Gallery

 

Hitler has finally made up his mind. Alter the false start and recall of 26th August, he has selected the first of September as the attack date on Poland. He planned, for historical reasons, to open the conflict at the Westerplatte, a peninsula opposite Neufahrwasser, between the Vistula and the Bay of Danzig. The League of Nations allowed the Poles to use the Westerplatte as an ammunition transfer point, and the Germans couldn’t object. The Paris Convention of 9 November, 1920, required Poland to accept joint management of the Port of Danzig with the Free City authorities, resulting in the establishm ent of the Port and Waterways Board. Even though the Paris Convention offered Poland the rights to import all goods, including ammunition and supplies through the port of Danzig, the dockers objected and went on strike in August, 1920. They refused to unload ships bringing in military supplies for Poland, causing the Polish government to send a small detachment of troops to Danzig to supervise the handling. In Geneva, the Polish representative to the League of Nations worked diligently to secure a separate site for the establishment of an ammunition depot. On the 14th of March, 1924, the League ‘s Council decided on a site on the Westerplatte, which was offered for unlimited duration, free of charge.

Development of Westerplatte
Alter the official turnover on 31 October, 1925, work immediately began on nineteen storehouses for ammunition, a dock for ships and the construction of railroad track to Danzig. The costs were split between Danzig and Poland. A red brick wall, which played a part in the siege, was constructed to separate the establishlishment from the eastern end of the peninsula. There were no hardened installat ions in the compound, and the small contingent was required to be constantly on guard, especially after the expansion of Hitlers SA detatchments in the Free City. The hand-picked Polish guards were required

 
Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 84 - July - August - Sept - 1994, Page 3.