The SS commando who escaped prison by tricking his captors with their own uniforms

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Otto Skorzeny was a notorious Nazi operative who specialized in unconventional warfare, from kidnapping heads of state to infiltrating enemy lines. After his acquittal for war crimes, he orchestrated a brazen escape from an internment camp using the same deceptive tactics that had defined his wartime career.

Born in Vienna in 1908, Otto Skorzeny rose to prominence as an SS-Obersturmbannführer known for high-stakes missions. His reputation was cemented in September 1943 during Operation Oak, a daring glider-borne raid on the Gran Sasso massif to liberate Benito Mussolini. While paratrooper officers commanded the operation, Skorzeny’s presence in front of cameras ensured he received the lion's share of the propaganda credit. He later orchestrated the kidnapping of Miklós Horthy Jr. in October 1944 to force the Hungarian regent’s resignation, effectively keeping Hungary within the Axis sphere.

Skorzeny’s most controversial initiative was Operation Greif during the 1944 Battle of the Bulge. He deployed English-speaking soldiers disguised in American uniforms to infiltrate Allied lines and sow chaos. The operation triggered a massive security manhunt, with General Eisenhower isolating himself for safety. Following the war, Skorzeny faced trial at Dachau in 1947 for violating the Hague Convention. He was acquitted after a British SOE agent testified that the Allies had contemplated similar false flag operations, creating a legal distinction between using enemy uniforms for deception versus combat.

Despite his acquittal, Skorzeny remained in an internment camp awaiting denazification proceedings. On 27 July 1948, he escaped with the help of three men dressed as American military police who claimed they were transporting him to a legal hearing. Skorzeny later claimed that American authorities had facilitated the ruse. He eventually settled in Francoist Spain, where he reportedly served as a military advisor to Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. He died of lung cancer in Madrid on 5 July 1975, leaving behind a legacy defined by his mastery of unconventional, often deceptive, paramilitary tactics.

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