Wilk was laid down in 1927 at Chantiers et Ateliers Augustin Normand shipyard at Le Havre in France.

[1] When World War II began on September 1, 1939, Wilk, commanded by Captain Boguslaw Krawczyk, took part in the Worek Plan for the defence of the Polish coast, operating in Gdańsk Bay.

On September 4 and 5 the Wilk was under continuous depth charge attacks and had to lay on the sea bottom during daytime, suffering minor damage.

[1] Only ORP Orzeł managed to accomplish the same feat later; the other three Polish submarines were interned in neutral Sweden.

On December 7, 1939 one of the mines laid by the submarine in September sank a German fishing boat MFK Pil 55 Heimat (13 GRT) at position 54°37′05″N 19°47′00″E / 54.61806°N 19.78333°E / 54.61806; 19.78333.

Lt. Cyril Branson R.N., got the Captain to surface and assisted in bringing the badly damaged Wilk safety back to Rosyth.

Due to her poor mechanical condition, ORP Wilk was decommissioned as a reserve submarine on April 2, 1942.