WAR- 69 years ago....

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Although German sources maintain that up to 5:45 A.M. on 1st September the German forces stationed along the frontier had Hitler's orders to do no more than use covering fire, in reality the war was started by an unexpected raid of the German air force at 4:40 A.M. on that day. Bombs were dropped: on Rumja, Puck, the port of Gdynia, Grudziadz, Torun, Chojnice, Tczew, Plock, Lodz, Czestochowa, Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Radom, Biala Podlaska, Katowice, Krakow, Lwow, Brzesc, Terespol, Krosno, and Warsaw. In addition there was less intensive bombing of places in the western frontier districts.

The first targets were aerodromes, military bases, training centres, and flying clubs. The second wave aimed at the destruction of railway junctions and lines east to west and those linking southern Poland with Gdynia. Already in the first six hours of this day all transport movements to and from the front on the left bank of the Vistula, and which were visible from the air, were attacked by the German air force.

The first operations therefore were carried out strictly according to the thesis of General Duhet, interpreted in Germany by General Wever, that mastery of the air is to be gained and ground organisation to be struck at.

The Reich Government informed the Polish Government through Holland that the German air force would not attack open towns and the civilian population. An identical declaration was made by Hitler in his speech to the Reichstag on 1st September.

At the same time there was reconnoitring of the frontier districts and the rear of the immediate Polish grouping for the information of the various German armies. Between 5 and 6 A.M. the German land forces made their attack, which was of a reconnoitring character. It resulted in a number of local successes for Polish advance formations at Myszyniec, Chojnice, Wielun, and Katowice.

more: The Defence of Poland, September 1939

YouTube - Poland in the Second World War- first to fight