland. Passengers traveled to Constanța by special train. „Przegląd Archiwalny IPN”, Dzieje.pl (PAP). In March 1939, the ship was scrapped in Savona, Italy. Scottish Built Ships.
'Pułaski', Olympians and a Night Escape from Conakry
'Pułaski' was launched on March 23, 1912, as 'Car'. During World War I, it sailed between Archangel and New York. Scottish Built Ships, „Czar”, Dzieje.pl (PAP). In 1932, it took the Polish Olympic team to the Games in Los Angeles. Emigration Museum in Gdynia, „Medal S/S Pułaski”. After the commissioning of 'Piłsudski' and 'Batory', it was transferred to the line to South America. „Przegląd Archiwalny IPN”.
Escape from Conakry in July 1940
The most interesting chapter in the history of 'Pułaski' is its escape from the French colony in Africa. In July 1940, after the capitulation of France, the ship was docked in the port of Conakry, from which it was nearly impossible to sail without tugs due to shoals and currents. The French placed two infantry teams on board. The crew was divided: the captain and the chief engineer considered escape impossible, while the senior officer Wiktor Balczunas and all the junior officers were in favor. The ship was darkened and most of the moorings were removed. At four in the morning, the captain relented and personally led the ship 'almost blindly, searching with a flashlight for the next buoys'. At anchor, the old steamship reached 14 knots, a speed it had not achieved in a long time. Balczunas received the Silver Cross of Merit with Swords for this. Maritime University of Gdynia, biography of Wiktor Balczunas.
After the war, the British repurchased the ship and renamed it 'Empire Penryn'. It carried soldiers and refugees, and around 1949 it was scrapped in Blyth, England. Scottish Built Ships, „Przegląd Archiwalny IPN”.
'Kościuszko', which Became a Warship and a School
'Kościuszko' was launched on February 14, 1915, as 'Caryca', with its home port in St. Petersburg. Scottish Built Ships, „Czaritza”. In the last days of August 1939, Captain Mamert Stankiewicz, recalled from vacation, took it from Gdynia to Great Britain with an incomplete crew. Dzieje.pl (PAP) on Mamert Stankiewicz.
On November 10, 1939, in Devonport, the naval ensign was raised on it, and the ship became the ORP 'Gdynia'. Maritime University of Gdynia, biography of Bolesław Chojnacki. On November 23, 1939, the Naval Cadet School was established on board. The ship accommodated up to 800 people and was the main base of the Polish Navy in Great Britain. The school was visited by British King George VI and Winston Churchill. Telling Our Stories Devon. Note the confusion: another, smaller ORP 'Gdynia' sank in September 1939 in Puck Bay.
In 1941, the ship returned to the name 'Kościuszko' and as a troop transport, it sailed in convoys across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean Seas. Biography of Bolesław Chojnacki. After the war, the British repurchased it as 'Empire Helford', and in 1950 it was scrapped. Scottish Built Ships.
'Kościuszko' also made it into literature. Jan Starzycki, who was an assistant on board, recalled: 'I am that 'assistant Jasiu' whom Borchardt described in 'Szaman morski'. Maritime University of Gdynia, biography of Jan Starzycki.
'Piłsudski', a Ship Bought for Coal and Adorned by 78 Artists
On November 29, 1933, an agreement was signed in Warsaw with the Italian shipyard CRDA in Monfalcone near Trieste for the construction of two liners: 'Piłsudski' and 'Batory'. The technical advisors were British from Liverpool. The shipyard won, among other reasons, because it agreed to compensation: the Italians committed to buying Silesian coal worth almost the entire price of the ships within four years. The price was 30,910,000 lira per ship, and exchange rate differences later led to arbitration in London. Jarosław Drozd, „Studia Maritima”, 2024.
'Piłsudski' was launched on December 19, 1934. The godmother was Wanda Pełczyńska, a independence activist and member of parliament. The ship was about 160 meters long and had seven decks. On September 14, 1935, the Polish flag was raised in Gdynia in the presence of the Marshal's daughter, Jadwiga, and the next day the ship set sail on its first voyage to New York under the command of Captain Mamert Stankiewicz. On board were generals, the president of Warsaw Stefan Starzyński, and Deputy Minister Adam Koc with a letter from President Mościcki to President Roosevelt. There was the first swimming pool on a Polish ship on board. The Józef Piłsudski Institute in America.
A Floating Gallery of Polish Art
The interiors were handled by the Artistic Subcommittee under the leadership of Professor Wojciech Jastrzębowski. They prepared their own design with works by 78 leading Polish artists as an alternative to the Italian designs. „Studia Maritima”. The ship featured works by Zofia Stryjeńska, Antoni Kenar, and Alfons Karny, while furniture and fabrics were supplied by the 'Ład' cooperative. Eska.pl on the National Maritime Museum's research.
For years, it was believed that these works sank or burned. A two-year research project by the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk revealed that they were dismantled in Newcastle during the ship's conversion to a troop transport and left in the shipyard. Some later found their way to Polish communities in Great Britain. There, Dzieje.pl (PAP), 2026. The project won the Sybilla award in 2026, and the museum showcased the recovered works in the exhibition 'M.s. 'Piłsudski', m.s. 'Batory'. Ships that Told Poland to the World', open until October 31, 2026. Dzieje.pl (PAP), 2026.
Sinking of 'Piłsudski' and the Death of 'Znaczy Kapitan'
After the outbreak of the war, 'Piłsudski' was converted in Newcastle into a troop transport. On the evening of November 25, 1939, it set sail without escort on its first wartime voyage to Australia. Maritime University of Gdynia, biography of Józef Bełczowski. The first officer was Karol Olgierd Borchardt. Biography of Karol Olgierd Borchardt. On the morning of November 26, near the mouth of the Humber, two explosions occurred. The ship sank over four hours. Biography of Józef Bełczowski.
The cause remains disputed to this day. According to the 'Book of Polish Ships', the ship entered a minefield laid a few days earlier by German destroyers. There. Borchardt, who was on board, recalled a torpedo hit, and divers from the London club 'Whales' found a mention of a torpedo in Lloyd's documents. Rzeczpospolita, 'The Last Voyage of Piłsudski'. Patryk Klein from the National Maritime Museum states that no source unequivocally confirms any of these versions. Dzieje.pl (PAP).
According to Polish sources, two people died: Captain Mamert Stankiewicz and 27-year-old IV engineer Tadeusz Piotrowski, who perished when a lifeboat capsized during lowering. Biography of Tadeusz Piotrowski. Stankiewicz supervised the evacuation and was the last to leave the ship. According to the account of the second officer, published in a Liverpool newspaper three days later, he clung to a raft in the icy water for about an hour until a destroyer arrived, and British sailors jumped into the water to rescue the castaways. 'Daily Post' (Liverpool), November 27, 1939. He died from exhaustion and hypothermia, which led to a heart attack. Dzieje.pl (PAP). He was buried in Hartlepool and posthumously awarded the Order of Virtuti Militari. Biography of Tadeusz Piotrowski.
Stankiewicz was born in 1889 in Mitawa, served in the Tsarist fleet, where in 1917 he was recognized as the best navigator of the Baltic Fleet, and was the supervisor of the construction of 'Piłsudski'. Borchardt made him the hero of the book 'Znaczy Kapitan', which he began writing during the war. Dzieje.pl (PAP). The wreck lies about 50 km off the coast of Yorkshire, at a depth of about 34 meters, broken into two parts. On the well-preserved bow, the coat of arms is still visible. Rzeczpospolita.
The Eagle from the Flag in Sopot
In 2014, a fragment of the 'Piłsudski' flag with the crowned eagle was transferred to the National Maritime Museum. It was given by then Environment Minister Maciej Grabowski, the grandson of engineer Władysław Milewski, who supervised the construction of the ship and was its chief engineer. Upon leaving the ship in 1936, Milewski received the flag, cut out the eagle from it, and made a white-red flag from the rest, which he displayed on his house in Sopot during holidays. Dzieje.pl (PAP), 2014.
'Chrobry', Maiden Voyage with Gombrowicz on Board
'Chrobry' was built by a Danish shipyard in Nakskov. It was air-conditioned and adapted for voyages in the tropics, as it was to serve the line to South America. Maritime University of Gdynia, biography of Zygmunt Kuske. On July 29, 1939, it set sail from Gdynia on its maiden voyage to Buenos Aires under the command of Captain Edward Pacewicz. Biography of Janusz Myjak.
On board was Witold Gombrowicz along with writers Czesław Straszewicz and Bogdan Pawłowicz. A marine school student, Zbigniew Małecki, recalled years later that Senator Jan Rembieliński argued with Gombrowicz about civic duty, and Gombrowicz 'disembarked from the ship almost discreetly, with no farewells' in Buenos Aires. 'Teksty Drugie', 2006, interview with Zbigniew Małecki. Gombrowicz remained in Argentina for nearly a quarter of a century. The news of the outbreak of war found the ship on its way back, in Recife, Brazil. There.
Out of fear of the German battleship 'Admiral Graf Spee', 'Chrobry' waited in Brazil for 39 days, and then sailed to Great Britain. Biography of Janusz Myjak. In December 1939, together with 'Batory', it transported soldiers of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division from Canada. Biography of Zygmunt Deyczakowski. British Vice Admiral Bernard Rawlings later wrote that he had 'great admiration' for the skill with which the new captain Zygmunt Deyczakowski led and maneuvered the ship. There.
The Burning "Chrobry" and Irish Guards off the Coast of Norway
In May 1940, the "Chrobry" was transporting troops to the front in Norway. A British report published after the war states that from May 7 to 11, General Claude Auchinleck and his staff traveled to Harstad on board. On May 14, the ship departed from Harstad towards Bodø with the 1st Battalion of the Irish Guards, the command of the 24th Guards Brigade, and units of sappers and medics. It was escorted by the ships HMS Stork and HMS Wolverine. "The London Gazette", 1947, report by Gen. Auchinleck. Popular texts mention that Scots Guards were on board, but the report refers to the Irish Guards.
Around midnight from May 14 to 15, while en route to Bodø, the ship was attacked by German aircraft. Bombs hit near the third hold, and planes fired at the deck. Biography of Czesław Adamowicz. The fire could not be extinguished because, as Officer Józef Dąbkowski recalled, there was no water in the pipelines. Kresy-Siberia, account of Józef Dąbkowski. The ship was carrying tanks and anti-tank mines. Borchardt wrote about waiting for "50 tons of mines under the tanks" to explode. Biography of Zygmunt Kuske.
HMS Wolverine approached the burning side despite the threat of explosion and rescued about 700 people, while HMS Stork repelled the aircraft and retrieved lifeboats. Biography of Czesław Adamowicz. Gen. Auchinleck praised both crews for their "great courage and resourcefulness" and wrote that six officers of the Irish Guards were killed, but nearly all soldiers were rescued. "The London Gazette", 1947. According to various sources, 10 or 12 members of the Polish crew died. The burning wreck was hit by a British aircraft's torpedo on the morning of May 15. Biography of Czesław Adamowicz. Admiral Lord Cork later stated that the loss of the "Chrobry" delayed the arrival of reinforcements and reduced the chances of stopping the Germans. "The London Gazette", 1947, report by Lord Cork.
Captain Without a Life Jacket and Mechanic with Sausages
Borchardt described that night in his book "Cruiser from Somosierry". Captain Deyczakowski, "as always elegant and composed," was the last to leave the ship and "did not even put on a life jacket" because it was "easier to think about what was needed". Biography of Czesław Adamowicz. Senior mechanic Zygmunt Kuske had, according to Borchardt, "only three loves: his wife, son, and the 'Chrobry'". When a bomb hit the deck above his cabin, everyone thought he had died because he usually slept at that time. It turned out that the radio officers had invited him for sausages. Kuske went down to the engine room, kept the ship broadside to the wind, and only came out at the end. Borchardt called the "Chrobry" the best of the seven Polish transatlantic liners: "Maneuverable like a luxury motorboat, it climbed waves in storms." Biography of Zygmunt Kuske. After being rescued in Glasgow, the crew was paid insurance for personal belongings and "within a few days, the would-be drowned, dressed in English wool, were drinking Scotch whisky". Biography of Czesław Adamowicz.
"Sobieski" in Almost Every Major Landing of the War
"Sobieski" was built by the British shipyard Swan Hunter in Newcastle. It was launched on August 25, 1938, and entered service in May 1939. It could carry 44 first-class passengers, 250 third-class passengers, and 870 emigrants. Tyne Built Ships, "Sobieski". The war found it in Dakar, and it was then chartered by the British as a troop transport. Throughout the war, it was commanded by Captain Zdenko Knoetgen. Biography of Wiktor Słowikowski.
In June 1940, "Sobieski" evacuated soldiers from France. According to British reports from the Spanish border, from Saint-Jean-de-Luz, "Sobieski" and "Batory" took about 9,000 Poles in the early morning of June 21. Naval-history.net, Operation Aerial. In 1942, it was converted into a large landing ship in Glasgow. According to "Polska na Morzach" from 1945, it "did not miss a single major invasion operation": North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, where it was "close to destruction", Anzio, and southern France. Previously, it was the first Allied ship to enter Diego Suarez in Madagascar. Biography of Józef Bełczowski.
Senior mechanic Wiktor Słowikowski recorded in his diary from June 1945 in the Red Sea: "Hell in the Red Sea: water temp up to 32°C, cabin 35°C, lower engine room 40°C, upper engine room 46°C". At the end of the war, the ship took British prisoners from Japanese camps in Singapore. Biography of Wiktor Słowikowski. On March 25, 1946, it brought about 2,400 Polish soldiers from Great Britain to Gdańsk. Portal Stoczniowy. It then sailed between Genoa and New York until it was sold to the Soviet Union in 1950. As "Gruzija", it sailed the Black Sea, and in 1975 it was scrapped in La Spezia, Italy. Tyne Built Ships.
"Poznań" Under the Norwegian Flag
The outbreak of war found the freighter "Poznań" in Swedish Luleå. The Swedes, at the request of the Germans, moved it near Stockholm, and the German consulate tried to prevent its departure. On October 23, 1939, the ship began to sneak south among the coastal islets. Captain Zygmunt Deyczakowski ordered the Norwegian flag to be raised and the name on the hull to be changed. A few days later, "Poznań" reached Gothenburg and then to Great Britain. According to the biographical dictionary of the Maritime University, it was the last Allied ship to manage to leave the Baltic in the autumn of 1939. Deyczakowski later took command of the "Chrobry", and after its sinking, the "Batory". Biography of Zygmunt Deyczakowski.
"Stefan Batory", the Last Polish Liner
The successor to the old "Batory" was the Dutch "Maasdam", built in 1952 for Holland America Line. Captain Albert, history of "Maasdam". The Polish Ocean Lines bought it in 1968 and rebuilt it in Gdańsk. On April 8, 1969, the Polish flag was raised on it, and on April 11, it set sail on its maiden voyage from Gdynia through Copenhagen and Tilbury to Quebec and Montreal. Tickets were sold out. Dzieje.pl (PAP), 2019. The first captain was Jerzy Pszenny, the last captain of the old "Batory" and the only one to command both ships. Super Express, 2019. Pszenny assessed the new ship without sentiment: "modern, but ugly, with a heavy silhouette and tasteless interiors". Dzieje.pl (PAP).
For the residents of the Polish People's Republic, the voyage was a luxury. In 1971, the cheapest tourist class cabin cost about 8,000 PLN, while the average salary was about 2,360 PLN. On board, performers included Agnieszka Osiecka and Skaldowie, and in the films "Kochaj albo rzuć" and "Spotkanie na Atlantyku", the ship itself played a role. Dzieje.pl about "Stefan Batory". Contrary to popular belief, "Rejs" by Marek Piwowski was not filmed on "Stefan Batory", but on a Vistula paddle steamer. Dzieje.pl about the film "Rejs".
The ship was also a means of escape from the Polish People's Republic. In March 1983, 31 Polish tourists disembarked in Tilbury, England, and Great Britain allowed them to stay for a year. The Christian Science Monitor, 1983. Radio officer Konstanty Bilewicz managed to board the guarded ship by posing as a chaperone for a group of cadets, and through Copenhagen and Sweden, he eventually reached Australia. Emigrant Archive, Museum of Emigration in Gdynia.
On October 21, 1987, "Stefan Batory" completed its 140th and final liner voyage, and in the spring of 1988, it was withdrawn from service. Dzieje.pl (PAP). For several years, it served in Gothenburg, Sweden, as a hotel for asylum seekers, remained in Greece for a long time, and in 2000, it was cut up for scrap in Turkish Aliağa. The Great Ocean Liners.
Seven Transatlantic Liners in Numbers
| Ship | Built | Under Polish Flag | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Polonia" (ex "Kursk") | 1910, Glasgow | 1930–1939 | scrapped in Savona in 1939 |
| "Pułaski" (ex "Car") | 1912, Glasgow | 1930–1946 | as "Empire Penryn" scrapped around 1949 |
| "Kościuszko" (ex "Caryca") | 1915, Glasgow | 1930–1946 | as "Empire Helford" scrapped in 1950 |
| "Piłsudski" | 1935, Monfalcone | 1935–1939 | sank on November 26, 1939, off the coast of England |
| "Batory" | 1936, Monfalcone | 1936–1971 | scrapped in Hong Kong in 1971 |
| "Chrobry" | 1939, Nakskov | 1939–1940 | burned in May 1940 off the coast of Norway |
| "Sobieski" | 1939, Newcastle | 1939–1950 | sold to the USSR, scrapped in La Spezia in 1975 |
Data according to sources cited in the text. The fate of the "Batory" is described in an article in the "IPN Archival Review".
Myths about Polish Transatlantic Liners
| Claim | Verdict | What Sources Say |
|---|---|---|
| Captain Stankiewicz gave up his life jacket | Unconfirmed | Sources say he was the last to leave and held onto a raft. Captain Deyczakowski did not wear a life jacket on the "Chrobry". Both stories likely merged. |
| There were Scots Guards on the "Chrobry" | Error | British reports mention the 1st Battalion of the Irish Guards. |
| Artworks from the "Piłsudski" sank | False | They were dismantled in Newcastle before its last voyage. |
| "Polonia" was named by Poles | False | The name was given by the Danes around 1920. |
| "Rejs" was filmed on "Stefan Batory" | False | The film was shot on a Vistula paddle steamer. |
| "Sobieski" carried British gold to Canada in 1940 | Unconfirmed | It was part of that convoy, but the gold and Wawel treasures were carried by the "Batory". |
| The ship ORP "Gdynia" from the former "Kościuszko" sank in Puck Bay | Mistake | Another, smaller ship of the same name sank in Puck Bay. |
What Could Not Be Confirmed
- The Empress's Jewels. According to one Polish article from 1997, the construction of ships for the Russian American Line was financed by Empress Maria Feodorovna, born as Danish Princess Dagmar, from her jewels. We did not find a second source.
- The cause of the sinking of the "Piłsudski": mine or torpedo. The mine is the best-documented.
- The number of casualties on the "Chrobry": sources report 10 or 12 Polish sailors, and we did not find the total number of British soldiers killed.
- Memory of the "Chrobry" in Norway and possible monuments. We did not reach Norwegian sources.
- Refusal to unload "Stefan Batory" in New York in 1971. Only one source describes it.
- Details of the winter voyages of the "Piłsudski" in the Caribbean. It is only known that such voyages took place.
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