The Battle of Castle Itter - US & German Troops Join Forces to Fight the SS
Find out what happened when a tiny American unit joined forces with German soldiers to rescue French VIPs from the SS at a castle in Austria in the last days of WW2.
Help support my channel:
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Credits: YouTube Creative Commons; WikiCommons; Google Commons; Mark Felton Productions
Music: Pursuit licenced to iMovie by Apple, Inc.
Sources: Itter Castle - Wikipedia
Battle for Castle Itter - Wikipedia
The Austrian Castle Where Nazis Lost to German-US Forces - BBC News
The Strangest Battle in History: The Battle of Castle Itter - Wargaming.net
Strange But True: When US & German Forces Defeated the Waffen-SS by Claudia Mendes - War History Online
The US Army & German Wehrmacht VS Waffen SS - Battle for Castle Itter 1945
On 5 May 1945, a few days after Hitler’s suicide, American soldiers under command of US Army Captain John C. Jack Lee, Jr. teamed up with a number of Wehrmacht soldiers under German major, Josef Sepp Gangl who was opposed to the Nazis to rescue VIP prisoners from Castle Itter .
Please consider supporting our videos on Patreon
SIMPLE HISTORY MERCHANDISE
Get your copy of Simple History: World War II today! (Top Seller!)
T-Shirts
Simple history gives you the facts, simple!
See the book collection here:
Amazon USA
Amazon UK
Credit:
Narrator:
Chris Kane
vocalforge.com
Animation:
Daniel Turner
Artwork:
Daniel turner
Music Credit
'Invariance' and 'All This - Scoring Action' by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (
Source:
Artist:
The Battle of Castle Itter: When the US and Germany Fought Together in WW2
Subscribe to Dark Docs:
It was one of the strangest battles of WW2 in which a most unlikely team of soldiers came together in one of the most heroic stories of the war.
Early in the afternoon on May 3, 1945, a Yugoslavian prisoner named Zvonimir Čučković left the gates of Austria’s Itter Castle, the looming fortress on a hill where he was being held by SS guards and bicycled into the thick forests beyond. He was supposed to be running an errand for the prison’s commander, Sebastian Wimmer - a not infrequent occurrence, as Čučković had earned the commander’s trust as a maintenance man and electrician who had helped convert the castle into a German prison.
But Čučković had an ulterior motive that afternoon. He was carrying a contraband note written by English-speaking prisoners inside. He had agreed to take the note out of prison and present it to the first group of American soldiers he encountered. And so, instead of running the errand and returning to the castle as he usually did, he continued riding.
Čučković considered making the short ride west to Wörgl, a small city close to the German/Austrian border. But the town was still densely occupied by German troops, and so instead he made the much longer trip to Innsbruck, riding over 40 miles along the Inn River valley. He reached the city that evening, where he succeeded in tracking down a group of Americans - the 409th Infantry Regiment of the American 103rd Infantry Division - and passed on his note. The unit did not have the authorization to move forward with a rescue attempt themselves, but they promised Čučković a definitive answer from their headquarters by the next morning.
What followed is one of the more extraordinary and unlikely stories of World War II; the story of an American Army commander working together with his enemy - an SS captain and a Wehrmacht major - to lead a mixed company of American and German troops to an Austrian castle and rescue a group of French political prisoners. What is now known as, the Battle for Castle Itter.
- As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. -
The Battle for Castle Itter: When US & German forces together fought the Waffen SS during WW2.
The Battle for Castle Itter, one of the strangest battles of WW2. US allied forces, German Wehrmacht and some Austrian resistance fighters together fought the Waffen-SS.
One of the more extraordinary and unlikely stories of World War II; the story of American Army Captain Jack Lee working together with his enemy, Wehrmacht major Josef Gangl- to lead a mixed company of American and German forces to an Austrian castle to rescue a group of French political prisoners from being slaughtered by SS-Oberführer Georg Bochmann and his Waffen SS division.
It was also the only battle where Americans and Germans fought alongside one another during the war.
Strangest Battle of World War 2
From History Uncovered:
World War 2: The strangest battle of the war took place on May 4-5th of 1945 at Castle Itter in Austria.
It was the only time during World War 2 that American and German troops fought on the same side in a battle. Learn about the unique circumstances that made former enemies into allies for this unique and strange battle.
Find out what else made this battle so unusual during this war and history!
Music: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
BIGGEST CROSSOVER EVER - ITTER CASTLE SIEGE
Here's the one you've been countlessly asking a long time. The biggest crossover in history, based on real events, our time machine brings us to Austria, 1945, where the story begins with American troops tasked to extract VIPs from the castle Itter. Meanwhile, a bunch of Germans decided to give up and join the fight against Reich fanatics. Exceptionally outstanding US and German joint operation, they are heavily outnumbered and find themselves defending that fort against a massive amount of elite infantry, desperate to siege and finish everything on their way. This leads us to a scenario where Germans are against Germans vs Americans.
Ammo running low after hours of overwhelmingly epic combat, long waited reinforcement arrive to be relieved and eventually end this long exhausting conflict and bring peace.
That said if you enjoy then don't forget to leave a LIKE! This is Men of War Assault Squad 2
► MoW AS2 Playlist:
►Mods used: RobZ Realism mod, Download Now!
►Follow WarfareGaming:
►Donate to WarfareGaming:
Battle of Castle Itter (1945) - U.S. Army & Wehrmacht vs Waffen-SS
» SOURCES «
The Last Battle: When U.S. and German Soldiers Joined Forces in the Waning Hours of World War II in EuropePaperback – June 3, 2014 by Stephen Harding
amazon.com (affiliate link):
Waffen-SS: Hitler's Army at War Hardcover – June 25, 2019 by Adrian Gilbert
amazon.com (affiliate link):
» SUPPORT War&History «
paypal donation -
» MERCHANDISE from War&History «
redbubble -
» DISCLAIMER «
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Battle of Castle Itter (1945) - U.S. Army & Wehrmacht vs Waffen-SS
Battle of Itter Castle was on 5 May 1945 around the castle in the Tyrolean village of Itter in Austria.
It was the only World War II battle in which United States Army and Wehrmacht forces fought together with liberated prominent French prisoners of war against units of the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen.
On April 25, 1943, the castle was opened as an external camp of the Dachau concentration camp, to accommodate here important prisoners of war.
Among others the former Prime Minister Edouard Daladier and Paul Reynaud, the former commanders Maxime Weygand and Maurice Gamelin, Charles de Gaulle's older sister Marie-Agnès Cailliauwere held here.
The last commander of the Dachau concentration camp, Eduard Weiter, committed suicide on 2 May 1945 after escaping from Itter Castle.
On May 3, 1945 Zvonimir Čučković, a member of the Yugoslav communist resistance, who had to work in the castle as an assistant, left the building under the pretext of the commander of the castle, Sturmbannführer Sebastian Wimmer.
He had a letter in English to give to the first American he had found and called for Allied help.
He reached the outskirts of Innsbruck late in the, where he was the vanguard of the 409th Infantry Regiment of the American 103rd Infantry Division of the VI. Corps met and informed about the prisoners in the castle.
When Čučković did not return on 3 May, Sebastian Wimmer left his post, and SS guards soon followed him.
The prisoners then armed themselves and took control of the castle.
Since Čučković did not return on 4 May, the Czech chef Andreas Krobot decided at noon to seek help.
He he found members of the Austrian Resistance, who brought him to Major Josef Gangl, who commanded the remains of a Wehrmacht unit that had not followed the eviction order and had joined the local resistance.
Gangl had already planned to free the prisoners in the castle, but did not want to sacrifice his few soldiers in a suicide mission against the castle manned by heavily armed SS troops.
Gangl was forced to rush towards the Americans under a white flag to ask for help.
In Kufstein, 8 km away, he met a reconnaissance unit of Americans with 4 tanks M4 Sherman of the 23rd tank battalion of the 12th Panzer Divisionof the XXI. Corps of the US Army under the command of Captain John C. Jack Lee.
This did not hesitate to initiate the requested rescue operation, for which he received immediate permission from his commander.
Lee left behind 2 of his armor, but took 5 more and supporting infantry from the newly arrived 142nd Infantry Regiment of the 36th Infantry Division.
When Lee reached the castle, he was joyfully welcomed, but the former prisoners were disappointed by the small numbers of Americans.
While Lee's men took defensive positions around the castle, the tank was set up at the main gate.
Gangl succeeded Alois Mayrto call the Austrian resistance group in Wörgl and ask for help, whereupon 2 other Wehrmacht soldiers drove to the castle.
After reconnaissance patrols had watched the castle during the night, about 100 to 150 men of the Waffen SS attacked on the morning of 5 May.
Gangl tried to bring former French Prime Minister Reynaud away from the line of fire from the bullet of a sniper fatally. He died as the only one of the castle defenders.
In the early afternoon a detachment unit of the 142nd Infantry Regiment was finally set in motion.
The tennis player Borotra volunteered to lash out by the lines of the SS, and reached the US troops he was now able to inform about the situation in the castle.
The relief troops reached the castle around 4 pm and defeated the besiegers, taking about 100 SS men prisoner.
The liberated French prisoners were sent to France that same evening and arrived in Paris on May 10, 1945.
#militaryhistory, #specialforces, #weaponsandtactics, #easternfront
Castle Itter: Where America and Germany Fought Side by Side in WWII
Get NordVPN for 70% off right here:
→ Subscribe for new videos two times per week.
This video is #sponsored by NordVPN.
Our sister channels:
Biographics -
TopTenz -
Credits:
Host - Simon Whistler
Author - Morris M.
Producer - Jennifer Da Silva
Executive Producer - Shell Harris
Business inquiries to admin@toptenz.net
Source/Further reading:
Major credit to Stephen Harding, writer of The Last Battle, on which a ton of these sources were based:
(Some history outside the Battle - in German):
Dachau:
Sepp Gangl (in German):
A Brief History of: The Battle of Castle Itter
Another Video:
The battle of Castle Itter is a contender for one of the oddest battles of world war 2.
Help the Channel Grow Like, Comment & Subscribe!
Subscribe Here:
Check out My Twitter:
Sources:
128-The Battle for Castle Itter
The closing days of World War II witnessed a bizarre battle with some unlikely allies: American and German soldiers joined forces to rescue a group of French prisoners from a medieval castle in the Austrian Alps. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow the Battle for Castle Itter, the only time that Allies and Germans fought together in the war.
We'll also dodge another raft of aerial bombs and puzzle over a bottled pear.
Intro:
In 1917, Royal Flying Corps trainee Graham Donald fell out of his plane at the top of a loop.
In 1750, the 1st Earl of Hardwicke installed an artificial ruin near his country house, Wimpole Hall.
Sources for our feature on the Battle for Castle Itter:
Stephen Harding, The Last Battle, 2013.
Stephen Harding, The Battle for Castle Itter, World War II 23:3 (August/September 2008), 38-45.
George Hodge, The Last Battle: When U.S. and German Soldiers Joined Forces in the Waning Hours of World War II in Europe, Military Review 94:4 (July/August 2014), 100.
John G. Mayer, 12th Men Free French Big-Wigs, 12th Armored Division Hellcat News, May 26, 1945.
Andrew Roberts, World War II's Strangest Battle: When Americans and Germans Fought Together, Daily Beast, May 12, 2013.
Bethany Bell, The Austrian Castle Where Nazis Lost to German-US Force, BBC News, May 7, 2015.
Listener mail:
Roadside America, Omaha, Nebraska: Plaque: Japanese Balloon Bomb Exploded Here.
B-52 Accidentally Bombs Kansas Lake, Aero News Network, Dec. 16, 2006.
Bill Kaczor, Bombs Rained on Florida Family in 1944, Los Angeles Times, Aug. 14, 1994.
Wikipedia, MOVE: 1985 bombing (accessed Nov. 4, 2016).
Wikipedia, Pavlovsk Experimental Station (accessed Nov. 4, 2016).
Ian Crofton, A Curious History of Food and Drink, 2014.
Wikipedia, 1958 Tybee Island Mid-Air Collision (accessed Nov. 4, 2016).
This week's lateral thinking puzzles were adapted from the Soviet popular science magazine Kvant and the 2000 book Lateral Mindtrap Puzzles and contributed by listener Steve Scheuermann. We refer to this image in the second puzzle:
You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at
Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website.
Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode.
If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!
WWII's Strangest Battle, When Americans & Germans Fought as Allies Defending a Medieval Castle
As World War II was coming to a close in Europe in 1945, one of the most unique and strangest battles took place in Austria where Americans and Germans actually fought alongside one another as allies. Itter Castle is a small castle on a hill in Austria that was built during the medieval period in the 13th century. By the time of World War II, it was used by the Nazis to incarcerate prominent French prisoners. The castle was first seized by an SS officer in February 1943 and was being used as part of a prison facility by April of that same year. Notable prisoners over the next two years included former French prime ministers and generals, as well as a French tennis star and Charles de Gaulle's older sister. The commander of the prison fled on May 4, 1945 and many of the SS guards departed the castle soon afterwards. A German major, Josef Gangl, was commanding German anti-Nazi soldiers in the closing days of the war. American Lieutenant John C. Lee, seen here at the right, volunteered to lead the rescue of the French prisoners at Itter Castle accompanied by Major Gangl and his German soldiers. The rescue party included 14 Americans, 10 anti-Nazi Germans, and two Sherman tanks. While en route, the small party defeated a group of SS troops that had been attempting to block a road. One of the tanks was left behind to guard a bridge on the route. When the Americans and Germans arrived and freed the French prisoners at Itter Castle, Lee and Gangl placed their men in defensive positions throughout the castle, while the single tank was placed at the main entrance. On the morning of May 5, 1945, a small force of Nazi SS soldiers began their attack on the castle. The Sherman tank provided machine gun fire for the soldiers inside the castle until it was destroyed by the SS troops. During the ensuing battle, French prisoners fought alongside the American and German soldiers against the Nazi SS. When a relief force of the American 142nd Infantry Regiment arrived the SS were defeated. The German Major Gangl died during the battle from an SS sniper and has been honored as an Austrian national hero. The American Lieutenant Lee received the Distinguished Service Cross and was promoted to Captain for his actions. The Battle for Castle Itter remains a small, lesser known event of the end of the war. It's notable for being the only battle in which American and German soldiers fought together as allies and the only battle in which American troops defended a medieval castle. If you'd like to learn more about the Battle of Castle Itter, check out Stephen Harding's book titled The Last Battle: When U.S. and German Soldiers Joined Forces in the Waning Hours of the World War II in Europe.
Castle Itter (DVG) - Spielerklärung
Tolles Solospiel mit orginalgetreuer Thematik und super leichtem Einstieg.
Geschichte zum Spiel
SABATON - The Last Battle (Official Lyric Video)
The official lyric video for Sabaton's The Last Battle, from the album The Last Stand.
➞ SUBSCRIBE to Sabaton YouTube:
➞ MERCHANDISE Official Shop:
Buy CD:
Apple Music:
Amazon:
iTunes:
Spotify:
Google Play:
======= FOLLOW SABATON =======
• Facebook:
• Twitter:
• Instagram:
• Spotify:
• YouTube:
• Website:
======= The Last Battle SONG STORY =======
After the downfall of the 3:rd reich, on the 5:th of May 1945 a strange battle took place in the Tyrolean mountains in Itter, Austria.
Soldiers of the Wehrmacht and the US Army joined forces fought together against the SS to save the lives of prisoners being held in the castle of Itter.
Under the command of American Captain John C Lee and German Major Josef Gangl the castle was defended by less than 30 German and American soldiers together with the French former prisoners of the castle.
Together, and with a little help from their Sherman Tank ”Besotten Jenny” who was placed at the main entrance they managed to hold the 100-150 men strong Waffen SS unit at bay until they were relieved by the allies.
======= The Last Battle LYRICS =======
5 th of may, V day is just around the corner
1945 the Führer reign is at it’s end
Jenny at the gates, as the SS open fire
There´s no time to waste, the final battle has begun
After the downfall, a castle besieged
Facing the nazis awaiting relief
Gangl and Lee and their men set the prisoners free
An it’s the end of the line of the final journey
Enemies leaving the past
And it’s American troops and the German army
Joining together at last
One last fight, it’s the death throes of the 3:rd reich
Justice shall be done, the final battle remains
Ammo is running low, they’re depleting their machineguns
Every bullet counts until surrender is announced
After the downfall, a castle relieved
Defeating the nazis who held them besieged
Gangl and Lee and their men set the prisoners free
From the foot of the alps to the shores of the sea
From the foot of the alps to the shores of the sea
From the home of the brave, from the land of the free
From the foot of the alps to the shores of the sea
==================================
Sabaton is a registered and protected trademark.
Castle Itter (DVG) - Unboxing
Das neue Solo Koop PvP spiel von DVG
The Last Battle: The Strangest and Most Unlikely Battle of World War Two
On May 4-5th 1945, the most unlikely battle of World War 2 took place at Castle Itter in Austria. At the castle where French prisoners were being held, American and German rescuers fought side by side to defend it against an attacking force of Waffen-SS.
It was the only time during World War Two that Americans and Germans fought on the same side during a battle. All of the French prisoners survived the battle. Learn what else about this battle that made it so unique in the waning days of the war.
This story is being made into a movie based on a book at this link:
Music:
Black Vortex: Kevin MacLeod(incompetech.com)
Stormfront: Kevin MacLeod(incompetech.com)
By TUBS - Austria location map.svg by Lencer, CC BY-SA 3.0,
SABATON - The Last Battle (Battle for Castle Itter ) | MUSIC VIDEO
This is the story of the battle for Castle Itter where Americans and Germans fought together against Waffen-SS, on 5th May, 1945, setting free French prisoners
Artist: Sabaton
Song: The Last Battle
Album: The Last Stand
Label: Nuclear Blast
Scenes from: Band of Brothers mini-serie, Hellboy film, Inglorious Basterds film
Lyrics:
5th of May V Day is just around the corner
1945 the Führer reign is at its end
Jenny at the gates as the SS open fire
There's no time to waste the final battle has begun
After the downfall a castle besieged
Facing the Nazis awaiting relief
Gangl and Lee and their men set the prisoners free
And it's the end of the line of the final journey
Enemies leaving the past
And it's American troops and the German army
Joining together at last
One last fight it's the death throes of the 3:rd Reich
Justice shall be done the final battle remains
Ammo is running low they're depleting their machine guns
Every bullet counts until surrender is announced
After the downfall a castle relieved
Defeating the Nazis who held them besieged
Gangl and Lee and their men set the prisoners free
And it's the end of the line of the final journey
Enemies leaving the past
And it's American troops and the German army
Joining together at last
From the foot of the Alps to the shores of the sea
From the foot of the Alps to the shores of the sea
From the home of the brave from the land of the free
From the foot of the Alps to the shores of the sea
And it's the end of the line of the final journey
Enemies leaving the past
And it's American troops and the German army
Joining together at last
And it's the end of the line of the final journey
Enemies leaving the past
And it's American troops and the German army
Joining together at last
I don't make this video to gain, only for entertainment and education
Castle Itter - Fazit
Tolles und Mega einstiegfreundliches Solo - Tower Defense Spiel.
Die Geschichte
Wenn ihr meinen Kanal auf Patreon unterstützen wollt
Band Of Brothers scene - Joseph Liebgott and German soldier(Swedish Subtitles)
((Swedish Subtitles))
Band of Brothers scene
One of many powerful scenes in the series.
Unusual Battles in History: The Battle of Castle Itter
Please enjoy another installment of Unusual Battles in History
Remember to rate,comment, and subscribe: