🏰 The Strangest Battle of WWII: Americans, Germans, and French Dignitaries Unite at Castle Itter

Note:

"This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase products through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you."

I. The Castle and the VIP Prisoners

Inside a medieval stone castle in the Austrian Alps during WWII, high-profile French prisoners—political leaders, generals, and cultural figures

Castle Itter, a 14th-century fortress perched on a hill above the village of Itter in the Austrian Tyrol, was leased and then seized by the SS. By 1943, it was converted into a "Sonderhaftanstalt" (Special Detention Facility), a sub-camp of the notorious Dachau concentration camp.

The prisoners held there were not typical POWs; they were high-profile French political and military figures, deemed valuable hostages by the Nazis, including:

Édouard Daladier and Paul Reynaud (Former French Prime Ministers)
Maurice Gamelin and Maxime Weygand (Former Commanders-in-Chief of the French Army)
Jean Borotra (Famous French tennis champion)
François de La Rocque (French right-wing politician and Resistance member)
Marie-Agnès de Gaulle (Sister of General Charles de Gaulle)

They were guarded by SS troops, but as the war neared its end, they grew increasingly fearful that they would be executed by loyal SS units rather than liberated.

II. The Desperate Plea for Help

A meeting in May 1945: Captain Jack Lee encounters German Major Josef Gangl and his small group of Wehrmacht soldiers who raise white flags

The chain of events leading to the battle began in the final days of the Nazi regime:

The Escape (May 3, 1945): As the Allies closed in and the guards became increasingly nervous, a Yugoslavian handyman and communist resistance fighter named Zvonimir Čučković, a fellow prisoner, volunteered to escape and seek help. He carried a letter written in English pleading for rescue. He traveled over 40 miles and eventually made contact with an advance unit of the U.S. 103rd Infantry Division near Innsbruck, but the message was delayed due to confusion and heavy fighting.
The SS Desertion: On May 4, the SS commandant and most of the guards abandoned the castle. The prisoners took control, arming themselves with small arms and ammunition left behind by the fleeing SS.
The Second Messenger: Unaware of Čučković's fate, the prisoners sent their Czech cook, Andreas Krobot, to the nearby town of Wörgl for help. Krobot carried a similar note and, crucially, encountered two men who would become the defenders:

Major Josef Gangl: A decorated Wehrmacht (regular German Army) officer who had secretly defected from the Nazis, had been aiding the Austrian resistance, and was leading a small band of loyal German soldiers.
Captain Jack C. Lee, Jr.: An American tank commander from the U.S. 23rd Tank Battalion, 12th Armored Division, who had arrived in the area.

Inside Castle Itter at dusk, French VIP prisoners gather around Austrian caretaker Andreas Krobot, urging him to escape and find help.

III. The Unlikely Alliance Forms

Inside a stone room of Castle Itter, French political leaders and generals arm themselves with rifles and pistols taken from the armory.

A WWII Sherman tank nicknamed ‘Besotten Jenny’ climbs a steep mountain road toward Castle Itter, its crew scanning the forests for threats.

Major Gangl, deeply c

ommitted to protecting the Austrian people and horrified by the brutality of the SS, agreed to help. He felt his small group could not defend the castle alone against the fanatical Waffen-SS units known to be roaming the area.

The Handshake: Gangl drove his car, flying a white surrender flag, to Captain Lee's position in Kufstein. He told the American of the situation and the high-value French prisoners.
The Rescue Party: Despite the fact that his orders were to await the relieving 36th Infantry Division, Captain Lee immediately agreed to the extraordinary request. He assembled a small mixed force:
- Approximately 14 American soldiers.
- Lee's only surviving Sherman tank, nicknamed "Besotten Jenny."
- Major Gangl and ten of his Wehrmacht soldiers (who hated the SS more than the Americans).
- They were also later joined by an anti-Nazi Waffen-SS officer, Kurt-Siegfried Schrader, whose wife was staying at the castle.

IV. The Battle (May 5, 1945)

A formation of SS troops moves through dark pine trees, preparing to assault Castle Itter.

Castle Itter under siege by attacking SS troops. American soldiers, German Wehrmacht defectors, and French prisoners stand shoulder-to-shoulder on ramparts and balconies, firing from windows and stone battlements.

The small, diverse garrison prepared to defend the castle against an anticipated assault by the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Götz von Berlichingen," which was determined to prevent the prisoners from falling into Allied hands.

The Assault: The attack began around 8:30 AM on May 5th. A force of 100–150 Waffen-SS troops began their assault, supported by an 88mm anti-tank gun and a 20mm anti-aircraft cannon.
The Defense: The defenders, a mix of Americans, Wehrmacht soldiers, Austrian resistance, and even the French prisoners themselves (Jean Borotra reportedly grabbed a machine gun and played a key role), fought fiercely.
- "Besotten Jenny" was positioned at the main gate and provided crucial fire support until it was hit and destroyed by the 88mm gun (the radioman inside escaped).
- The walls of the castle were battered by sustained shelling.
The Hero's Death: During the height of the battle, as SS soldiers pressed the attack and ammunition ran desperately low, Major Josef Gangl was attempting to move former Prime Minister Paul Reynaud to a safer position. An SS sniper shot and killed Gangl instantly. He was the only defender killed in the battle.
The Relief: Just as Captain Lee was ordering the final defenders to retreat into the castle's central keep, ammunition almost exhausted, a crucial element of the U.S. 142nd Infantry Regiment arrived. Their heavy machine-gun fire quickly shattered the SS advance. The remaining SS troops scattered and were either captured or fled into the woods.

A column of U.S. infantry and armored vehicles rushes up a winding mountain road toward Castle Itter at dawn.

V. Aftermath and Legacy

The battle ended in a decisive victory for the defenders. The high-profile French prisoners were safely liberated.

Captain Lee was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest U.S. Army decoration for valor.
Major Josef Gangl was honored as a national hero by the Austrian resistance, and a street in Wörgl is named after him. His willingness to defy his former command and sacrifice his life for former enemy prisoners remains the heart of the story.

The Battle of Castle Itter stands as a unique and incredible example of principle overriding dogma, showing that courage and humanity could forge an alliance even between sworn enemies in the last hours of a terrible war.

VI. Concise timeline of the Battle of Castle Itter

Timeline of the Battle of Castle Itter (Late April – 5 May 1945)

Late April 1945

Castle Itter, a Tyrolean fortress, holds high-profile French prisoners.
SS guards begin abandoning the castle as the Third Reich collapses.
French VIPs are left alone and unarmed.

4 May 1945

Yugoslav prisoner Zvonimir Čučković escapes to reach American lines and requests help.
Major Josef Gangl, a Wehrmacht officer turned Austrian resistance member, volunteers to assist.
Lt. John C. Lee Jr. and a small American detachment join with Gangl and local resistance fighters.
French prisoners are armed and prepare for defense.

5 May 1945 (Battle Day)

Early morning: SS forces (17th SS Panzergrenadier Division) launch an attack on the castle.
Defenders: Americans, Wehrmacht loyalists, Austrian resistance, French prisoners.
Sherman tank “Besotten Jenny” destroyed, but blocks the main gate.
French VIPs take up rifles, sniper positions, and aid the defense.
Major Gangl killed while protecting prisoners.
Tennis star Jean Borotra runs through SS lines to get reinforcements.
US reinforcements arrive, attacking the SS from the rear.
SS forces are defeated; the battle ends by afternoon.

Aftermath (Post 5 May 1945)

All French prisoners survive.
US and Wehrmacht defenders hold the castle.
The battle becomes the only known instance of Americans and Germans fighting together in WWII.
Castle Itter survives and becomes famous as a symbol of the unusual alliance.