Key Facts
- Start date
- 1 September 1939
- Duration of defence
- 7 days
- German assaults repelled
- 13
- Attack methods used
- Dive-bombers, naval shelling, ground infantry
- Polish garrison location
- Westerplatte peninsula, Free City of Danzig
Strategic Narrative Overview
Both German and Polish commanders initially expected the small garrison to fall within hours. Instead, the Polish defenders repelled thirteen successive German assaults over seven days, withstanding dive-bomber attacks and sustained naval shelling from the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein. The garrison's tenacity far exceeded expectations and drew wide attention as German forces rapidly advanced elsewhere across Poland.
01 / The Origins
In the interwar period, the Second Polish Republic established the Polish Military Transit Depot (WST) on the Westerplatte peninsula within the Free City of Danzig, a city-state under League of Nations protection but ethnically German. As Nazi Germany pursued territorial expansion, Danzig became a flashpoint. On 1 September 1939, Germany launched its invasion of Poland, with Westerplatte as one of the opening targets, attacked by the Wehrmacht and Danzig Police.
03 / The Outcome
After seven days of resistance, the outnumbered and outgunned Polish garrison surrendered. The defence yielded no strategic reversal of the invasion, but it provided a powerful morale symbol for Polish soldiers and civilians. The site is still commemorated as an emblem of resistance in Poland, and a dedicated public museum is planned to open there in 2026.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.