Invasion of Poland (Fall Weiss)

On August 31st, Hitler signed Directive No.1 for the Conduct of the
War and the order went out at 4:00pm to invade Poland at 4:45am on
September 1st of 1939. That night SS units staged incidents along the
border including a phony Polish raid on a German radio station at
Gleiwitz (Gliwice). Before sunrise the next morning, Friday, September
1st of 1939, World War Two began. Germany invaded Poland, the German
attack beginning at 4:45am, when the Battleship (training ship)
"Schleswig-Holstein" (on a so-called "goodwill visit") opened fire on
a Polish naval depot and garrison at Westeplatte. An hour later, first
German units crossed the border. On September 3rd, 1939, Great Britain
and France declared war on Germany.

The full article, which makes very interesting reading, is available
at http://gi.grolier.com/wwii/wwii_3.html

from
Aero Spike