A Brief History
On May 5, 1945, a rare circumstance arose when German troops fought alongside US Army troops against an attack by the German 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division. Making the event even more bizarre, freed French prisoners of war joined the Americans and Germans in fighting off the attacking SS soldiers.
Digging Deeper
The Germans fighting with the Americans to defend Castle Itter in Austria were led by Hauptsturmführer Kurt-Siegfried Schrader of the SS and Major Josef Gangl. The German soldiers involved had quit fighting for Germany and joined the Austrian resistance.
Castle Itter was used to house prisoners, including former French prime ministers, French generals, and the sister of Charles de Gaulle, all of whom joined the battle to defend the castle.
The Allied forces resisted the attack until American reinforcements arrived, making this battle one of only two during the war in which Germans fought on the side of the Americans and the only known time an SS member fought against Germany.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Charles River Editors. The Battle of Castle Itter: The History of World War II’s Strangest Skirmish. Independently published, 2021.
Wynn, Stephen. The Battle of Itter Castle, 1945. Pen and Sword Military, 2024.
The featured image in this article, a campaign map by Sgt Donald Rothenberg and Sgt George Grimshaw showing the operations of the 12th Armored Division in Europe from 5 December 1944 to 5 May 1945, is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.
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