Fighting in the coast of Pomerania and Hela - 1939.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more.....................................

Fighting in the coast of Pomerania and Hela.

The Polish coastal defense in September of 1939.

The struggle in Hela.

On September 9, 1939, the German troops advanced from Puck to Wielka Wieś - Hallerowo and except for some bombing there were no combat activities.

On September 10, 1939 by afternoon, the Germans attacked the positions of the 1. MD Lot Company (detachment of naval aviation) with the support of artillery and machine guns. The next morning (11 Sep) the 1. MD Lot Company reached Wielka Wieś, destroying a German patrol bike of about 30 men in the morning .

Some hours later, the German troops of at least one battalion, with artillery and air support attacked Wielka Wieś; after heavy fighting and suffered the loss of 22 men dead, the 1. Company withdrew to Chalup. After the occupation of Wielka Wieś, the attackers kept their positions and not resumed the offensive until September 23, 1939.

Sources: El papel y el lugar del Cuerpo de Frontera en los combates con los alemanes en la península Hela en septiembre de 1939.
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.p ... =28&page=1
Private Sales List-SS-HEIMWEHR DANZIG + TOTENKOPF (I'm not the owner).
Beginn des Polenfeldzuges im Kreis Bütow. http://grosstuchen.cwsurf.de/index.html
Die Geschichte der 207. und 281. Infanterie-Division.
http://2mps.w.interia.pl/zdjecia/2mps-szlak.gif
http://www.forum.eksploracja.pl/viewtop ... &sk=t&sd=a

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more.....................................

Fighting in the coast of Pomerania and Hela.

The Polish coastal defense in September of 1939.

The struggle in Hela.

Since September 15, 1939 the region of Chalup was under the command of the 10. Company’s leader, por Kazimierz Gilunia; the company was reinforced by a section of machine guns under the command of ppor. rez. Gerard Majba. The task that received the subunit was to slow the German advance through successive delay line. The rifle Platoon led by ppor Władysław Hess reinforced with two machine guns, two 81 mm mortars and two 45 mm grenade launcher occupied the first defensive position about 700 meters west of leśniczówki. The 92 soldiers under Hess should slow down the enemy and retreat to the position of the Frontier Guard’s Platoon under ppor. Jan Kolak.

Other parts of the Company - Platoon of ppor. Bitner - occupied a position near Chalup school. In the school established its CP por. Gilunia. Reconnaissance patrols sent to the front had reported that the Germans were to the east of Wielkiej, doing work of engineers from the Gulf of Puck to the sea.

After conquering Kępy Oksywskiej on September 19, 1939, the enemy was prepared to resume the offensive in the peninsula by increasing the number of ground troops (mainly Grenzwatchregiment 42 and IR 374) aviation and naval forces. From that day it were intensified the fire and activity of the enemy against the Polish positions indicating that it was ready to resume the offensive.

Sources: El papel y el lugar del Cuerpo de Frontera en los combates con los alemanes en la península Hela en septiembre de 1939.
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.p ... =28&page=1
Private Sales List-SS-HEIMWEHR DANZIG + TOTENKOPF (I'm not the owner).
Beginn des Polenfeldzuges im Kreis Bütow. http://grosstuchen.cwsurf.de/index.html
Die Geschichte der 207. und 281. Infanterie-Division.
http://2mps.w.interia.pl/zdjecia/2mps-szlak.gif
http://www.forum.eksploracja.pl/viewtop ... &sk=t&sd=a

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more.....................................

Fighting in the coast of Pomerania and Hela.

The Polish coastal defense in September of 1939.

The struggle in Hela.

On September 23, 1939 began the next phase in the struggle for the peninsula, around 14:00 hours and after an artillery fire which lasted two hours, two infantry Platoons supported by heavy machine guns went to the attack against the defensive positions of the 10. Company, but the maneuver did not succeed.

On September 26, 1939, German artillery bombarded the Polish front line. The following day, Sep 27 of 1939, between 08:00 and 12:00 hours the line ship "Schlesien" crushed the Polish positions located between Chalup and Juraty. Around 12:30 hours began a new attack on the first line’s position. After 40 minutes of struggle the German attack was rejected.

Sources: El papel y el lugar del Cuerpo de Frontera en los combates con los alemanes en la península Hela en septiembre de 1939.
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.p ... =28&page=1
Private Sales List-SS-HEIMWEHR DANZIG + TOTENKOPF (I'm not the owner).
Beginn des Polenfeldzuges im Kreis Bütow. http://grosstuchen.cwsurf.de/index.html
Die Geschichte der 207. und 281. Infanterie-Division.
http://2mps.w.interia.pl/zdjecia/2mps-szlak.gif
http://www.forum.eksploracja.pl/viewtop ... &sk=t&sd=a

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more.....................................

Fighting in the coast of Pomerania and Hela.

The Polish coastal defense in September of 1939.

The struggle in Hela.

On September 30, 1939 the first Polish position was shelled between 08:00 and 12:15 hours, then the German infantry pressed forward again. The 10. Company was compelled to retreat to the second position and then followed up to the fourth defensive position.

Around 16:00 hours por. Wieckowski detonated the torpedo warheads installed in the second position as improvised explosive devices to slow down the enemy advance in the Area of Kuznica. These explosions not only caused losses but also panic and confusion in the ranks of the attacker, as a result the German advance was again halted. The next morning, German soldiers moved carefully and reached Kuźnicy.

Sources: El papel y el lugar del Cuerpo de Frontera en los combates con los alemanes en la península Hela en septiembre de 1939.
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.p ... =28&page=1
Private Sales List-SS-HEIMWEHR DANZIG + TOTENKOPF (I'm not the owner).
Beginn des Polenfeldzuges im Kreis Bütow. http://grosstuchen.cwsurf.de/index.html
Die Geschichte der 207. und 281. Infanterie-Division.
http://2mps.w.interia.pl/zdjecia/2mps-szlak.gif
http://www.forum.eksploracja.pl/viewtop ... &sk=t&sd=a

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more.....................................

Fighting in the coast of Pomerania and Hela.

The Polish coastal defense in September of 1939.

The struggle in Hela. The End.

In the fighting in the Hela Peninsula also took part the Border Guard soldiers belonging to the Commissariat of SG "Hel" and the Coast Guard fleet under the command of por. Wieckowski, who joined the Battalion "Hel" under the command of Mjr. Jan Wiśniewski.

Moreover, on September 10th withdrew to Hela from the Lake Żarnowiecki in Station SG "Goszczyno" a secion of border guards under the command of ppor. SG Aleksandr Ciężak. It joined the 1. Border Guard Company.

On August 24, 1939 the Coast Guard fleet had been mobilized under the command of Commander of the RU "Hel" kmdr. Włodzimier Steyerow composed by the ship "Batory" and the patrol vessels "Kaszuba" and "Mazur." The fleet carried out auxiliary functions and since September 10, 1939 came to reinforce the ground troops. The patrol vessels "Kaszuba" and "Mazur" did not succeed in breaking the naval blockade, but the "Batory" made it to Sweden.

On October 1, 1939 at 14:00 was a cease-fire in the peninsula and kmdr Marian Majewski together with Kpt. Antoni Kasztelan went to parley with the German forces as a result of this negotiations Hela capitulated on October 2, 1939 at 11:00 am.

Sources: El papel y el lugar del Cuerpo de Frontera en los combates con los alemanes en la península Hela en septiembre de 1939.
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.p ... =28&page=1
Private Sales List-SS-HEIMWEHR DANZIG + TOTENKOPF (I'm not the owner).
Beginn des Polenfeldzuges im Kreis Bütow. http://grosstuchen.cwsurf.de/index.html
Die Geschichte der 207. und 281. Infanterie-Division.
http://2mps.w.interia.pl/zdjecia/2mps-szlak.gif
http://www.forum.eksploracja.pl/viewtop ... &sk=t&sd=a

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more.....................................

Fighting in the coast of Pomerania and Hela.

two pictures.

Sources: El papel y el lugar del Cuerpo de Frontera en los combates con los alemanes en la península Hela en septiembre de 1939.
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.p ... =28&page=1
Private Sales List-SS-HEIMWEHR DANZIG + TOTENKOPF (I'm not the owner).
Beginn des Polenfeldzuges im Kreis Bütow. http://grosstuchen.cwsurf.de/index.html
Die Geschichte der 207. und 281. Infanterie-Division.
http://2mps.w.interia.pl/zdjecia/2mps-szlak.gif
http://www.forum.eksploracja.pl/viewtop ... &sk=t&sd=a

It's all folks. Cheers. Raúl M .

[nimbuss]

Hi Raul,

Any more info about the picture from your post on 23 Oct 2010, 18:38 ?

It looks like debris of some airplane.
I guess it is Ju 87B J9+DM from 4.(St)186(T) shot down on 14.09.39. by polish AA fire.

[tigre]

Hello nimbuss ; sorry nothing more. There isn't any caption on that picture. Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; in order to complement the fighting in the coastal region here goes a brief account of the struggle for Westerplatte...................

Fighting in the coast of Pomerania, Danzig and Hela

Westerplatte – Septiembre de 1939.

After Poland had recovered its independence in 1918, it was guaranteed to the new state the establishment of a military garrison in the Westerplatte in order to guard by the Polish interests in the port of the free city of Danzig.

By Resolution of the Council of the League of Nations dated on December 09 of 1925 a total force of 88 Polish soldiers was authorized as garrison there (2 Offrs, 20 NCOs and 66 Enlisted Men). As the relations Germans-Poles tightened the number of troops was raised to 182 men, being this the manpower on September 01 of 1939. The task of the Polish garrison was to resist during 6 hours (soon it rose to 12 hours) until the arrival of reinforcements.

Fuentes: The German Campaign in Poland 1939. Army Pamphlet Nº 255.
WESTERPLATTE FIGHTS ON. SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1945.
Anexo 31 Westerplatte. http://www.polish-online.com/geschichte-polen/index.php
Wehrmacht. Die Wehrmacht. Der Freiheitskampf des großdeutschen Volkes. 2. Aufl. 1940. 2 WK Weltkrieg Frankreich
Militär-Fotoalbum: Marine,Beschuß der Westerplatte,2.WK
http://www.flusspioniere-schierstein.de ... _henke.pdf
groß_Nachlass-Danzig-Polen 1939-Kronik + 60 org_Fotos!! bei eBay_de 1918-1945 (endet 04_09_09 182000 MESZ)
http://www.nexusboard.net/sitemap/6365/ ... 9-t297266/
http://forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index. ... 658.0.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8).

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...................

Fighting in the coast of Pomerania, Danzig and Hela

Westerplatte – Septiembre de 1939.

On August 25 of 1939 arrived at the free city in a courtesy visit the ship of the Kriegsmarine “Schlesvig-Holstein”; it was moored in the Neufahrwasser to the other side of Westerplatte.

To the joy of the inhabitants of Danzig and with the help of the tugs “Albert Forster" and "Danzig" the ship of the Kriegsmarine "Schlesvig-Holstein" came up and docked in the port of the Free City.

Sources: The German Campaign in Poland 1939. Army Pamphlet Nº 255.
WESTERPLATTE FIGHTS ON. SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1945.
Anexo 31 Westerplatte. http://www.polish-online.com/geschichte-polen/index.php
Wehrmacht. Die Wehrmacht. Der Freiheitskampf des großdeutschen Volkes. 2. Aufl. 1940. 2 WK Weltkrieg Frankreich
Militär-Fotoalbum: Marine,Beschuß der Westerplatte,2.WK
http://www.flusspioniere-schierstein.de ... _henke.pdf
groß_Nachlass-Danzig-Polen 1939-Kronik + 60 org_Fotos!! bei eBay_de 1918-1945 (endet 04_09_09 182000 MESZ)
http://www.nexusboard.net/sitemap/6365/ ... 9-t297266/
http://forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index. ... 658.0.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[RG]

Hello to all ; something more.....................................

Fighting in the coast of Pomerania and Hela.

The Polish coastal defense in September of 1939.

The struggle in Hela. The End.

In the fighting in the Hela Peninsula also took part the Border Guard soldiers belonging to the Commissariat of SG "Hel" and the Coast Guard fleet under the command of por. Wieckowski, who joined the Battalion "Hel" under the command of Mjr. Jan Wiśniewski.

Moreover, on September 10th withdrew to Hela from the Lake Żarnowiecki in Station SG "Goszczyno" a secion of border guards under the command of ppor. SG Aleksandr Ciężak. It joined the 1. Border Guard Company.

On August 24, 1939 the Coast Guard fleet had been mobilized under the command of Commander of the RU "Hel" kmdr. Włodzimier Steyerow composed by the ship "Batory" and the patrol vessels "Kaszuba" and "Mazur." The fleet carried out auxiliary functions and since September 10, 1939 came to reinforce the ground troops. The patrol vessels "Kaszuba" and "Mazur" did not succeed in breaking the naval blockade, but the "Batory" made it to Sweden.

On October 1, 1939 at 14:00 was a cease-fire in the peninsula and kmdr Marian Majewski together with Kpt. Antoni Kasztelan went to parley with the German forces as a result of this negotiations Hela capitulated on October 2, 1939 at 11:00 am.

Sources: El papel y el lugar del Cuerpo de Frontera en los combates con los alemanes en la península Hela en septiembre de 1939.
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.p ... =28&page=1
Private Sales List-SS-HEIMWEHR DANZIG + TOTENKOPF (I'm not the owner).
Beginn des Polenfeldzuges im Kreis Bütow. http://grosstuchen.cwsurf.de/index.html
Die Geschichte der 207. und 281. Infanterie-Division.
http://2mps.w.interia.pl/zdjecia/2mps-szlak.gif
http://www.forum.eksploracja.pl/viewtop ... &sk=t&sd=a

Cheers. Raúl M .

A photo with a caption „Hel-Oct 1939” was taken not in Hel but in Gdynia. In the foreground there is “Canet” gun (100 or 102 mm), in the background there is seen an archaic silhouette of the “Baltyk” cruiser, former French cruiser “D’Entrecastreux”. In Polish service she was disarmed and without engines.

Cheers

R

[tigre]

Thanks R ; as you pointed us and after seeing some maps I guess it was taken at some dot close to Oksywie. Cheers. Raúl M .

[Sid Guttridge]

Regarding the SA in Danzig.

It seems that the three SA-Standarte had no autonomous military role in 1939, largely because their best manpower had been taken over by the army and used to form most of Brigade Eberhart. This SA connection was recognized when Brigade Eberhart became 60th Motorized Infantry Division after the Polish Campaign. It and its successor, the Feldherrnhalle Division, were the only German Army formations that had recognized SA affiliations.

I suspect that 6. SA-Reiter Standarte may have contributed towards Brigade Eberhart's reconnaissance company, but have no evidence for this.

The SA units that definitely did take up positions on Danzig's land and sea borders were the Verstarker Grenzaufsichsichstdienst Bataillon (which may be the same as SA-Grenzwacht Btl. "Hacker"), and SA-Marinesturmbann Kustenschutz Danzig (270 ludzi + 2 działka 20mm).

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...................

Fighting in the coast of Pomerania, Danzig and Hela

Westerplatte – September of 1939.

During the ship’s visit, the Polish garrison maintained a high degree of readiness. In fact, in the lower decks of the ship was housed the Assault Company of the Navy (Marinestosstrupp Kp) under orders of Oberleutnant Henningsen, this subunit had been quartered in the Grammar School in Memel until August 23, 1939, after the annexation of that region by the III. Reich. The company had 225 men when it left Memel towards Danzig on August 24, 1939. Once at the port, Oberleutnant Henningsen had acquired 50 civilians costumes, which were dressed by turns by the members of the subunit to disembark from the ship.

As stated before, on August 25, 1939 at 16:00 hours the ship docked at Danzig and at 17:00 hours came aboard the President of the Senate of the city, Arthur Greiser and shortly thereafter the Chief of Police of Danzig, Generalmajor Eberhardt.

Sources: The German Campaign in Poland 1939. Army Pamphlet Nº 255.
WESTERPLATTE FIGHTS ON. SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-1945.
Anexo 31 Westerplatte. http://www.polish-online.com/geschichte-polen/index.php
Wehrmacht. Die Wehrmacht. Der Freiheitskampf des großdeutschen Volkes. 2. Aufl. 1940. 2 WK Weltkrieg Frankreich
Militär-Fotoalbum: Marine,Beschuß der Westerplatte,2.WK
http://www.flusspioniere-schierstein.de ... _henke.pdf
groß_Nachlass-Danzig-Polen 1939-Kronik + 60 org_Fotos!! bei eBay_de 1918-1945 (endet 04_09_09 182000 MESZ)
http://www.nexusboard.net/sitemap/6365/ ... 9-t297266/
http://forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index. ... 658.0.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[henryk]

tigre said:

During the the ship’s visit, the Polish garrison maintained a high degree of readiness. In fact, in the lower decks of the ship was housed the Assault Company of the Navy (Marinestosstrupp Kp) under orders of Oberleutnant Henningsen, this subunit had been quartered in the Grammar School in Memel until August 23, 1939, after the annexation of that region by the III. Reich. The company had 225 men when left Memel towards Danzig on August 24, 1939. Once at the port, Oberleutnant Henningsen had acquired 50 civilians costumes, which were dressed by turns by the members of the subunit to disembark from the ship.

Are there any Polish Intelligence reports available about this large number of "civilians" leaving the ship?