Luftwaffe

The Luftwaffe gained air superiority early in the campaign. By destroying communications, the Luftwaffe increased the pace of the advance which overran Polish airstrips and early warning sites and causing logistical problems for the Poles. Many Polish Air Force units ran low on supplies, 98 of their number withdrew into then-neutral Romania. The Polish initial strength of 400 was reduced to just 54 by September 14 and air opposition virtually ceased.

The Luftwaffe forces consisted of 1,180 fighter aircraft: 290 Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers, 1,100 conventional bombers. In total, Germany had close to 4,000 aircraft, all up to modern standards. Due to its prior participation in the Spanish Civil War, the Luftwaffe was probably the most experienced, best trained and best equipped air force in the world in 1939.

Battle of the Border

At 08:00 hours, September 1st, German troops, still without a formal declaration of war issued, attacked near the Polish town of Mokra beginning series of battles collectively called the Battle of the Border. Later that day, the Germans opened fronts along Poland's western, southern and northern borders, while German aircraft began raids on Polish cities.

The main routes of attack led eastwards from Germany proper through the western Polish border. A second route carried supporting attacks from East Prussia in the north, and a co-operative German-Slovak attack by units from the territory of the German-allied Slovakia in the south. All three assaults converged on the Polish capital of Warsaw.

The Battle of the Border included the following battles:
- Defense of the Polish Post Office in Danzig - September 1st
- Battle of Chojnice- September 1st
- Skirmish of Krojanty - September 1st
- Battle of Royal Forests - September 1st
- Battle of Mokra - September 1st
- Battle of Pszczyna - September 1-4
- Battle of Grudziądz - September 1-3
- Battle of Mława and Ciechanow - September 1-4
- Battle of Jordanów - September 2nd
- Battle of Węgierska Górka - September 1-3
- Battle of Tuchola Forest - September 1-5
- Battle of Borowa Góra - September 2-5
- Battle of Westerplatte - September 1-7
- Battle of Różan - September 4-6
- Battle of Tomaszów Mazowiecki - September 6th
- Battle of Wizna - September 7-10
- Battle of Hel - September 1st to October 2nd

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Battle of Mokra

The Battle of Mokra took place on September 1, 1939 near the village of Mokra, north-west of Częstochowa, Poland. It started at 8:00 am and ended around 5:00 pm. It was one of the first battles of the Invasion of Poland, of the Second World War and one of the few Polish victories of that campaign.

The losses on both sides were high. The Germans lost approximately 800 men (killed, missing, captured or seriously wounded), and between 100 and 160 AFVs (at least 50 of them tanks). The Polish brigade lost 200 killed and 300 wounded, as well as 300 horses and several guns.

September 1, 1939 4:40 - first "war crime" of WWII

The war's first "war crime" committed by the German Luftwaffe took place on September 1st. 1939 in town of Wieluń. The air raid started about five minutes before the shelling of Westerplatte, which has traditionally been considered the beginning of World War II. The bombing of Wieluń is considered as one of the first terror bombings in history.

There were no military or industrial targets of note in the area, except for a small sugar factory in the outskirts of the town. German bombers destroyed 90% of the town center and killed approximately 1,200 civilians, about 8% of the town's population of 15,000. Among the first targets was the hospital (despite a huge Red Cross sign painted on the roof). Some eyewitnesses claimed that the German planes strafed civilians who were fleeing through the streets.

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September 1, 1939 4:45am - The Battle of Westerplatte

On September 1, 1939, at 0445 local time, as Germany began its invasion of Poland, Schleswig-Holstein started to shell the Polish garrison on Westerplatte near the city of Gdansk. The Battle of Westerplatte was the very first battle of the war. It lasted 7 days. 182 Polish soldiers fought 3,500 German soldiers.

Read more on Wikipedia: Battle of Westerplatte

Below you can see an authentic footage of the attack. (Audio is edited.)