- 240 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
The Battle of Itter Castle, 1945
About this book
The Battle of Itter Castle was undoubtedly one of the strangest events of the Second World War, being one of only two occasions during the war in which Americans and Germans fought side by side. The castle was seized by the Nazis on 7 February 1943, on the direct orders of Heinrich Himmler, and in just ten weeks was changed into a five-star prison for a number of high-ranking French dignitaries, both civilian and military. 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 realised 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, 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, 5 May, 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.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Introduction
- The Beginning of the End
- Itter Castle
- French Captives of Itter Castle
- The Battle of Itter Castle
- Kurt Siegfried Schrader
- Lieutenant John Carey ‘Jack’ Lee
- Wehrmacht Officer Major Josef ‘Sepp’ Gangl
- Oberführer Georg Bochmann and the 17 th SS Panzergrenadier Division ‘Götz von Berlichingen’
- US 36th Division’s T-Patch News and the 12th Armored Division’s Hellcat News
- ‘Prominente’ - Prisoners in the News
- Operation Cowboy – 28 April 1945
- Austrian Resistance
- After the Battle
- Conclusion
- Appendix A:List of known Wörgl Resistance Fighter
- Appendix B:Individuals and Dignitaries Held at Itter Castle
- Author_Biography
- Plates