Westerplatte museum , Gdańsk 27.08.2007
Virtuti Militari Cross at symbolic cemetery of fallen Westerplatte defenders.
Description, partially from Wikipedia:
Westerplatte is a peninsula in Gdańsk, Poland, at an estuary of the Dead Vistula (one of the Vistula delta estuaries), in the Gdańsk harbour channel. From 1926 - 1939 a Polish Military Transit Depot was located there, on a territory of the Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk).
It is famous as the place of Battle of Westerplatte, the first major battle of the Invasion of Poland in 1939.
Battle of Westerplatte
On September 1, 1939, at 04:45 local time, as Germany began its invasion of Poland, Schleswig-Holstein started to shell the Polish garrison. This was followed by a repelled attack by German naval infantry. Another two assaults that day were repelled as well. Over the coming days, the Germans repeatedly bombarded Westerplatte with naval and heavy field artillery along with dive-bombing raids by Junkers Ju 87 Stukas. Repeated attacks were repelled by the Poles for seven days. On September 7th major Henryk Sucharski decided to surrender. Poles lost only 15 out of 180 soldiers, while german casualties were 500+. Westerplatte was supposed to hold for one day until reinforcements will come. They never did, but Westerplatte garrison hold for 7 long days against about 3500 german troops...
Westerplatte museum , Gdańsk 27.08.2007
Virtuti Militari Cross at symbolic cemetery of fallen Westerplatte defenders.
Description, partially from Wikipedia:
Westerplatte is a peninsula in Gdańsk, Poland, at an estuary of the Dead Vistula (one of the Vistula delta estuaries), in the Gdańsk harbour channel. From 1926 - 1939 a Polish Military Transit Depot was located there, on a territory of the Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk).
It is famous as the place of Battle of Westerplatte, the first major battle of the Invasion of Poland in 1939.
Battle of Westerplatte
On September 1, 1939, at 04:45 local time, as Germany began its invasion of Poland, Schleswig-Holstein started to shell the Polish garrison. This was followed by a repelled attack by German naval infantry. Another two assaults that day were repelled as well. Over the coming days, the Germans repeatedly bombarded Westerplatte with naval and heavy field artillery along with dive-bombing raids by Junkers Ju 87 Stukas. Repeated attacks were repelled by the Poles for seven days. On September 7th major Henryk Sucharski decided to surrender. Poles lost only 15 out of 180 soldiers, while german casualties were 500+. Westerplatte was supposed to hold for one day until reinforcements will come. They never did, but Westerplatte garrison hold for 7 long days against about 3500 german troops...