In the final days of World War II, American and German soldiers fought together.
On May 5, 1945, an unlikely alliance of American troops, Wehrmacht soldiers, and French prisoners defended an Austrian castle against the Waffen-SS. This strange engagement, occurring just days before Germany's surrender, remains the only known instance during the war where American and German forces fought side by side against a common enemy.
Castle Itter, a former hotel in the Austrian Alps, was converted into a high-security prison by the SS in 1943. It held prominent French political figures, including former prime ministers Édouard Daladier and Paul Reynaud, as well as military leaders like Maxime Weygand and Maurice Gamelin. As the Third Reich collapsed in May 1945, the prison guards abandoned their posts, leaving the captives vulnerable to roaming SS units.
The prisoners sought help through two separate emissaries. The second, a cook named Andreas Krobot, successfully reached Major Josef Gangl, a Wehrmacht officer who had defied retreat orders to protect local civilians. Gangl joined forces with American Captain John C. Lee Jr., who led a small rescue mission to the castle. They were also joined by Kurt-Siegfried Schrader, a Waffen-SS officer who had turned against the Nazi regime.
On the morning of May 5, a force of 100 to 150 Waffen-SS soldiers launched an assault on the castle. The defenders, including the French prisoners who took up arms, held the position until a relief force from the 142nd Infantry Regiment arrived in the afternoon. Major Gangl was the only defender killed during the battle, dying while attempting to move Paul Reynaud to safety. Captain Lee was later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership during the defense.
The battle is frequently cited as the strangest of the war, occurring only five days after Adolf Hitler’s suicide. While popular accounts often emphasize the unique coalition of forces, the event highlights the chaotic final days of the European Theater. The castle was eventually cleared, and the French prisoners were evacuated to Paris, marking the end of a singular moment of cooperation between former adversaries.
Source: Battle of Castle Itter
