Westerplatte Crew of Death*
*
Date: September 1, 1939*
*
Battle Location: Gdansk(Danzig), The Free City*
*
Battle Type:  German Assault vs. Polish Defend*
*
Design: Blazej Ciepluch*
*
*
Scenario description: The Versailles peace treaty established a Free City of Danzing (Gdansk in Polish) under a common Polish-German protectorate. Poland got a military transit storehouse on Westerplatte peninsula and a Post Office in the city. The League of Nations in 1925 permited Poland to establish a military garrison on the Westerplatte of 88 soldiers. However, when the Polish-German diplomatic relations deteriorated in the spring of the 1939 the garrison was enlarge in secret to 182 soldiers with 4  81mm wz.31 mortars , 2 37mm wz.36 Bofors AT guns , one 75mm wz.02/26 field gun and a bunkers all under a command of Major H. Sucharski. All buildings were reinforce and ready for long time defence. For much of 1939 the garrison of Westerplatte was in red alert ready for defence or intervention in the city if Germans try to incorporate the Free City of Gdansk into the Reich. In the plan the garrison was promised relief from Gdynia after 12 hours.*
*
Some days before beginning of the war the old German battleship Schleswig-Holstein arrived on a "courteous" visit to Danzing with a German Marine infantry company under the deck in secret. During this time the Danzinger Police commanded by local Germans surround the Polish post office in the city with barbed wire . Postmen and office workers prepare a defence and send their families to Poland. They count on relief from Westerplatte or from Gdynia. The Germans in the city had a squad of local Police mostly composed of Germans and a local SS unit "Danzinger Heimwehr" made up of local NSDAP activists and SA fighters. They know that after a some hours regular Wehrmacht units from East Prussia can get to the city over a pontoon bridge established on Wisla in spring by the government of city (The Germans had a majority in senate of Gdansk).*
*
For the Poles World War II begins 1 September 1939 at  4.45am when the battleship Schleswig-Holstein arrived in position near old fortress 'Wisloujscie' and open fire with it's heavy 280mm guns on Westerplatte. Soon after a mixed company of local SS and Marines assault the peninsula without success. At the same time part of SS "Danzinger Heimwehr" attacks the Polish post in Gdansk also without success. The next assault on the Post Office was with flamethrowers and ex-Austrian ADGZ armoured cars  and was successful  and the defenders surrender. They were all were executed the next day by order of the Volks Court. Westerplatte defends next three attacks. After the first day the Germans lost approx 80-100 soldiers. In the evening regular panzer units arrived from East Prussia and incorporated the free city of Danzig to the Third Reich. Polish relief did not arrive.*
*
By the next days polish soldiers were under fire from land , sea and air before German assaults. In 5 September Germans brings a Pionier Battalion from Dessau by plane to Danzig. Pioneers attack too without success. German press called this peninsula during warfare the 'Kleines Verdun'. After seven days Major H. Sucharski decide to surrender because have few ammunitions wounded soldiers without care and no hope for help. For his heroic defend and brave Germans commander General Eberhard give him right for sabre in POW camp.*
*
Aftermath: The Germans lost during warfare about 300-400 dead and many wounded and can take a peninsula after 7 days (In plans in first day). Polish lost 15 dead 53 wounded.*
*
Unit Abbreviations:*
Shl-Hol - Old school battleship Schleswig-Holstein*
Danz-Heim SS - SS unit Danzinger Heimwehr local army of free city of Gdansk under NSDAP control*
*
Sources:  Melchior Wankowicz, "Westerplatte", pp. 54-86.  Tadeusz Jaruga, "Regularne jednostki wojska polskiego w 1939r." , pp. 118-120.*
*