The FIRST SHOTS of WW2
September 1, 2024
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0:55Now PlayingThe FIRST SHOTS of WW2
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as posted by the channelThe outmoded German battleship Schleswig-Holstein (constructed in 1906) fired the first shots of WW2. That happened at the port of Danzig (now Gdańsk) on the morning of September 1, 1939 when the crew shelled the Polish defensive positions on the Westerplatte Peninsula, marking the commencement of the war.
Following the initial bombardment from the Schleswig-Holstein, Wojciech Najsarek, the stationmaster of Gdańsk-Westerplatte station and a volunteer soldier, attempted to reach the Polish lines but was detected and killed by the advancing Germans. Najsarek became the first Polish soldier to perish in the conflict.
The ensuing Battle of Westerplatte marked the start of World War II. German forces attacked the Polish military outpost. Despite being heavily outnumbered and outgunned, Polish defenders resisted for seven days. This battle together with one at the post office in the city symbolize Polish resistance against Nazi aggression.
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