Versailles, after Poland regained independence in November 1918. In 1939, during the invasion of Poland at the very beginning of World War II, the major Battle of Tuchola Forest was fought in the area. Despite having cohabitated peacefully for centuries with their Polish, Kashubian or Jewish neghbours, Kosznajders succumbed to Nazi German propaganda during the increasing hostilities of the German Reich towards Poland in the months preceding the impeding invasion, when a number of them joined the Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz, participated in the preparation of Sonderfahndungsbuch Polen, or even played an active role in atrocities against Poles during the genocidal Intelligenzaktion Pommern conducted primarily in October and November 1939, when Germans murdered 335 Poles from Tuchola and Tuchola County in six large massacres known as the Rudzki Most massacre. Among the victims were teachers, school principals, merchants, craftsmen, farmers, priests, foresters, postmen, railwaymen, policemen and local officials, including mayor of Tuchola Stanisław Saganowski. Meanwhile, the military test area was re-established as Truppenübungsplatz Westpreußen, known otherwise by its code name, "Heidekraut". Between August 1944 and January 1945, SS troops under Hans Kammler and Walter Dornberger carried out extensive tests of the A-4 missiles (V-2 rockets), after the test site near Blizna was discovered by the Home Army and then bombed by the Allies. Approximately 107 missiles were fired in a southbound direction for tests and training purposes. In January 1945 the site had to be evacuated before the Red Army offensive overran the area. After World War II, almost the entire population of Kosznajders fled or were expelled to Germany. The forest then became a safe haven for many Polish anti-communist partisans (Cursed soldiers), among them Zygmunt Szendzielarz. See also List of V-2 test launches Rocket launch site References Erich Wernicke: Wanderungen durch die Tuchler Heide. Kafemann, Danzig 1913 (Digitalisat) External links Bory Tucholskie National Park Rocket launches at Heidekraut V2 rocket range Heidekraut today Website of the Tuchola Forest Biosphere Reserve (in Polish) Location of Bory Tucholskie (in Polish) Borowiacy - traditional ethnic group of this area (in Polish) Forests of Poland Geography of Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Geography of Pomeranian Voivodeship V-2 missile launch sites