On September 1, 1939, the first day of the German invasion of Poland and World War II, the Germans air raided the city. On September 8, 1939, Radom was captured by the Wehrmacht, and was afterwards occupied by Germany. On September 21, 1939, the German "Einsatzgruppe II" entered the city to commit various crimes against the population, and afterwards its members co-formed the local German police and security forces. The Germans immediately confiscated the food stored in warehouses in Radom and nearby settlements, and carried out requisitions in the city council. The occupiers established a special court in Radom, and two temporary prisoner-of-war camps for captured Polish soldiers, one in the pre-war military barracks and one in the Tadeusz Kościuszko Park. There were poor conditions in the camp in the barracks, and hunger and diseases were common. The local civilian population helped many POWs escape from the camp.