{"id":385,"date":"2012-08-31T12:23:54","date_gmt":"2012-08-31T12:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/polonus.sk\/?p=385"},"modified":"2012-08-31T12:23:54","modified_gmt":"2012-08-31T12:23:54","slug":"bitka-o-westerplatte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozpolonus.sk\/pl\/bitka-o-westerplatte\/","title":{"rendered":"Bitka o Westerplatte"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Battle of Westerplatte<\/strong> was the battle that began the Second World War<\/a> in Europe<\/a>. During the first week of September 1939<\/a>, a Military Transit Depot<\/a> (Wojskowa Sk\u0142adnica Tranzytowa<\/em>, WST) on the peninsula of Westerplatte<\/a>, Free City of Danzig<\/a>, that was manned by fewer than 200 Polish<\/a> soldiers, held out for seven days in the face of a heavy German<\/a> attack. The defense of Westerplatte served as an inspiration for the Polish Army<\/a> and people as the successful German advances continued elsewhere and today is still regarded as a symbol of resistance to the invasion.<\/p>\n

On September 1, 1939, at 0448 local time, Germany began its invasion of Poland<\/a>, starting World War II; the Schleswig-Holstein<\/em> suddenly opened broadside salvo fire on the Polish garrison held by 182 soldiers and 27 civilian reservists<\/a>. Major Sucharski radioed Hel Peninsula „SOS: I’m under fire“.[3]<\/a><\/sup> Three holes were made in the perimeter wall and oil warehouses were blazing in the southeastern sector. Eight minutes later, Lieutenant Wilhelm Henningsen’s crack marines storm unit from the Schleswig-Holstein<\/em> advanced in three platoons while the Wehrmacht<\/a>‚s Pioneers<\/a> blew up the railroad gate going on the land-bridge, expecting an easy victory over the surprised Poles.[4]<\/a><\/sup> Staff Sergeant<\/a> Wojciech Najsarek<\/a>, a Polish soldier, was killed by machine-gun fire<\/a>, the first victim of both the battle and war. However, soon after crossing the artillery-breached brick wall, the attackers suddenly came into a well-prepared ambush<\/a>. German soldiers found themselves caught in a kill zone<\/a> of Polish crossfire from concealed firing points (the Germans believed they were also fired on by snipers<\/a> hidden in the trees, but in reality that was not the case), while barbed wire<\/a> entanglements effectively blocked quick movements. The Poles knocked out a machine gun nest at the German Schupo<\/a> and Lt. Leon Pajak opened intense howitzer fire on the advancing Germans who faltered and stopped their attack. The field gun knocked out sniper machine-gun nests on top of the warehouses across the canal and almost knocked out the Schleswig-Holstein’s<\/em> command post but was destroyed by the ship’s guns.:[3]<\/a><\/sup>[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

„The tactics of outpost commanders, who lured the Germans into a fire trap, letting them advance into the line of fire, contributed to these heavy losses. The Polish mortar<\/a> fire, guided precisely by observers from protruding positions, added to the destruction. The system of barriers secretly prepared by the WST soldiers in the spring and summer of 1939 made it difficult for the Germans to move around the park that was Westerplatte (once a popular spa).“[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

At 0622, the Marines frantically radioed the ship they had heavy losses and were withdrawing, Danzig Police had tried to seize control of the harbor on the other side of Westerplatte but were defeated.[7]<\/a><\/sup> Casualties were 50 Germans and 8 Poles. The Germans tried again at 0855 but met mines, fallen trees, barbed wire and intense fire.[7]<\/a><\/sup> By noon the SS men fled and Henningsen was mortally wounded.[7]<\/a><\/sup>[8]<\/a><\/sup> The initial assault was crushed and a second attack that morning (after an artillery barrage<\/a> of 90 280\u00a0mm shells, 407 170\u00a0mm shells and 366 88\u00a0mm shells) was repelled as well, the Germans suffering unexpectedly high losses. The Poles eventually retreated from the Wa\u0142 and Prom outposts (and for a time also from Fort), tightening the ring of defence around the New Barracks in the centre of the peninsula. On the first day of combat, the Polish side lost one man killed and seven wounded (three died later, including two of them who were captured and died in a German hospital). On the other side, the German naval infantry lost 16 killed in action and some 120 wounded (injuries of various gravity), the majority out of the 225 men deployed.[9]<\/a><\/sup> The German losses would have been even greater if not for the order by the Polish commander, Major Henryk Sucharski<\/a>, for the mortar crews to cease fire in order to conserve ammunition, issued after firing just a few salvos (because of this order only 104 out of their 860 shells were spent when the mortars were destroyed on the next day).<\/p>\n

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Schleswig-Holstein<\/em> firing at Westerplatte<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

On the following days, the Germans bombarded the peninsula with naval<\/a> and heavy field artillery<\/a>, including a 210\u00a0mm howitzer<\/a>, turning it into World War I<\/a>-style moonscape. Eberhardt convinced General Fedor von Bock a ground attack was not possible. A devastating two-wave air raid by 60 Junkers Ju 87<\/a> Stuka dive-bombers on September 2 (the total of 26.5 tons of bombs) took out the Polish mortars, directly hit guardhouse 5 (destroying it completely with a 500\u00a0kg bomb) and killed at least eight Polish soldiers; the air raid covered the whole area of Westerplatte in enormous clouds of smoke and destroyed their only radio and all their food supplies;[7]<\/a><\/sup> German observers believed that no one could possibly have survived such bombing.[5]<\/a><\/sup> On the night of 3\u20134 September more German attacks were repelled. On September 4 a German torpedo boat (T-196) made a surprise attack from the seaside.[10]<\/a><\/sup> The „Wa\u0142“ post had been abandoned and now only „Fort“ position prevented an attack from the north side. On September 5, a shell-shocked<\/a> Sucharski held a war council which urged Westerplatte to surrender; his deputy, Captain<\/a> Franciszek D\u0105browski<\/a>, briefly took over command. Several cautious probing attacks by the German naval infantry, Danzig SS and police and Wehrmacht were again repulsed by the Poles; at 0300, during one of these attacks, they sent a burning train against the land bridge, but this failed when the terrified driver decoupled too early.[10]<\/a><\/sup> It failed to reach the oil cistern and set ablaze the forest, valuable for cover. The flaming wagons gave a perfect field of fire and the Germans suffered heavy losses.[11]<\/a><\/sup> A second fire-train attack came in the afternoon but it too failed. In the meantime, Polskie Radio<\/a> continuously broadcast the message „Westerplatte still fights on“ each morning of the battle.[12]<\/a><\/sup> A second war council was held and the Major was set to surrender; the German Army was now outside Warsaw and gangrene<\/a> had started to appear among the wounded.[11]<\/a><\/sup> At 0430 September 7, the Germans opened intense fire on Westerplatte which lasted to 0700. Flamethrowers destroyed Guardhouse 2 and damaged 1 and 4.[11]<\/a><\/sup> The besieged garrison lacked sufficient water and medical supplies; Cpt. Mieczys\u0142aw S\u0142aby, the WST medical officer, was unable to maintain basic care of wounded soldiers.<\/p>\n

At 0945 the white flag appeared; the Polish defense had impressed the Germans so much that the German commander, General<\/a> Friedrich-Georg Eberhardt, allowed Sucharski to retain his ceremonial szabla<\/a> (Polish sabre<\/a>) in captivity (it was apparently confiscated later).[11]<\/a><\/sup> At the same time Polish wireless operator Kazimierz Rasi\u0144ski was murdered by Germans after the capitulation; after brutal interrogation, he had refused to hand over radio codes and was shot.[13]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Sucharski surrendered the post to Kleikamp and the Germans paraded in full order when the Polish garrison marched out, still proud and erect. In all, approximately 3,400 Germans were tied up by being engaged in the week-long action against the small Polish garrison.<\/p>\n

The exact figures of German losses remain unknown, but are now often estimated to be in range of 200 to 300 killed and wounded or sometimes more. Some of them might actually have been hit by friendly fire<\/a>, in particular from the battleship, which was initially anchored too close to its target. Polish casualties were much lower, including 15 to 20 killed and 53 wounded. There is a controversy regarding the burial site discovered in 1940, containing the bodies of five unidentified Polish soldiers who were possibly executed by their comrades for attempted desertion<\/a>. Eight of the prisoners of war are also said to have been tortured, and did not survive German captivity.<\/p>\n

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Major Sucharski<\/a> (with a sabre) surrendering Westerplatte to General Eberhardt (saluting)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Further controversy surrounds the Polish garrison’s commanding officer, Major Henryk Sucharski<\/a>, and the executive officer<\/a>, Captain Franciszek D\u0105browski. Major Sucharski<\/a>, who survived the war but died in 1946, was promoted to the rank of genera\u0142 brygady<\/a> and given the highest Polish military award of Virtuti Militari<\/a>, although he became a very controversial figure more recently as the previously-unknown account about his role in the battle were uncovered in the 1990s (after the death of Captain D\u0105browski, as the other Polish officers vowed among themselves for their honor<\/a> to not disclose in their lifetimes that their nominal commander was shell-shocked<\/a> for the most of the battle). The Westerplatte became the subject of a quasi-historical dispute, which Dr. Janusz Marszalec from the Institute of National Remembrance<\/a> summarized with the following:<\/p>\n

„It (the dispute) centres on the question of who commanded the defence of Westerplatte, Maj. Henryk Sucharski<\/a> or Cpt. D\u0105browski. Interestingly, this dispute does not involve historians since it is not taking place as an academic debate. It is the domain of disputes of people passionate about history on the internet and in the press, in an atmosphere of gradual and consistent repetition of various unconfirmed sources. They tend to fall into emotional states of elevation and passion, during which it is difficult to apply the principles of sine ira et studio<\/a>. This dispute has gone so far beyond its narrow circle of fans of the internet, moving into the mass media as a dispute over a film script and the spending of public money on a film which aims to show the new ‚truth‘ about the defence of Westerplatte. Without a detailed analysis of this project, one can only stress that it has nothing in common with the confirmed state of knowledge about the history of the defence of the WST Westerplatte in September 1939….Regardless of the disputes, Sucharski<\/a> and the two hundred other defenders of the WST will remain in the circle of good memory, regardless of whether they wanted to defend it to their last bullet, or whether they contemplated putting down arms already after 12 hours of the first shot of the Schleswig-Holstein on 1 September 1939.“[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Already during the war the defense of Westerplatte served as an inspiration for the Polish Army and people as the successful German advances continued elsewhere and even today is still regarded as a symbol of resistance to the invasion; a Polish Thermopylae<\/a>.[14]<\/a><\/sup> The Polish poet Konstanty Ildefons Ga\u0142czy\u0144ski<\/a> wrote a widely known poem about this battle, Pie\u015b\u0144 o \u017co\u0142nierzach Westerplatte<\/em> („A Song of the Soldiers of Westerplatte“). The poem reflected a widespread Polish myth of the later years of the WWII<\/a> that all of defenders died in the battle, fighting to the last man.[15]<\/a><\/sup> A Polish People’s Army<\/a> military unit was named in 1943 in memory of the soldiers (Polish 1st Armoured Brigade of the defenders of Westerplatte<\/a>). In the years after war, several dozen schools and several ships in Poland were also named after the „Heroes of Westerplatte“ or „Defenders of Westerplatte“. The ruins of the peninsula’s barracks and guardhouses still survive today. After the war one of the guardhouses, which had actually been moved several hundred yards inland, was converted into a museum<\/a>; two shells from the Schleswig-Holstein‘<\/em>s 280\u00a0mm guns prop up its entrance.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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1 wrze\u015bnia o godz. 4:45 rano niemiecki pancernik „Schleswig-Holstein<\/a>“ otworzy\u0142 ogie\u0144 z dziobowej wie\u017cy artyleryjskiej kal. 280 mm, skierowany na polsk\u0105 plac\u00f3wk\u0119. Gdy ogromne, wa\u017c\u0105ce 330 kg, pociski eksplodowa\u0142y, w powietrze wylecia\u0142a brama kolejowa oraz fragmenty muru[9]<\/a><\/sup>. Chwil\u0119 potem polski posterunek zosta\u0142 zaatakowany przez kompani\u0119 SS-„Heimwehr Danzig“<\/a> oraz oddzia\u0142 szturmowy piechoty morskiej<\/a> (3. Kompania Morskia „Sto\u00dftrupp“), zaokr\u0119towany wcze\u015bniej na niemieckiej jednostce[1]<\/a><\/sup>. Podczas pierwszego ataku na Westerplatte, Niemcy skoncentrowali swoje natarcie na plac\u00f3wk\u0119 „Prom“, jednak gdy Polacy wytoczyli dzia\u0142o kal. 75 mm<\/a> na stanowisko ko\u0142o elektrowni i zniszczyli dzi\u0119ki niemu kilka gniazd niemieckich karabin\u00f3w maszynowych oraz odparli atak na plac\u00f3wk\u0119 „Prom“ i zniszczyli plac\u00f3wk\u0119 gda\u0144skiej policji przy murze, Niemcy dali za wygran\u0105 i wycofali si\u0119 po 90 minutach walk[10]<\/a><\/sup>. O godz. 4:50 mjr Henryk Sucharski<\/a>, komendant Wojskowej Sk\u0142adnicy Tranzytowej w Westerplatte<\/a> w Wolnym Mie\u015bcie Gda\u0144sku<\/a> raportowa\u0142 Dow\u00f3dztwu Floty<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Po fiasku pierwszego natarcia Niemcy przygotowywali si\u0119 do drugiego. Nawa\u0142a ogniowa<\/a> „Schleswiga-Holsteina<\/a>“ by\u0142a jednak tym razem d\u0142u\u017csza. Skierowana ona by\u0142a w kierunku plac\u00f3wki „Prom“, kt\u00f3ra zada\u0142a najwi\u0119ksze straty Niemcom podczas pierwszego natarcia. Podczas drugiego ataku przetrzebion\u0105 kompani\u0119 szturmow\u0105 Kriegsmarine<\/a> wspar\u0142 pluton z formacji SS-„Heimwehr Danzig“<\/a> uderzaj\u0105cy od strony pla\u017cy. Podczas gdy Niemcy zbli\u017cali si\u0119 do „Promu“, por. Leon Paj\u0105k<\/a> rozkaza\u0142 otworzy\u0107 ogie\u0144 mo\u017adzierzom<\/a> rozlokowanym ko\u0142o koszar. Ich celny ogie\u0144 rozproszy\u0142 i odrzuci\u0142 napastnik\u00f3w. W tym samym czasie „Schleswig-Holstein“ znowu otworzy\u0142 ogie\u0144, jeden z od\u0142amk\u00f3w jego pocisk\u00f3w ci\u0119\u017cko zrani\u0142 por. Paj\u0105ka, kt\u00f3ry zda\u0142 dow\u00f3dztwo chor. Janowi Gryczmanowi<\/a>. Inne pociski „Schleswiga-Holsteina“ ci\u0119\u017cko uszkodzi\u0142y polsk\u0105 siedemdziesi\u0105tk\u0119 pi\u0105tk\u0119<\/a>, przewracaj\u0105c j\u0105 i rozbijaj\u0105c przyrz\u0105dy celownicze. Od tego momentu niemieckie karabiny maszynowe zza kana\u0142u portowego mog\u0142y bez problem\u00f3w ostrzeliwa\u0107 Westerplatte[10]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Ponownie ruszy\u0142a niemiecka piechota. Chor. Gryczmanowi nie uda\u0142o si\u0119 jednak jej powstrzyma\u0107 i rozkaza\u0142 swoim ludziom wycofa\u0107 si\u0119 do wartowni nr 1<\/a>. Niemcy tak\u017ce zbli\u017cyli si\u0119 do tej reduty, ale wycofali si\u0119 pod celnym ogniem polskich kaem\u00f3w. Opr\u00f3cz „jedynki“ strzela\u0142y do nich tak\u017ce wartownie nr 2 i 5. W tym samym czasie za\u0142oga plac\u00f3wki „Fort“ odpiera\u0142a ataki esesman\u00f3w. Ok. godz. 12:30 drugi szturm ostatecznie za\u0142ama\u0142 si\u0119[10]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Po pora\u017ckach natar\u0107 przeprowadzonych 1 wrze\u015bnia zaskoczeni twardym oporem Polak\u00f3w Niemcy na razie zaniechali atak\u00f3w na Westerplatte, co jednak nie oznacza\u0142o, \u017ce zostawili obro\u0144c\u00f3w w spokoju. Do ko\u0144ca dnia n\u0119ka\u0142 ich ca\u0142y czas ogie\u0144 „Schleswiga-Holstiena“, baterii artylerii i mo\u017adzierzy oraz dzia\u0142ek i karabin\u00f3w maszynowych, a patrole niemieckie stara\u0142y si\u0119 odnale\u017a\u0107 s\u0142abe punkty polskiej obrony, co zmusza\u0142o za\u0142ogi wartowni i plac\u00f3wek do bezustannego bycia czujnym i przygotowanym na kolejne ataki[11]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Straty niemieckie tego dnia to 20 zabitych oraz 140 rannych \u017co\u0142nierzy. Po stronie polskiej by\u0142o czterech zabitych i 10 rannych, w tym trzech ci\u0119\u017cko[10]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Walki w dniach 2\u20137 wrze\u015bnia<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hitlerowi<\/a> i miejscowemu gauleiterowi<\/a> Forsterowi<\/a> zale\u017ca\u0142o na jak najszybszym zdobyciu Westerplatte, aby nie psu\u0107 uroczysto\u015bci z okazji w\u0142\u0105czenia Gda\u0144ska<\/a> do Rzeszy<\/a>. Z tego powodu niemieckie dow\u00f3dztwo zamierza\u0142o z\u0142ama\u0107 morale Polak\u00f3w[11]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Od 2 wrze\u015bnia Niemcy ograniczyli si\u0119 do prowadzenia atak\u00f3w rozpoznawczych, maj\u0105cych na celu wybadanie obrony polskiej[1]<\/a><\/sup>. Jeszcze tego samego dnia przed godz. 18:00 nadlecia\u0142y bombowce nurkuj\u0105ce<\/a> Ju 87 Stuka<\/a> (w sumie w nalocie wzi\u0119\u0142o udzia\u0142 blisko 60 samolot\u00f3w tego typu). Po nadleceniu nad teren Westerplatte rozpocz\u0119\u0142y one zrzuca\u0107 bomby. Nikt nie m\u00f3g\u0142 im przeszkodzi\u0107 \u2013 obro\u0144cy nie posiadali broni przeciwlotniczej. Trafiona wartownia nr 5 zamieni\u0142a si\u0119 w kup\u0119 gruz\u00f3w, pod kt\u00f3rymi \u015bmier\u0107 ponios\u0142o co najmniej sze\u015bciu obro\u0144c\u00f3w. Ci\u0119\u017cko uszkodzone zosta\u0142y tak\u017ce koszary, gdzie bomby zniszczy\u0142y kuchni\u0119 i radiostacj\u0119, zniszczone zosta\u0142y wszystkie mo\u017adzierze<\/a> i przerwana \u0142\u0105czno\u015b\u0107 telefoniczna. Nalot trwa\u0142 \u0142\u0105cznie 40 minut[11]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

W kolejnych dniach walk o Westerplatte coraz bardziej wyczerpani Polacy trwali na stanowiskach (z braku ludzi nie by\u0142o mo\u017cliwo\u015bci zluzowania obsad wartowni i plac\u00f3wek), odpieraj\u0105c niemieckie natarcia oraz znosz\u0105c ostrza\u0142 artyleryjski. Morale za\u0142ogi na kr\u00f3tko poprawi\u0142a wiadomo\u015b\u0107 o tym, i\u017c Wielka Brytania<\/a> i Francja<\/a> wypowiedzia\u0142y wojn\u0119 III Rzeszy<\/a>. Jednak pomoc, zar\u00f3wno ze strony pa\u0144stw Europy Zachodniej<\/a>, jak i Armii „Pomorze“<\/a>, nie nadchodzi\u0142a i s\u0142ab\u0142a nadzieja, \u017ce w og\u00f3le nadejdzie[11]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Tymczasem Niemcy przygotowywali si\u0119 do generalnego szturmu. 4 wrze\u015bnia do ostrzeliwania Westerplatte przyst\u0105pi\u0142y dwa torpedowce<\/a> Kriegsmarine<\/a> (T-196 oraz T-963). Niemcy \u015bci\u0105gn\u0119li tak\u017ce kompani\u0119 pionier\u00f3w<\/a> wyposa\u017con\u0105 m.in. w miotacze ognia<\/a>, a tak\u017ce ci\u0119\u017ckie mo\u017adzierze kal. 211 mm[11]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

6 wrze\u015bnia Niemcy dwukrotnie podj\u0119li pr\u00f3b\u0119 podpalenia lasu porastaj\u0105cego Westerplatte za pomoc\u0105 cystern<\/a>, wype\u0142nionych rop\u0105<\/a>, wtoczonych na teren sk\u0142adnicy po linii kolejowej. Pierwsza pr\u00f3ba zako\u0144czy\u0142a si\u0119 pora\u017ck\u0105 i zosta\u0142a powstrzymana ogniem broni maszynowej i dzia\u0142ka przeciwpancernego 37 mm<\/a>, kt\u00f3re zniszczy\u0142y cystern\u0119, a za drugim razem po\u017car nie rozprzestrzeni\u0142 si\u0119[1]<\/a>[12]<\/a><\/sup>. W tym samych dniach (2\u20136 wrze\u015bnia) teren Westerplatte by\u0142 wielokrotnie ostrzeliwany z ci\u0119\u017ckich dzia\u0142 i bombardowany przez eskadry niemieckich Ju 87 Stuka<\/a>[1]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Rankiem 7 wrze\u015bnia niemiecka artyleria rozpocz\u0119\u0142a pot\u0119\u017cn\u0105 kanonad\u0119[13]<\/a><\/sup>. Tego samego dnia na teren walki przyby\u0142y niemieckie uzupe\u0142nienia \u2013 szkolny batalion saper\u00f3w<\/a> i oddzia\u0142 policji[1]<\/a><\/sup>. Po godzinnym ostrzale do ataku ruszyli saperzy, kt\u00f3rzy za pomoc\u0105 miotaczy ognia<\/a> podpalili las, a za nimi piechota. Pociski mo\u017adzierzowe powa\u017cnie uszkodzi\u0142y wartowni\u0119 nr 2, ale polskie karabiny maszynowe jeszcze raz powstrzyma\u0142y atakuj\u0105cych[13]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

By\u0142 to jednak ostatni wysi\u0142ek obronny za\u0142ogi Westerplatte. Ok. godz. 10:15 mjr Sucharski<\/a>, kt\u00f3ry ju\u017c w poprzednich dniach domaga\u0142 si\u0119 kapitulacji, wyda\u0142 rozkaz poddania si\u0119, argumentuj\u0105c to stratami (zgin\u0119\u0142o co najmniej 20 \u017co\u0142nierzy), beznadziejnym po\u0142o\u017ceniem, wyczerpaniem \u017co\u0142nierzy, fatalnym stanem rannych[13]<\/a><\/sup> i przewag\u0105 liczebn\u0105 wroga (Niemcy dysponowali w\u00f3wczas niemal dwudziestokrotn\u0105 przewag\u0105 liczebn\u0105 nad si\u0142ami obro\u0144c\u00f3w) oraz wobec wype\u0142nienia rozkazu obrony plac\u00f3wki przez jeden dzie\u0144[1]<\/a><\/sup>. Polacy ze zdumieniem patrzyli na bia\u0142\u0105 flag\u0119<\/a> powiewaj\u0105c\u0105 nad koszarami. Cz\u0119\u015b\u0107 obro\u0144c\u00f3w chcia\u0142a walczy\u0107 dalej, ale rozkaz zosta\u0142 potwierdzony. Za\u0142oga zebra\u0142a si\u0119 przy koszarach, a mjr Sucharski z dwoma \u017co\u0142nierzami uda\u0142 si\u0119 do Niemc\u00f3w. Dow\u00f3dca wojsk niemieckich gen. Friedrich Eberhardt<\/a> w uznaniu m\u0119stwa Polak\u00f3w pozwoli\u0142 majorowi przebra\u0107 si\u0119 w mundur galowy oraz zachowa\u0107 szabl\u0119<\/a>[13]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Obrona Westerplatte mia\u0142a tak\u017ce, o czym rzadko si\u0119 wspomina w historiografii, r\u00f3wnie\u017c wymiar \u017co\u0142nierskiego dramatu. Mjr Henryk Sucharski<\/a> bowiem, po odparciu pierwszych atak\u00f3w i propagandowym zademonstrowaniu polskich praw do Gda\u0144ska<\/a>, z powodu braku jakichkolwiek nadziei na odsiecz, chcia\u0142 zako\u0144czy\u0107 nier\u00f3wny b\u00f3j[1]<\/a><\/sup>. Mjr Sucharski ca\u0142kowicie popad\u0142 w za\u0142amanie nerwowe<\/a>, kiedy Luftwaffe<\/a> przeprowadzi\u0142a nalot na Westerplatte w dniu 2 wrze\u015bnia w celu z\u0142amania morale Polak\u00f3w[1]<\/a>[11]<\/a><\/sup>. Niewiele brakowa\u0142o, aby Niemcy osi\u0105gn\u0119li wtedy sw\u00f3j cel. Ten trwaj\u0105cy 40 minut nalot powa\u017cnie nadszarpn\u0105\u0142 psychik\u0119 obro\u0144c\u00f3w. Niekt\u00f3rzy \u017co\u0142nierze porzucili wtedy stanowiska i uciekli, chroni\u0105c si\u0119 w koszarach. Rozgrywa\u0142y si\u0119 tam dramatyczne wydarzenia. Roztrz\u0119siony mjr Sucharski nakaza\u0142 wywiesi\u0107 bia\u0142\u0105 flag\u0119<\/a> na znak kapitulacji. Kryzys za\u017cegna\u0142 jego energiczny zast\u0119pca kpt. Franciszek D\u0105browski<\/a>[11]<\/a><\/sup> \u2013 zwolennik kontynuowania obrony do wyczerpania wszelkich mo\u017cliwo\u015bci oporu[1]<\/a><\/sup>. Rozkaza\u0142 zdj\u0105\u0107 flag\u0119 i odizolowa\u0107 mjr Sucharskiego do czasu, a\u017c dojdzie do siebie. D\u0105browski przej\u0105\u0142 dow\u00f3dztwo nad obron\u0105, cho\u0107 aby unikn\u0105\u0107 niepotrzebnego fermentu w szeregach, utrzymywano to w tajemnicy. Prawdopodobnie kilku \u017co\u0142nierzy odm\u00f3wi\u0142o powrotu na pozycje obronne i zosta\u0142o zastrzelonych za niesubordynacj\u0119 (Niemcy odnale\u017ali po kapitulacji groby niezidentyfikowanych obro\u0144c\u00f3w). Na szcz\u0119\u015bcie przeciwnik nie wykorzysta\u0142 momentu za\u0142amania i nie przeprowadzi\u0142 natarcia tu\u017c po nalocie, kt\u00f3re mog\u0142oby si\u0119 zako\u0144czy\u0107 upadkiem polskiej plac\u00f3wki[11]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Po bitwie<\/strong><\/p>\n

Straty niemieckie w bitwie o Westerplatte wed\u0142ug oryginalnych szacunk\u00f3w polskich wynosz\u0105 ok. 300 zabitych i 700\u20131000 rannych[14]<\/a><\/sup>, jednak wed\u0142ug nowszych danych wynosz\u0105 one oko\u0142o 300\u2013400 zabitych i rannych niemieckich \u017co\u0142nierzy, wobec 15 poleg\u0142ych i ok. 50 rannych po stronie polskich obro\u0144c\u00f3w[1]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Obro\u0144cy Westerplatte, kt\u00f3rzy wytrwali na strace\u0144czej plac\u00f3wce do 7 wrze\u015bnia, odpieraj\u0105c 13 szturm\u00f3w, sw\u0105 postaw\u0105 i determinacj\u0105 zyskali nie tylko s\u0142aw\u0119, ale i demonstracyjnie okazywany szacunek przeciwnika, co w ca\u0142ej kampanii<\/a> by\u0142o czym\u015b wyj\u0105tkowym. Niemcy nazywali nawet Westerplatte „ma\u0142ym Verdun<\/a>„, co mia\u0142o obrazowa\u0107 furi\u0119 natarcia ich \u017co\u0142nierzy na plac\u00f3wk\u0119[1]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Obro\u0144cy polegli w czasie walk<\/strong><\/p>\n

W czasie walk poleg\u0142o co najmniej 15 Polak\u00f3w, a dodatkowo jeden z nich (sier\u017c. Kazimierz Rasi\u0144ski) zosta\u0142 zamordowany w niewoli przez Gestapo<\/a> za odmow\u0119 ujawnienia szyfr\u00f3w radiowych[15]<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

Wed\u0142ug zapis\u00f3w z dziennika bojowego pancernika „Schleswig-Holstein<\/a>“ Polacy zaraz po kapitulacji podali swoje straty jako 15\u201320 zabitych. Porucznik Paj\u0105k w swojej relacji z 1945 roku poda\u0142, \u017ce straty polskie wynios\u0142y 21 \u017co\u0142nierzy. Chor\u0105\u017cy Gryczman w swojej relacji poda\u0142 straty polskie jako 20 zabitych.<\/p>\n

Z ustalonego sk\u0142adu za\u0142ogi WST los siedmiu \u017co\u0142nierzy jest nadal nieznany. Nie wiadomo, czy s\u0105 to ci nieznani z nazwisk \u017co\u0142nierze, odnalezieni na terenie Westerplatte.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. st. strz. Konstanty Jezierski (1 wrze\u015bnia \u015bmiertelnie ranny w g\u0142ow\u0119 w kabinie bojowej wartowni nr 3 od pocisku, kt\u00f3ry wpad\u0142 przez strzelnic\u0119)<\/li>\n
  2. st. sier\u017c. Wojciech Najsarek (1 wrze\u015bnia ci\u0119\u017cko ranny przy stacji PKP, odnaleziony przez Niemc\u00f3w, zmar\u0142 tego dnia w szpitalu mimo pr\u00f3b uratowania go)<\/li>\n
  3. kpr. Andrzej Kowalczyk (1 wrze\u015bnia ci\u0119\u017cko ranny, pozostawiony ok. 100 metr\u00f3w od wartowni nr 1<\/a>, prawdopodobnie \u017cywcem zasypany w leju po bombie podczas ostrza\u0142u artyleryjskiego)<\/li>\n
  4. strz. Bronis\u0142aw Uss (1 wrze\u015bnia ci\u0119\u017cko ranny ko\u0142o wartowni Schupo<\/a>, odnaleziony przez Niemc\u00f3w, zmar\u0142 tego dnia na przedpolu Westerplatte mimo pr\u00f3b uratowania go)<\/li>\n
  5. st. strz. Zygmunt Zi\u0119ba (1 wrze\u015bnia ranny od\u0142amkiem bomby w koszarach, zmar\u0142 2 wrze\u015bnia)<\/li>\n
  6. strz. W\u0142adys\u0142aw Jakubiak (2 wrze\u015bnia zgin\u0105\u0142 od wybuchu bomby przed koszarami)<\/li>\n
  7. plut. Adolf Petzelt (2 wrze\u015bnia zgin\u0105\u0142 w wartowni nr 5 w wyniku eksplozji bomby lotniczej; nigdy ju\u017c nie uda si\u0119 wyja\u015bni\u0107, ilu naprawd\u0119 \u017co\u0142nierzy zgin\u0119\u0142o w wartowni nr 5)<\/li>\n
  8. kpr. Bronis\u0142aw Perucki (jak wy\u017cej)<\/li>\n
  9. st. strz. W\u0142adys\u0142aw Okraszewski<\/li>\n
  10. st. strz. Antoni Pir\u00f3g<\/li>\n
  11. st. strz. Ignacy Zatorski<\/a><\/li>\n
  12. st. J\u00f3zef Kita<\/li>\n
  13. kpr. Jan G\u0119bura (2 wrze\u015bnia zgin\u0105\u0142 na dachu koszar, pilnuj\u0105c bia\u0142ej flagi)<\/li>\n
  14. NN (2 wrze\u015bnia rozstrzelany za wzniecenie buntu[a]<\/a><\/sup>)<\/li>\n
  15. NN (jak wy\u017cej)<\/li>\n
  16. NN (jak wy\u017cej)<\/li>\n
  17. NN (jak wy\u017cej)<\/li>\n
  18. strz. Mieczys\u0142aw Krzak (5 wrze\u015bnia zgin\u0105\u0142 w wyniku pomy\u0142ki \u2013 wzi\u0119ty za Niemca \u2013 od kuli koleg\u00f3w w nocy k. plac\u00f3wki „Fort“)<\/li>\n
  19. strz. Jan Czywil (7 wrze\u015bnia ci\u0119\u017cko ranny w szyj\u0119 i g\u0142ow\u0119 w wartowni nr 1, zmar\u0142 w niemieckim szpitalu wieczorem tego dnia)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The Battle of Westerplatte was the battle that began the Second World War in Europe. During the first week of September 1939, a Military Transit Depot (Wojskowa Sk\u0142adnica Tranzytowa, WST) on the peninsula of Westerplatte, Free City of Danzig, that was manned by fewer than 200 Polish soldiers, held out for seven days in the […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-z-dejin-polska-zaujimavosti-novinky-aktuality"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozpolonus.sk\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozpolonus.sk\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozpolonus.sk\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozpolonus.sk\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/63"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozpolonus.sk\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozpolonus.sk\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozpolonus.sk\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozpolonus.sk\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozpolonus.sk\/pl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}