Director: Stanisław Różewicz
1967
At the end of August 1939, Colonel inspects the unit at Westerplatte. The German battleship Schleswig-Holstein, seemingly disabled, approaches the port. The Polish garrison under the command of Major Sucharski (Z. Hübner) prepares to defend. After the first shots are fired, the fighting begins and lasts far longer than the expected 12 hours. The defenders face a dire situation due to a lack of weapons, medicine, and communication, as well as the dashed hope for aid from the British, which never arrives. Major Sucharski and his deputy, Captain Franciszek Dąbrowski (A. Bazak), argue over the decision: whether to save their lives or to give them up for their homeland. The coastal landscape, guard posts, and armaments turn into a ruin, and the unit remains alone in heroic defense.