Stage IX

The ninth stage of archaeological research took place from June 3rd to November 3rd, 2022. Its goal was to uncover and document the remnants of ammunition bunkers No. 8 and 12, assess the condition of bunkers No. 10 and 11, conduct research preceding investments at the former power plant building, search for the remains of Private Mieczysław Krzak, and locate the position of the Polish field artillery gun known as "putiłówka." Examining the ammunition bunkers was essential for developing a detailed project for their permanent protection and reconstruction as part of the construction project of the Westerplatte and the War of 1939 Museum, aimed at revitalizing the Westerplatte Battle Monument. This project also included research near the former power plant building, which was undergoing modernization for exhibition purposes. The search for the remains of Private Mieczysław Krzak began at the eighth stage of the archaeological work and stemmed from the priority of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk to ensure that all Polish soldiers who fell during the defense of the Military Transit Depot were buried in named graves at the new Cemetery of Polish Soldiers on Westerplatte. The research in the area of the Polish field artillery gun aimed to determine its exact location and identify the method of its construction.

During this stage, a total area of 790 m² was thoroughly examined. Excavations conducted near the ammunition bunkers covered an area of 486.9 m², and near the former power plant building, 111 m². One of the results of the work was the determination that the northern part of the peninsula was raised by 1.5-1.7 meters during the preparations for the Military Transit Depot. In the vicinity of the power plant building, earthworks from the construction of the ammunition pool were probably used for this purpose. Excavations near the ammunition bunkers also revealed that the ground was raised in parallel with their construction. The primary purpose of the Military Transit Depot was the storage and transport of military materials. The construction of the bunkers began in October 1925 and was completed in November 1926. Initially, narrow, unlined trenches with a depth of about 0.5 meters were made from the original ground level and filled with concrete. Subsequent sections of the foundations were made in stages, using wooden formwork erected above ground level. When the concrete poured into them had set, the boards were removed, and the ground inside and outside the buildings was raised to the height of the poured foundation, repeating this process. The foundations were made without reinforcement and were asymmetric: the southern, western, and eastern sides were 1.9-2.2 meters high, while the northern sides were about 50-60 centimeters lower. This difference could be due to the use of different materials for constructing the northern walls. This was registered in the best-preserved ammunition bunker, No. 8, where the northern wall was made of slag bricks filled with mortar, while the rest were made of machined bricks. The varying foundation heights negatively affected the structural integrity and led to the settling of the northern walls and the formation of cracks in the western and eastern walls. Ammunition bunker No. 8 was intended for shrapnel or grenades. It was rectangular with dimensions of 9.15 m x 14.2 m, with an internal area of 97.8 m² (it was of medium size). Bunkers No. 10, 11, and 12 were small warehouses for explosive materials and smokeless powder. They were constructed as rectangles with dimensions of 5.67 m x 4.67 m; 5.69 m x 4.7 m; and 5.6 m x 4.7 m, with internal areas of 19 m²; 19.2 m²; and 19 m², respectively. Each of the examined bunkers was equipped with a lightning rod installation consisting of horizontally arranged wires running around the building, connected to vertically positioned wires attached to the walls. The bunkers were protected from the east, south, and west by earthen embankments, whose remnants were also registered during the research. To the north of each bunker, a row of concrete columns about 1 meter high was revealed. These were the foundations of the pillars of the railway platform. The construction of the platform also included concrete supports, serving as the base for stairs leading to the platform, located on the western side of each building. To the north of bunker No. 8, a layer of gravel was identified, remnants of a railway embankment, while next to bunker No. 12, decayed remains of an osmoled street lamp pole, illuminating the square and the loading ramp of the bunker, were uncovered. These are the only elements related to the railway tracks running from the ammunition pool along the ammunition bunkers towards the railway gate that were exposed during this season. The above-ground parts of the bunkers were dismantled by the Germans in 1943, and traces of this activity were recorded during the research in the form of a layer of debris. The leveling of parts of the earthen embankments in the 1960s was also archaeologically confirmed.

The search for the remains of Private Mieczysław Krzak was conducted similarly to the previous stage, in locations identified based on a query combined with an analysis of archival photographs. The legionnaire was a member of the Military Transit Depot crew on Westerplatte when World War II broke out. He operated mortars, and after they were destroyed, he fought in the area of the "Fort" outpost. He died on September 2nd or shortly thereafter. Polish soldiers buried his remains at the location where he fell, presumably at the observation post, probably near the corrugated sheet metal breakwater in front of the "Fort" outpost. The searches conducted during this season covered an area of 110.5 m² and, unfortunately, did not yield the expected results. The research findings were similar to those obtained during the previous season. Additional brick remnants of the laboratory building, constructed in the mid-19th century and expanded in the mid-1970s as part of the Prussian beach battery, were discovered. Layers of an earthen embankment, built in the early 20th century and serving as a breakwater for the concrete coastal artillery command post (later the "Fort" outpost), were also registered. Fragments of coastal fortifications constructed from corrugated sheet metal, most likely in the second decade of the 20th century, were exposed. In the sondages, a German trench from the end of World War II running along the shoreline was detected, as well as numerous traces of work carried out on the breakwater in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, which irreversibly destroyed the historical layers from the time of the Military Transit Depot's operation.

Unfortunately, the search for the "putiłówka" position was not successful during this season either. The search was conducted southwest of the power plant building, in an area identified based on a query combined with an analysis of archival photographs and the results of geophysical surveys. According to archive materials, the position was prepared according to the artillery regulations in force at the time, as used in the Toruń Artillery School. The gun was mounted on a pivot - a base probably made of an octagonal wooden base constructed from boards. The crew's position for the gun consisted of two earth and wooden bunkers, one for ammunition and one for the crew. At some distance, to the north of the position, an ammunition magazine was located. The artillery piece itself (type 02, caliber 76.2 mm) was secretly brought in during the summer of 1939. On September 1st, 1939, the gun, commanded by Corporal Eugeniusz Grabowski, fired at German firing positions located on the other side of the port channel in Nowy Port. The gun was damaged by the enemy the same day, around 8 a.m. The gun was left in place, and the ammunition was scattered across the depot grounds. After the Polish garrison's surrender, the Germans took the gun as a trophy aboard the Schleswig-Holstein battleship. In the designated area, a trench was dug, and part of it, covering an area of 81.6 m², was examined. As a result of the research, besides the discovery of numerous pits containing debris from the construction of the Coastal Defenders Monument, seven transport plugs were found in the humus layer. These plugs were used to secure projectiles, including 76.2 mm caliber shells, during transport from the depot to the firing position. The discovery of items related to the Polish field artillery gun suggests that the position is located in the vicinity of the designated area and may be located during the next stage of research.

During this stage, more than 2,100 objects were recovered, with over 1,300 considered to be items of significant historical, exhibition, or historical value. Among them were objects from the time of the September battles, such as shell fragments and ammunition components, including the previously mentioned transport plugs for 76.2 mm shells, as well as a lock from a Polish Mauser rifle. Artifacts related to the later period of World War II were also found, including a German Gewehr 43 rifle's bolt, a magazine for a 20 mm caliber German anti-aircraft gun, and elements of Soviet mortar grenades. Artifacts from the period of the depot's operation were also retrieved, such as seals used to secure the ammunition bunkers, bunker equipment items like electrical boxes, and the rooftop lightning rod terminations consisting of wire bundles. One of the more interesting finds was a Movado pocket watch found with remnants of a pouch in the construction layer of ammunition bunker No. 10. The watch is signed with the name of Warsaw watchmaker Julian Wapiński and was likely lost during the construction of the magazine. Another very valuable find was a spoon made by prisoners of war - it is a homemade piece crafted from sheet metal and was found in a pit near the former power plant building. It is associated with the period when the area of Westerplatte, after being occupied by the Germans, was being organized by Polish civilian prisoners. These workers often did not have any equipment with them and had to procure or make it themselves.

In addition to the objects listed in the field inventory of historic sites, more than 250 explosive or dangerous objects were found, which were secured and disposed of by the sapper who was supervising the archaeological work. These included rifle and artillery ammunition cartridges dating from World War II.

As part of the ninth stage, geophysical research was also conducted on plot 3/5, covering an area of 3944 m². The results of these studies will be used to identify locations for future archaeological research aimed at uncovering objects related to the history of the Military Transit Depot.