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Westerplatte (Polish pronunciation:[vɛstɛrˈplatɛ],[ˈvɛstɛrplatɛ],[1]German pronunciation:[ˈvɛstɐplatə]) is apeninsula inGdańsk,Poland,[2] located on theBaltic Sea coast mouth of theDead Vistula (one of theVistula deltaestuaries), in the Gdańsk harbour channel. From 1926 to 1939, it was the location of a Polish Military Transit Depot (WST), sanctioned within the territory of theFree City of Danzig (now Gdańsk).
The first shots of theSecond World War were fired at theBattle of Westerplatte which began at 0450hrs on the 1 September, 1939. The fighting started when the German WWI battleshipSMSSchleswig-Holstein began shelling the Polish ammunition depot on Westerplatte. After a siege that lasted a week, the Polish garrison surrendered to German forces that were part ofinvasion of Poland.
The resort was established on the Westerplatte peninsula around 1830 which had a beach, a forested park, a seaside bath complex and health spa facilities.
Following the reestablishment of Polish independence in theaftermath of World War I, much of the surrounding region became a part of theSecond Polish Republic. The city of Danzig (present dayGdańsk), a historically important port city, at that time predominantly ethnically German, became an independent city state, theFree City of Danzig. The Free City was nominally run by theLeague of Nations, but over time became increasingly allied with Germany.[3][4]
In 1921, theLeague of Nations granted Poland the right to install anammunition depot near Gdańsk, and station a garrison there.[5] Despite some objections from the Free City, this right was confirmed in 1925, where the location was agreed on with the choice of Westerplatte.[5][6] Westerplatte was primarily separated from the New Port of theFree City of Danzig by the harbour channel, with only a smallpier connecting them to the mainland; the Polish-held part of the Westerplatte was separated from the territory of Danzig by a brick wall.[6][7] The depot was completed in November 1925 and became operational in January 1926.[6] The Polish garrison's size was set at 88 soldiers, and Poland was not allowed to construct fortifications.[6]
On 6 March 1933, in what became known as the westernmost incident (or crisis), the Polish government landed a marine battalion, briefly strengthening the outpost to about 200 men. This was done to demonstrate the Polish resolve to defend the outpost in response to recent comments by German politicians and media figures about the need of border adjustment and Poland and France were secretly discussingpreventive war against Germany; on a local level this was also done to put pressure on the Danzig government which was trying to renounce prior agreement on shared Danzig-Polish control over harbor police and take sole control of that unit.[8][9] Polish troops were withdrawn by 16 March, after protests from the League, Danzig and Germany, in exchange for Danzig withdrawing its objections to the harbor police agreement.[8] According to another source, on 14 March 1933 the League did authorize Poland to strengthen the garrison.[5]
Over the years, the Poles also constructed clandestinefortifications.[6] These were not very impressive: there were no realbunkers or tunnels, but only five small concrete outposts (guardhouses) hidden in the peninsula's forest and a largebarracks prepared for defence, supported by a network of field fortifications such astrenches andbarricades.[7] Several of the buildings were reinforced with concrete.[10]: 54 With tensions rising, in early 1939, the garrison was placed on alert.[6]
On 1 September 1939, only minutes after theGerman Luftwaffe (air force) had begun theinvasion of Poland by dropping bombs in a series of raids on the city ofWieluń byJunkers Ju 87 Stukas, at 04:48[11] local time, the battleshipSchleswig-Holstein, then on a courtesy visit to the Free City of Danzig, without warning opened fire on the Polish garrison. This was followed by an attack byOblt.Wilhelm Henningsen’s storm unit from the Schleswig-Holstein and theMarinestosstruppkompanie. Soon after crossing the artillery-breached brick wall, the attackers were ambushed by the Polish defenders, with small arms, mortar and machine-gun fire from concealed and well-positioned firing points that caught them in a crossfire. Another two assaults that day were repelled as well, with the Germans suffering unexpectedly high losses.
Over the coming days, the Germans repeatedly bombarded Westerplatte withnaval artillery and heavyfield artillery along withdive-bombing raids by Stukas. Repeated attacks by 570 German soldiers were repelled by the 180 Polish soldiers for seven days. MajorHenryk Sucharski had been informed that no help from the Polish Army would come. Cut off, with no reinforcements or chance of resupply, he continued his defence, keeping the main German force stalled at Westerplatte and so preventing further attacks along the Polish coast.
On 7 September, the Major decided to surrender, due to lack of ammunition and supplies. As a sign of honour for the soldiers of Westerplatte, the German commander, Gen.Eberhardt, allowed Major Sucharski to keep his sword while being taken prisoner.
The ruins of the defenders' barracks and guardhouses are still there. After the war, one of the guardhouses (#1) was converted into a museum. Two 280mm shells from theSchleswig-Holstein prop up its entrance.
A Monument of the Coast Defenders (Pomnik Obrońców Wybrzeża) was unveiled in 1966.
Westerplatte Museum dedicated to the 1939 battle was created in 2015.
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54°24′27″N18°40′17″E / 54.40750°N 18.67139°E /54.40750; 18.67139
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