The Battle of Westerplatte was fought from 1 to 7 September 19391, when about 200 Polish soldiers under Major Henryk Sucharski defended a small military depot2 at the mouth of the port of Danzig. The German battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire on the morning of 1 September, in shots often described as the first of the Second World War in Europe. Under shelling and bombing the garrison held out for seven days before surrendering, and Westerplatte became a lasting symbol of Polish resistance.
Before dawn on 1 September 1939 the old German battleship Schleswig-Holstein, moored in Danzig harbour on a supposed courtesy visit, opened fire on the Polish depot at Westerplatte. Its defenders had been told to hold for twelve hours.1 They held for seven days.
A Polish outpost in Danzig
Between the wars Danzig was a Free City under the League of Nations, and Poland was allowed to keep a small Military Transit Depot on the Westerplatte peninsula at the harbour mouth. Its garrison was limited by treaty, but by 1939 it had quietly been strengthened to about 200 men and fortified with guardhouses and bunkers3.
The first shots
At about 4:45 to 4:48 in the morning4 on 1 September the Schleswig-Holstein opened fire at close range, and German assault troops attacked. They were thrown back. The shots fired at Westerplatte are often called the first of the Second World War in Europe, although the bombing of the town of Wieluń began at almost the same time5.
A week under fire
For seven days the garrison under Henryk Sucharski and his deputy Franciszek Dąbrowski beat off repeated attacks while enduring naval gunfire, artillery and dive-bomber raids4. Polish radio's reports that Westerplatte was still fighting became a source of pride across the country.
Surrender
By 7 September, with wounded men untreated, ammunition running low and no hope of relief, Sucharski surrendered6. The German commander allowed him to keep his sword in recognition of the defence1. Fifteen of the defenders had been killed and dozens wounded7.
Why Westerplatte matters
Westerplatte had little effect on the course of the invasion, but it became one of the most powerful symbols in Polish memory: a tiny garrison standing firm against overwhelming force at the very start of the war. Today a monument stands on the site, and ceremonies there mark the anniversary of the outbreak of the war each year.
