The Battle of Itter Castle, 1945

An exploration of one of the only two known times in the Second World War in which the Americans and Germans fought side by side.

Seized by the Nazis on February seven, 1943, on the direct orders of Heinrich Himmler, Itter Castle was changed into a five-star prison for a number of high-ranking French dignitaries, both civilian and military in just ten weeks. In the final days of the war, in May 1945, with the castle's German guards having deserted their posts and an attack by SS units imminent, those inside the castle realized they needed help. Having sent out two men to try to make contact with American forces, it was then a case of sit and wait, not knowing if they had been successful in their task or had been captured and killed by the SS.

Help eventually arrived in the shape of United States Army Captain John C. “Jack” Lee, his tank and a handful of men, along with German Wehrmacht officer Major Josef “Sepp” Gangl—who had joined the Austrian Resistance—and some of his men. Although happy that their prayers had been answered and help had arrived, the French dignitaries could not hide their disappointment at such a small force of rescuers. The subsequent battle started early on the morning of Saturday, May five, and continued until mid-afternoon when a larger American force arrived and defeated the remaining SS forces. The victory came at a price for Major Gangl, who was the only one of the defenders to lose his life in the fighting.

Stephen Wynn's The Battle of Itter Castle, 1945 recounts this unusual alliance and recognizes the heroism and sacrifice of the soldiers who united against a common enemy.