Battle of the Border

Lore & Background

The series of battles ended in a German victory, as Polish forces were either destroyed or forced to retreat. The battle began around 05:00 on 1 September 1939, as German troops started crossing the Polish border in numerous places. The false flag Operation Himmler had begun hours earlier. By 6 September, Polish forces were in retreat, and Marshal of Poland Edward Rydz-Śmigły ordered all troops to fall back to secondary lines of defences at the Vistula and San rivers.

Reader's Guide

The Battle of the Border included battles such as the Defense of the Polish Post Office in Danzig, Battle of Chojnice, Skirmish of Krojanty, Battle of Lasy Królewskie, Battle of Mokra, Defense of Katowice, Battle of Pszczyna, Battle of Grudziądz, Battle of Mława and Ciechanow, Battle of Jordanów, Raid on Fraustadt, Battle of Węgierska Górka, Battle of Tuchola Forest, Battle of Borowa Góra, Battle of Westerplatte, Battle of Różan, Battle of Piotrków Trybunalski, Battle of Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Battle of Wizna, and Battle of Hel.

Did You Know?

• The Battle of the Border is not related to the Minnesota Wild hockey team.
• The first action of the war is identified by some historians as the bombing of the key Tczew bridge around 04:30 on 1 September.
• The Battle of Westerplatte is often described as the first battle of the war, beginning at 04:45 with salvos from SMS Schleswig-Holstein.