On 1 September 1939 the German ship, the Schleswig-Holstein, began World War II by firing on Polish fortifications at Westerplatte. The Polish defense provides an outstanding example of what a few can do if properly motivated and filled with the will to fight. The relatively few Polish troops stationed there resisted for a whole week the attacks of a German force vastly outnumbering them. To this day in Poland, Westerplatte is recalled as a shining example of national bravery and determination.