It's the 1st of September 1939, in the Free City of Gdansk, known as Danzig by the attacking Germans. Over 180 soldiers and 3 armoured cars from the SS and Danzig Schutzpolizei pour into a street surrounding a local Polish post office. Inside the Poles spring into action. Around 40 postal workers with military experience get hold of carbines and grenades, and three light machine guns are set up by the entryways under the lead of Lieutenant Konrad Guderski. Between all civilian post office director, Jan Michon, leads the other civilian workers into the relative safety of the basement. Then, it all falls quiet, the men are in position, and the enemy stands outside. A single figure approaches, moving across the plaza and straight for the door. SS commander Willie Bethke. He shouts, "an offer of surrender! Give back the building to the city it was stolen from, and bloodshed can be avoided!" Neither Guderski nor any of his men buy it. They've experienced the German hatred towards the Poles. and they know the Polish army is ready at the border of the Free City to fight back against any hostilities. They just need to hold out for them. To hell with surrender, they'll fight. Guderski gives control of the frontal defences to deputy Alfons Flisykowski. And focuses his attention on the rear where he expects the real attack will come from. A second building stands to the right behind the post office making for a much better position to launch an assault than the open plaza on the main gate. The standoff holds for 45 excruciating minutes until suddenly in the distance a warship opens fire on the Polish sections of the port. The explosions signal the beginning of the Second World War. The armored cars roll forward with huddles of SS soldiers following behind them. Within the building Flisykowski orders "Fire!" The first gunshots ring across the plaza as a handful of Poles try to snap a shot on the SS soldiers, bullets ricocheting off the armored cars which fire back with their 20 millimeter guns. The defenders retreat from their position seconds before the shells come crashing through. The cars fire round after round as they continue their advance, shells detonating against the brick walls. But the Polish fighters escape the onslaught, relocating down onto the first floor. Flisykowski hurriedly orchestrating the new line of defense to meet all who come through the door. Meanwhile at the rear of the post office a small team of Germans carrying a demolition charge sneak into a gap between the buildings. Guderski and his men open fire from the windows above,
landing some hits, but the Germans fire back across the yard. Bullets strike the brickwork mere inches from their heads and they're forced back into cover. The SS team crosses the yard and disappears
into the back building. At the front of the building, Flisykowski and his men
brace themselves as the armored cars focus their fire on the door,
slamming it with round after round. The big doors shatter under the punishment
with splinters flying across the room. The Germans then barge through the busted door and a wall of lead is unleashed on the advancing SS. Four Germans are immediately cut down, followed very soon by their commander, charging in behind them. The frontal attack stalls immediately. The force of the SS soldiers are halted at the doorway by
overwhelming fire and severed leadership. But then an explosion is heard from behind. The demolition charge blows open a hole in the post office wall. Right away another German platoon charges out of cover,
dashing across the yard. Guderski opens fire with his handgun,
but return fire lands all around him. The German assault group reaches the wall
and starts encroaching on the new entryway. Guderski is horrified. He has no men over there. He sprints across the post office to meet the assault all on his own, thinking quickly he takes a pin out of his grenade. Immediately he is face to face with the SS force,
looking right into the eyes of one of his enemies. He throws the grenade their way, but a German sees him, takes aim and fires. His last sight in this world is that of a grenade arcing towards the Germans and seeing the surprise on his enemies face. It lands right in the middle of the platoon. The detonation takes out four SS soldiers
and wounds many others. Guderski's dying act stops the assault force dead in its tracks, the wounded enemies scrambling to drag themselves
out of danger. The SS commander, Bethke, watches in shock and horror as both of his assaults are repelled with heavy casualties. He never even entertained the possibility of failure.
He has no plan B. He pulls back his forces and scrambles for a new plan, getting in contact with the Wehrmacht, requesting artillery aid. A stalemate sets in. Flisykowski assumes general command of the defence with the loss of Guderski and coordinates new defensive positions. All the while he nervously eyes his watch. The Polish army should be moving in to rescue them, but outside he sees no evidence of a fight for the city. All eyes, it seems, are square on them. The calm stretches on for six hours until the SS
receive their back up. It's two 75mm field guns borrowed from the Wehrmacht. Rearmed, Commander Bethke orders another frontal attack. There's a deafening bang as the two new guns open fire alongside the armoured cars, pummelling the post office. But the Polish builders did their job well and the brick construction holds strong. Flisykowski's men are largely unaffected as SS soldiers once again advance behind their armoured cars. Further back, gunners aim at the main entrance with a field gun and open fire. The doors burst open with incredible force filling the room
with dust and smoke. Then the Germans make their charge. Fire! The Poles fire back with everything they have, machine guns rapidly cutting down the brave that make the charge. Instantly the attack stalls as the SS soldiers take cover from the storm of lead, nearly a dozen of them wounded. Any that stepped foot inside the building lie on the floor, already dead. They try to fight back and regain momentum, but it only results in more wounded and no progress. The SS commander is furious! This is an embarrassment! Determined to end this with no more Aryan loss of life, he pulls back his men and orders a team of sappers to dig under the post office to plant an explosive charge, and at the same time he requests the Wehrmacht for heavier artillery support. Inside the post office, Flisykowski keeps watch as the enemy activity dies down and the stalemate drags on, unsure of what may come next. Another lone German makes his way to the door and shouts offers of surrender. Flisykowski's hope of rescue are all but dashed, but he doesn't believe the German's promise of mercy, so he's determined to fight to the bitter end. Suddenly, at 17:00 hours, a massive explosion rocks the building's foundations, collapsing a section of wall. The Poles hardly get time to compose themselves before an even fiercer artillery barrage slams into the post office. A brand new 105mm howitzer has joined the fray, its massive shell punching right through the brick construction
the Poles have relied on. If you enjoy this video, we'd really be very grateful for your subscription. Thank you. Flisykowski and his men are taken completely by surprise. They flee their positions and escape deeper into the building. The Germans then charge the broken wall. Flisykowski leads his men in a rush back to their posts. They open fire with their carbines and pistols, but they've arrived too late. The Germans are already inside and firing down the hallways. Flisykowski gathers whatever forces he can and leads them in retreat, keeping the line together as they pull back to the basement to protect the non-combatants. But despite his efforts, some Polish fighters are still cut off. The SS advances without mercy, breaking apart the Polish lines and forcing them back. The Poles retreat into various rooms and corridors and fight their own last stands across the post office, determined to make the Nazis pay for every inch. Meanwhile, Flisykowski's force successfully stops the German advance at the basement entrance, taking down anyone trying to push in. The Germans stall. They have the Poles cornered, but the chokepoint of the basement entrance stands in the way of victory, unable to push through. Outside, the SS commander is seeing red, so much artillery and they still can't get these Poles. Full of fury, he calls for one more favor. Inside the post office the Poles keep their carbines on the doorway when suddenly a torrent of liquid crashes into the windows and pours into the basement. Flisykowski's heart sinks as the smell hits him. It's gasoline. The subsequent fire claims the lives of multiple soldiers and civilians with more suffering heavy burns. Flisykowski manages to escape the flames along with most of the Polish defenders, but they're beaten and demoralized. The Polish army never arrived, and their fates are all but sealed. Jan Michon tells Flisykowski that they ought to surrender. They've no way out, and the Germans will just burn them all to death. Flisykowski doesn't want to. He believes they'll execute them, and he doesn't intend to die waving a white flag. He gathers his remaining men and lays it all out. He makes it clear he intends to attempt a near suicidal escape, and they are free to choose between joining him or Michon in surrender. In the end, six men decide to escape, while the remainder of around 30 survivors choose to surrender. Ten minutes after the start of the fire, Jan Michon walks out to the open waving a white handkerchief followed shortly after by the rest of the soldiers. The Germans approach Michon and gun him down on the spot. The rest are rounded up at gunpoint and put against the wall. The prisoned postmen would be given only a sham trial and asked one question, "Did you take part in the armed resistance?" immediately after answering they were sentenced to death. The captured civilians were sent to concentration camps and also executed. Back on the other side of the building Flisykowski heard the gunshots as they waited for an opportunity to bolt. It pains him, he knows there would be no mercy. The German soldiers leave to watch the surrender and the opportunity for escape presents itself. "Now! Quick!" The six men jump out and run across the street. They get to the other side and disappear behind the corner. There they find an empty apartment and break in. There's no one inside. Flisykowski takes a deep breath but then his energy runs out. The adrenaline that helped him ignore wounds and burns wears off and exhaustion takes over. The men try to help him. Leave, just go. A sense of doom overtakes Flisykowski. He’s too wounded, he’s become a burden, a burden his brothers can't take. Go! Save yourselves! With a heavy heart the men leave him behind. They rummage through the unknown family's wardrobe, disguising themselves as best they can and get rid of their Polish documents. They salute their commander one last time, and run off into the distance. From there they split, disappearing into the city. Flisykowski would be discovered just one day later, still alive, hiding under the staircase. He was taken into custody and executed shortly after. Of the six escapees, four would get away and miraculously survive the war. To this day, the great defense of the Polish post office remains a symbol of the Polish people's fighting spirit and determination. In the face of overwhelming odds, they had been ordered to hold for six hours and they held it for eighteen. The building still stands today with a large section of the interior dedicated as a museum to the incredible last stand and just outside the plaza rises a monument in the memory of those who took part.
