US and German Soldiers Fought on the Same Side
[!NOTE] Historical File: US and German Soldiers Fought on the Same Side Location: Austria | Era: Archival History | Format: Documentary & Narrative Record
The Untold Story
In May 1945, five days after Hitler died, an American tank rolled up to an Austrian castle on a mission unlike any other.
Inside the castle were French VIP prisoners, including former prime ministers, surrounded by fanatical SS troops.
Outnumbered ten to one, American Captain Jack Lee made an unthinkable alliance with anti-Nazi German Wehrmacht soldiers.
Together, fourteen American GIs and ten German soldiers loaded their weapons to defend the castle against over a hundred Waffen-SS.
Battle for Castle Itter (May 5, 1945) • 14 US soldiers & 1 Sherman tank • 10 German Wehrmacht defectors • Defended against 100+ Waffen-SS
They held off waves of attacks until American reinforcements broke through—making it the only battle in history where Americans and Germans fought on the same side.
Historical Discussion
💭 Major Josef Gangl, the German officer who allied with the Americans, was killed by a sniper while pulling former French prime minister Paul Reynaud out of harm’s way. He was later honored as an Austrian resistance hero.
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