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Blitzkrieg in Poland: The Battle of Westerplatte - The First Battle of Ww2
A detailed account of key events marking the start of World War II, from Gleiwitz to Warsaw's siege.
The important Baltic port of Danzig was a 'free' city, an independent city-state. It had been part of Germany until the area around Danzig was handed to the newly independent state of Poland under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles after the First World War. Though surrounded by Poles, Danzig's population was largely Germanic - and tensions between the Poles and the Germans in the region mounted throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
The Poles received permission from the League of Nations to establish a small military depot on the Westerplatte Peninsula which overlooked the approaches to Danzig port. If artillery was placed on Westerplatte it could potentially block all access to Danzig - it was, therefore, Hitler's first objective in his invasion of Poland.
Secretly, the Poles had strengthened their defences on the peninsula and when, on 25 August 1939, the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein paid a 'courtesy' call to Danzig, the Poles at Westerplatte, under the command of Major Henryk Sucharski, were placed on high alert. The next morning, the Germans planned to seize Westerplatte, but the date for the start of the invasion was delayed after Hitler learned that Britain had just signed a defence pact with Poland.
Despite this, Hitler was resolved to continue with his plans and, regardless of the threat of British intervention, he rescheduled the invasion for 1 September 1939. At 04.48 hours that fateful morning Schleswig-Holstein unleashed a broadside on the defences of the Westerplatte - firing the first shots of what would become the Second World War. Minutes later a force of German marines, which had landed from the battleship earlier, charged the Polish defences. They expected an easy victory. But Sucharski's men were ready.
Machine-gun, rifle and even artillery fire poured down on the Germans who were driven back. A second bombardment from Schleswig-Holstein was called for, and the Polish defences were hammered for fifteen minutes. The Germans attacked again and, once more, the Poles held them off, the Germans suffering almost 150 casualties. Sucharski had been expected to be able to hold out for twelve hours before reinforcements arrived; he held out all day.
The following day, Westerplatte was shelled both from the sea and the land, as well as bombarded for the air. But still the Poles defied the odds and refused to be beaten. Though none of the promised reinforcements arrived, Sucharski and his men continued to defy the Germans day after day.
Elsewhere, Hitler's forces had crossed the Polish border and, by 6 September 1939, were in the outskirts of Warsaw. Finally, Sucharski's officers agreed there was no longer any value in continuing the fight. Undefeated and unbowed, the Poles surrendered at 07.45 hours on 7 September, ending one of the most valiant stands of the Second World War.
The important Baltic port of Danzig was a 'free' city, an independent city-state. It had been part of Germany until the area around Danzig was handed to the newly independent state of Poland under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles after the First World War. Though surrounded by Poles, Danzig's population was largely Germanic - and tensions between the Poles and the Germans in the region mounted throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
The Poles received permission from the League of Nations to establish a small military depot on the Westerplatte Peninsula which overlooked the approaches to Danzig port. If artillery was placed on Westerplatte it could potentially block all access to Danzig - it was, therefore, Hitler's first objective in his invasion of Poland.
Secretly, the Poles had strengthened their defences on the peninsula and when, on 25 August 1939, the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein paid a 'courtesy' call to Danzig, the Poles at Westerplatte, under the command of Major Henryk Sucharski, were placed on high alert. The next morning, the Germans planned to seize Westerplatte, but the date for the start of the invasion was delayed after Hitler learned that Britain had just signed a defence pact with Poland.
Despite this, Hitler was resolved to continue with his plans and, regardless of the threat of British intervention, he rescheduled the invasion for 1 September 1939. At 04.48 hours that fateful morning Schleswig-Holstein unleashed a broadside on the defences of the Westerplatte - firing the first shots of what would become the Second World War. Minutes later a force of German marines, which had landed from the battleship earlier, charged the Polish defences. They expected an easy victory. But Sucharski's men were ready.
Machine-gun, rifle and even artillery fire poured down on the Germans who were driven back. A second bombardment from Schleswig-Holstein was called for, and the Polish defences were hammered for fifteen minutes. The Germans attacked again and, once more, the Poles held them off, the Germans suffering almost 150 casualties. Sucharski had been expected to be able to hold out for twelve hours before reinforcements arrived; he held out all day.
The following day, Westerplatte was shelled both from the sea and the land, as well as bombarded for the air. But still the Poles defied the odds and refused to be beaten. Though none of the promised reinforcements arrived, Sucharski and his men continued to defy the Germans day after day.
Elsewhere, Hitler's forces had crossed the Polish border and, by 6 September 1939, were in the outskirts of Warsaw. Finally, Sucharski's officers agreed there was no longer any value in continuing the fight. Undefeated and unbowed, the Poles surrendered at 07.45 hours on 7 September, ending one of the most valiant stands of the Second World War.
Book Details
- Publisher: After the Battle
- Publish Date: Aug 30th, 2026
- Pages: 224
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 0.00in - 0.00in - 0.00in - 0.00lb
- EAN: 9781036101732
- Categories: • Wars & Conflicts - World War II - European Theater• Europe - Poland• Military - Pictorial
About the Author
Casely, Steven Howard: - Steven H. Casely's interest in military history began many years ago with modelling military vehicles from scratch, before the advent of the 1/35th scale tanks that became available. Steve would travel to Bovington Tank Museum to measure up, photograph and make sketches of whichever vehicle he hoped to reproduce in model form.
That research, coupled with an intense interest in photography and having an eye for detail, eventually led Steve to a chance meeting with former Editor-in-Chief of After the Battle, Winston Ramsey, on Slapton beach in South Devon on April 15, 1984, where he began recording the recovery of the Sherman tank which was to be raised from the sea bed, three quarters of a mile off the shore and subsequently mounted, as it is today, in the car park by the beach, as a memorial to those service personnel who trained there, and in many cases, lost their lives on exercise Tiger and the D-Day beaches of Normandy. That chance meeting led to Steve's first work for the company with the article 'The Tank That Missed D-Day', published in issue 45 of the then quarterly magazine, which was also called After the Battle.
Steve's engineering training has led him through a career as a mechanical and electrical manager in the construction industry and for over 40 years there has been much involvement with After the Battle throughout the UK and Europe, in articles published in the former magazines After the Battle and Wheels and Tracks, as well as in many books, such as those on D-Day, the Blitz, Bomber Command, Coastal Command, Wreck Recovery (especially with the Devon Aircraft Research and Recovery Team) and The Falklands War Then and Now to name but a few in his 40 plus years as a contributor/author with the company.
Steve lives in South Devon and his interest in all matters of military history is as strong today as it ever was.
That research, coupled with an intense interest in photography and having an eye for detail, eventually led Steve to a chance meeting with former Editor-in-Chief of After the Battle, Winston Ramsey, on Slapton beach in South Devon on April 15, 1984, where he began recording the recovery of the Sherman tank which was to be raised from the sea bed, three quarters of a mile off the shore and subsequently mounted, as it is today, in the car park by the beach, as a memorial to those service personnel who trained there, and in many cases, lost their lives on exercise Tiger and the D-Day beaches of Normandy. That chance meeting led to Steve's first work for the company with the article 'The Tank That Missed D-Day', published in issue 45 of the then quarterly magazine, which was also called After the Battle.
Steve's engineering training has led him through a career as a mechanical and electrical manager in the construction industry and for over 40 years there has been much involvement with After the Battle throughout the UK and Europe, in articles published in the former magazines After the Battle and Wheels and Tracks, as well as in many books, such as those on D-Day, the Blitz, Bomber Command, Coastal Command, Wreck Recovery (especially with the Devon Aircraft Research and Recovery Team) and The Falklands War Then and Now to name but a few in his 40 plus years as a contributor/author with the company.
Steve lives in South Devon and his interest in all matters of military history is as strong today as it ever was.
Grehan, John: - JOHN GREHAN has written, edited or contributed to more than 300 books and magazine articles covering a wide span of military history from the Iron Age to the recent conflict in Afghanistan. John has also appeared on local and national radio and television to advise on military history topics. He was employed as the Assistant Editor of Britain at War Magazine from its inception until 2014. John now devotes his time to writing and editing books.