The MS Piłsudski, a luxury Polish passenger ship during the interwar period, was widely considered a symbol of the newly independent Poland’s access to the sea. That is, until it sunk mysteriously in 1939, earning the nickname “the Polish Titanic.”
by Anna Zhou
Modern, sleek, luxurious, the MS Piłsudski was the pride of the Polish passenger fleet. In exchange for a five-year supply of coal, the Polish government received two 14 gross tonnage ships from the Italian government. The first of these ships was the MS Piłsudski. Constructed in the Italian shipyard Cantieri Riuiniti dell’Adriatico, the MS Piłsudski spanned over 160 meters long and 21.5 meters wide. At seven decks, the ship could accommodate 773 passengers and 350 crew members. The inside of the ocean liner was just as impressive, fitted with the newest state-of-the-art technology and interiors designed by the best Polish architects, painters, and craftsmen. In addition to lounges, covered promenades, salons, and a garage for 18 passenger cars, the ship also featured the first swimming pool to be installed on a Polish ship.
Under the shipping company Gdynia-America Line (GAL), the ocean liner made regular voyages from its home port at Gdynia to New York, serving as Poland’s “floating embassy” during the interwar period, when Polish immigration to America soared. While there were other transatlantic liners, alternatives like the SS Polonia, SS Kościuszko and SS Pułaski were outdated in comparison to the modern MS Piłsudski. The high-demand route and beautiful construction made MS Piłsudski a very popular vessel, even among foreign guests. Each year, the ship made ten three-and-a-half week trips across the Atlantic, and each trip was fully booked.
Following the outbreak of World War II, the MS Piłsudski, like many other consumer ocean vessels, were temporarily transferred to the British to be used as warships. In the two months the Piłsudski was stationed at the Newcastle port in England, the luxurious consumer ocean liner was transformed into a military transport craft.
On November 25, 1939, at 11 p.m., the liner set sail for the first time as a military vessel. Under the command of Captain Mamert Stankiewicz, who had been the captain of the ship during the interwar years, the vessel intended to join route with a convoy to sail together to Australia. Unfortunately, the ship never made it past the North Sea.
Just a day later on November 26, 1939, the MS Piłsudski sunk near Flamborough Head. While there have been numerous theories, the real cause of the sinking remains unanswered. Some theorize that the MS Piłsudski sank by a U-boat attack, though there have been no German naval records in support of this. The British authorities prefer another narrative, that the ship sunk after collision with underground mines laid by Germans. A Ukrainian nationalist, Lapuk, also claims that he sabotaged the vessel, though there is little to substantiate his claim.
The real cause of the sinking of the Polish Titanic remains a mystery to this day.
Author: Anna Zhou
