It caused the submarines to operate in a confined area near the shore in shallow waters, making them vulnerable to strong enemy anti-submarine forces.

The plan was created for the five Polish submarines Orzeł (Eagle), Wilk (Wolf), Sęp (Vulture), Żbik (Wild Cat) and Ryś (Lynx) to use in the event that superior enemy surface forces took control of the Baltic Sea (the Polish surface navy consisted only of four destroyers, some minelayers, minesweepers, and gunboats).

They were to conserve their limited munitions for "significant military targets" (destroyer or larger) shelling the Polish coast or attempting to land forces on it and interdict naval traffic between the German mainland and East Prussia.

[2] The plan explicitly stated that the submarines were to act according to international law, and single, unarmed ships had to be warned before being attacked.

They had separate areas for recharging batteries during the night: Orzeł even deeper within Danzig Bay, and the other ships north of their positions.

The Worek Plan was put into action with the German invasion of Poland, after a distress call was received from the garrison at Westerplatte on the morning 1 September 1939.

Several hours after hostilities started, the submarines received communications by radio to open the envelopes containing orders to implement the Worek Plan.

On 4 September Orzel's captain, Lieutenant Commander Henryk Kłoczkowski, deemed it impossible to continue with the operation in his sector, and decided to withdraw into the Baltic Sea.

[3] On 11 September Wilk prepared to attack the German cruiser Admiral Hipper, but the ship made an unexpected course change and the submarine wasn't able to proceed.

After several fruitless weeks at sea, the submarine reached the United Kingdom on 14 October and continued fighting under Royal Navy command.

One of them, the best known today, was an offensive operational plan codenamed Burza (Thunderstorm), that assumed independent search of targets, with free maneuvering and attacking of enemy ships and transports between Świnoujście (German: Swinemünde) and East Prussia.

[6] In consideration and planning was also a plan of actions on the sea routes between harbors of Germany and the Swedish port of Luleå[6] As a result, Polish submarines deployed along Polish coast, in proximity to their own naval base, were deprived of chances to find targets – while they were exposed there to operations of German air and light naval antisubmarine units.