National Day of Remembrance for the Soldiers of the Home Army: Polish Resistance on the Sea

On February 14, 2025, Poland marks the first National Day of Remembrance for the Soldiers of the Home Army. This day pays tribute to the heroes of the underground fight for Poland’s freedom, including those who operated at sea, transporting weapons, people, and intelligence to support the Polish resistance movement.

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14 february 2025   |   17:17   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

Narodowy Dzień Pamięci Żołnierzy Armii Krajowej / fot. IPN

The maritime dimension of the resistance

Although the Home Army (Armia Krajowa, AK) is primarily associated with land-based warfare and urban sabotage, its activities extended to the sea. From the early days of World War II, Polish sailors and maritime personnel, both at home and in exile, played a crucial role in supporting the resistance efforts.

The Polish merchant fleet played a significant role in wartime transport operations, supporting Allied efforts after the September 1939 campaign. The ship Batory participated in the evacuation of Polish soldiers and civilians to the West and in transporting Allied troops and supplies. Although there is no conclusive evidence of direct involvement of Polish ships in Home Army operations, it is possible that these vessels, operating within broader Allied structures, indirectly supported the resistance movement by facilitating the transport of people and information.

Couriers and covert transfers

The Polish Underground State relied on the assistance of sailors and fishermen, who risked their lives to transport messages and people across the Baltic Sea. The route from occupied Poland to the Swedish coast was a key communication corridor for Polish intelligence and the Home Army. Fishermen from Pomerania helped hide escapees and deliver critical intelligence to Allied bases.

One of the most significant operations involved the transfer of the Polish government-in-exile’s emissary, Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, who in 1943 traveled via neutral Sweden to Poland, carrying strategic instructions for the resistance. The Baltic route was also used to smuggle radio equipment and documents, enabling more effective coordination of sabotage operations.

Gryf Pomorski, intelligence networks, and operation "Synteza"

The Pomeranian resistance group Gryf Pomorski worked closely with AK intelligence networks, including codenames “Lombard” and “Bałtyk”. These structures were responsible for gathering intelligence on German troop movements, port infrastructure, and Kriegsmarine activities in the Baltic. The information they collected helped the Allies plan strategic operations and attacks on key enemy targets.

Gryf Pomorski played a crucial role in Operation "Synteza", a Home Army intelligence mission aimed at locating and assessing synthetic fuel production technologies at the Hydriewerke Politz refinery (Police, Poland). The intelligence obtained allowed the Allies to carry out precise air raids on key German war industry facilities.

Beyond intelligence work, the Home Army also engaged in sabotage operations in ports. In Gdynia, Gdańsk, and Szczecin, AK operatives targeted German transport ships and port infrastructure. The Gryf Pomorski group, in cooperation with AK, conducted missions to destroy German patrol boats and disrupt Kriegsmarine supply chains.

Polish resistance fighters launched attacks on German supply vessels supporting Eastern Front garrisons, significantly disrupting enemy logistics and assisting Allied efforts.

Honoring the heroes

The first observance of the National Day of Remembrance for the Soldiers of the Home Army is an opportunity to highlight all aspects of the AK’s activities, including its lesser-known maritime operations. The Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) has organized various events, including exhibitions in maritime museums and historical reenactments in Polish coastal ports.

In Gdynia and other coastal cities, memorial candles will be lit to honor those who fought not only in forests and cities but also at sea, contributing to Poland’s struggle for independence.

The Home Army’s maritime history is a testament to the broad scope of the Polish resistance—on land, in the air, and across the waves of the Baltic Sea. On this special day, we must remember those who risked their lives on the water in the name of a free Poland.

- The Polish Underground State was a phenomenon unique in world history, just like the Home Army (Armia Krajowa, AK), which, at the time of its formation—when General Władysław Sikorski transformed the Union of Armed Struggle (ZWZ) into the AK in 1942—numbered 100,000 soldiers. Just two years later, that number had grown to nearly 400,000, President Andrzej Duda emphasized during a ceremony at the Military Cemetery in Powązki.

The President highlighted that these young people believed that, despite Soviet occupation, they could regain a free, sovereign, and independent Poland.

- Even though they were poorly armed—sometimes not at all—they fought in partisan units, the Warsaw Uprising, and wherever they were needed. They carried out sentences of the Polish Underground State against Nazi war criminals and German executioners who murdered Polish civilians, Andrzej Duda stated.

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armia krajowa narodowy dzień pamięci żołnierzy armii krajowej jan nowak-jeziorański gryf pomorski ii wojna światowa

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