The Time Germans _ Americans Fought TOGETHER in WWII - The Battle of Castle Itter

September 22, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In early May 1945, as World War II was collapsing in Europe, a small group of American soldiers, German Wehrmacht troops, and French political prisoners fought side by side inside a medieval Austrian castle against an attacking force of Waffen SS. The Battle of Castle Itter is one of the strangest engagements of the war—the only known instance where Americans and Germans fought together as allies.

The Unraveling of the German Army

By late April 1945, the German military was in chaos. Hitler was dead, Berlin was falling to the Soviets, and the chain of command had disintegrated. But the situation on the ground varied drastically depending on which branch a German soldier belonged to. The Wehrmacht—the regular army—had a reasonable chance of survival if they surrendered to the Western Allies; they would be treated as prisoners of war. The Waffen SS, however, was a fighting force formed directly from the Nazi Party, responsible for many of the war's worst atrocities, including the Holocaust. As the war ended, SS troops knew they had little to gain from surrender. Many chose to fight to the death or attempt to escape. This divide between the two German factions is the key to understanding how an unlikely alliance formed in the Austrian Tyrol.

Castle Itter: A Prison for VIPs

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What you'll learn

1 (01:30) **The Setup: End of the War & The Castle** - Wendigoon introduces the Battle of Castle Itter as the most overlooked battle of WWII, where Americans and Germans fought together to save French VIPs, and explains the chaotic end-of-war conditions that made such an alliance possible.
2 (13:50) **The Tide Turns: Abandonment & A Desperate Plan** - As the war collapses, the SS command at the castle flees, leaving the prisoners with a single defected guard and the realization they must find help before desperate SS troops attack.
3 (17:07) **The Messenger: Andre & The German Major** - A Yugoslavian prisoner, Andre, is sent on a motorcycle to find the Americans, but he first encounters Austrian freedom fighters and a disillusioned Wehrmacht major, Josef "Gangl," who agrees to help.
4 (21:02) **The Rescue Party: American Tanks & German Volunteers** - Both Andre and Gangl independently find American units, leading to the formation of a bizarre coalition: one Sherman tank, 7 Americans, and 20 German soldiers, commanded by the audacious Lieutenant John C. "Jack" Lee Jr.
5 (24:40) **A Strange Alliance: Party in a Doomed Castle** - Upon arrival, the defenders—Americans, Germans, and French—hold a bizarre party in the wine cellar, then plan defenses together for the expected SS assault.
6 (28:03) **The Battle Begins: Night Attack & Dawn's 88mm** - The SS attacks at 11 PM with machine-gun fire, and the battle intensifies at dawn when they reveal an 88mm artillery piece that destroys Lee's tank.
7 (29:10) **Desperate Defense: French VIPs Join the Fight** - As the SS attempts to scale the walls with grappling hooks, the French prisoners refuse to stay safe and instead join the Americans and Germans in the firefight.

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Show Notes

The Time Germans & Americans Fought TOGETHER in WWII | The Battle of Castle Itter

In the final days of World War II, an extraordinary battle took place at Castle Itter in Austria. American soldiers and German soldiers unexpectedly joined forces against Waffen-SS troops in a rare and remarkable episode of the war.

This episode tells the story of the Battle of Castle Itter, fought on May 5, 1945, just days before the end of the war in Europe. Discover how a small group of American and German soldiers, along with Austrian resistance fighters and French prisoners, came together to defend the castle and its prisoners.

Explore the events, the people involved, and the circumstances that made this little-known battle one of the most unusual episodes of World War II.