Land Coastal Defence
Encyclopedia
Land Coastal Defence commanded by Colonel Stanisław Dąbek (land forces), was an important unit tasked with the defence of Poland
's Baltic Sea
coast during the 1939 invasion.
-based military area command led by General Władysław Bortnowski (Armia Pomorze), but was later reassigned from Armia Pomorze to the Polish Navy
, and received orders directly from Counter-Admiral Józef Unrug
. Its first commander was Col. Józef Sass-Hoszowski and, after July 23, 1939, Col. Stanisław Dąbek. It was part of the Coastal Defence Group (Grupa Obrony Wybrzeża), tasked with organizing the defence of the Polish seashore, as well as the borders with Nazi Germany
and Danzig
, and the preparation of the defence of the Polish naval bases and mobilization centres (Gdynia
, Oksywie
, Hel
, Westerplatte
. LOW was to defend Gdynia and Oksywie; Hel and Westerplatte had their own dedicated formations under the Coastal Defence Group. LOW's task was to defend the most important of Polish mobilization centers around Gdynia - the major Polish port - for about 8-10 days, after which it was expected to be relieved by a Polish Army counterattack. As it was clear that the Polish defenders of the so-called Polish Corridor
would be at least temporarily cut off from the Polish mainland, the defence was organized into several fortified lines that were to shield the naval base of the Hel Peninsula
and the city of Gdynia from all sides.
LOW numbered about 15,000 troops with limited artillery (about 40 40-105mm artillery pieces, plus some anti-aircraft guns).
from 8 to 15 September, then retreated to Kępa Oksywska, which was defended
until 19 September.
Several well-known battles on the Polish coast in September 1939 - such as the Battle of Westerplatte
, the Defence of the Polish Post in Danzig and the Battle of Hel
- did not involve LOW troops.
LOW sustained about 5,000 casualties (2,000 dead, 3,000 wounded); that is, about 33% of its original strength. 75% of Polish forces in the coastal area were under Land Coastal Defence supervision; 95% of the Polish casualties in that region were LOW troops.
The remainder of the Polish forces, including the improvised units, the mobilized Police
, Border Guards, Border Defence Corps and some volunteers, were to defend the outskirts of Gdynia and the Oksywie
Heights (German Oxhöft). Anti-air defence was provided by the 1st and 2nd battalion of AA artillery, with 14 75 mm guns wz.22/24 and 14 40 mm wz. 38 guns
. Altogether, the forces subordinate to Col. Dąbek numbered ca. 15,000.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
's Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
coast during the 1939 invasion.
Before the war
LOW was at first subordinate to the ToruńTorun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
-based military area command led by General Władysław Bortnowski (Armia Pomorze), but was later reassigned from Armia Pomorze to the Polish Navy
Polish Navy
The Marynarka Wojenna Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej - MW RP Polish Navy, is the branch of Republic of Poland Armed Forces responsible for naval operations...
, and received orders directly from Counter-Admiral Józef Unrug
Józef Unrug
Józef Michał Hubert Unrug was a German-born Polish vice admiral who helped reestablish Poland's navy after World War I. During the opening stages of World War II, he served as the Polish Navy's commander.-Biography:...
. Its first commander was Col. Józef Sass-Hoszowski and, after July 23, 1939, Col. Stanisław Dąbek. It was part of the Coastal Defence Group (Grupa Obrony Wybrzeża), tasked with organizing the defence of the Polish seashore, as well as the borders with Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and Danzig
Free City of Danzig
The Free City of Danzig was a semi-autonomous city-state that existed between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig and surrounding areas....
, and the preparation of the defence of the Polish naval bases and mobilization centres (Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
, Oksywie
Oksywie
Oksywie is a neighbourhood of the city of Gdynia, Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland. Formerly a separate settlement, it is actually several centuries older than the city it is a part of currently.-Etymology:...
, Hel
Hel
Hel may refer to:* Hel , a location in Norse mythology* Hel , ruler of Hel, the location* Hel , a Swedish Viking rock band* Hel, Poland, a town on the Polish Baltic coast* Hel Peninsula, the peninsula on which the town is situated...
, Westerplatte
Westerplatte
Westerplatte is a peninsula in Gdańsk, Poland, located on the Baltic Sea coast mouth of the Dead Vistula , in the Gdańsk harbour channel...
. LOW was to defend Gdynia and Oksywie; Hel and Westerplatte had their own dedicated formations under the Coastal Defence Group. LOW's task was to defend the most important of Polish mobilization centers around Gdynia - the major Polish port - for about 8-10 days, after which it was expected to be relieved by a Polish Army counterattack. As it was clear that the Polish defenders of the so-called Polish Corridor
Polish Corridor
The Polish Corridor , also known as Danzig Corridor, Corridor to the Sea or Gdańsk Corridor, was a territory located in the region of Pomerelia , which provided the Second Republic of Poland with access to the Baltic Sea, thus dividing the bulk of Germany from the province of East...
would be at least temporarily cut off from the Polish mainland, the defence was organized into several fortified lines that were to shield the naval base of the Hel Peninsula
Hel Peninsula
Hel Peninsula |Nehrung]]) is a 35-km-long sand bar peninsula in northern Poland separating the Bay of Puck from the open Baltic Sea. It is located in Puck County of the Pomeranian Voivodeship.- Geography :...
and the city of Gdynia from all sides.
LOW numbered about 15,000 troops with limited artillery (about 40 40-105mm artillery pieces, plus some anti-aircraft guns).
Wartime performance
After the Germans destroyed most of the Armia Pomorze by 5 September in the Battle of Tuchola Forest, LOW was separated from the majority of Polish forces. Faced with the numerically and technically superior German forces (numbering about twice as many soldiers, and supported by heavy artillery, tanks and aircraft), LOW defended GdyniaBattle of Gdynia
Battle of Gdynia was one of the major battles in northern Poland during the Invasion of Poland of 1939. The Germans' main push towards Gdynia began on 8 September and they captured Gdynia less than a week later on 14 September.- Before the battle :...
from 8 to 15 September, then retreated to Kępa Oksywska, which was defended
Battle of Kepa Oksywska
The Battle of Kępa Oksywska took place in the Oksywie Heights outside of the city of Gdynia between September 10 and September 19, 1939. The battle, fought by the Polish Army and the German Wehrmacht, was part of the Polish September Campaign during World War II...
until 19 September.
Several well-known battles on the Polish coast in September 1939 - such as the Battle of Westerplatte
Battle of Westerplatte
The Battle of Westerplatte was the very first battle that took place after Germany invaded Poland and World War II began in Europe. During the first week of September 1939, a Military Transit Depot on the peninsula of Westerplatte, manned by fewer than 200 Polish soldiers, held out for seven days...
, the Defence of the Polish Post in Danzig and the Battle of Hel
Battle of Hel
The Battle of Hel was one of the longest battles of the Invasion of Poland during World War II.The Hel Peninsula, together with the town of Hel, was the pocket of Polish Army resistance that held out the longest against the German invasion...
- did not involve LOW troops.
LOW sustained about 5,000 casualties (2,000 dead, 3,000 wounded); that is, about 33% of its original strength. 75% of Polish forces in the coastal area were under Land Coastal Defence supervision; 95% of the Polish casualties in that region were LOW troops.
Organization
The units of LOW included:- WejherowoWejherowoWejherowo is a town in Gdańsk Pomerania, northern Poland, with 47,435 inhabitants . It has been the capital of Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999; previously, it was a town in Gdańsk Voivodeship .-History:...
Independent Detachment (Odział Wydzielony Wejherowo; west of WejherowoWejherowoWejherowo is a town in Gdańsk Pomerania, northern Poland, with 47,435 inhabitants . It has been the capital of Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999; previously, it was a town in Gdańsk Voivodeship .-History:...
) under Lt. Col. Kazimierz Pruszkowski- 1st Marine Rifles Regiment
- PuckPuck, PolandPuck is a town in northwestern Poland with 11,350 inhabitants. It is in Gdańsk Pomerania on the south coast of the Baltic Sea . Previously in the Gdańsk Voivodeship , Puck has been the capital of Puck County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999.-History:The settlement became a marketplace...
National Defence Battalion
- Redłowo Independent Detachment (Odział Wydzielony Redłowo; south of GdyniaGdyniaGdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
) under Lt. Col. Ignacy Szpunar- 2nd Marine Rifles Regiment
- 1st Reserve Infantry Battalion
- KartuzyKartuzyKartuzy is a town in the historic Eastern Pomerania region of northwestern Poland, located about west of Gdańsk with a population of 15,472...
Independent Detachment (Odział Wydzielony Kartuzy) under Captain Marian Mordawski- Gdynia II National Defence Battalion
- Kartuzy National Defence Battalion
- Gdynia I National Defence Battalion (near KoleczkowoKoleczkowoKoleczkowo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Szemud, within Wejherowo County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately east of Szemud, south-east of Wejherowo, and north-west of the regional capital Gdańsk....
)
The remainder of the Polish forces, including the improvised units, the mobilized Police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, Border Guards, Border Defence Corps and some volunteers, were to defend the outskirts of Gdynia and the Oksywie
Oksywie
Oksywie is a neighbourhood of the city of Gdynia, Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland. Formerly a separate settlement, it is actually several centuries older than the city it is a part of currently.-Etymology:...
Heights (German Oxhöft). Anti-air defence was provided by the 1st and 2nd battalion of AA artillery, with 14 75 mm guns wz.22/24 and 14 40 mm wz. 38 guns
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
. Altogether, the forces subordinate to Col. Dąbek numbered ca. 15,000.
Quote
- Polish soldiers fought gallantly, and they did not spare blood. The area of Gdynia and Danzig was defended by the elite of the Polish armed forces. Those [sic] were young and inspired units of the navy and army, which fought admirably. On the plateau of Oxhöft we found trenches filled with dead Polish soldiers, who fell by [the] hundreds where they fought, with rifles still in their hands. It was apparent, that they fought to the bitter end. from F. O. Busch, Unsere Kriegsmarine im Polnischen Feldzughttp://ww2.boom.ru/Polish/defence.html