The Last Stand at Castle Itter

Chapter 1: The War’s Final Days

May 5th, 1945. The war in Europe was nearly over. Hitler was dead. The German army was surrendering in waves. But in the heart of the Austrian Alps, where the spring air was still cold and the forests thick with shadows, a medieval fortress stood silent on a hill. Castle Itter, with its stone walls and iron gates, was about to become the stage for one of the strangest battles in history.

Inside the castle, the mood was tense, electric. If you’d looked through binoculars that morning, you wouldn’t have believed your eyes. On the ramparts were American soldiers, firing machine guns at attackers below. But right beside them, shoulder-to-shoulder, were German soldiers—not prisoners, not captives, but armed, fighting as allies. Together, they were defending the castle against a common enemy: the Waffen SS, a fanatical division determined to slaughter everyone inside.

Chapter 2: The VIP Prisoners

Castle Itter was no ordinary prison. It was a “luxury cage,” reserved for the Nazis’ most valuable captives—French VIPs who had once shaped the destiny of their nation. Among them were Édouard Daladier, the former prime minister; Paul Reynaud, another prime minister; General Maxime Weygand, once head of the French army; and Jean Borotra, a tennis legend. They hated their captors, but truthfully, they also hated each other. Years of confinement had turned political disagreements into bitter arguments.

By May 1945, the guards were nervous. The SS commander at the castle, Sebastian Wimmer, knew the war was lost. He realized that if the Americans found him, he’d be arrested, but he also had orders from Himmler: “No prisoner leaves alive.” On May 4th, facing the approaching American lines and the fanatical SS units roaming the forests, Wimmer made his choice. He ran away. The SS guards fled. The French VIPs were suddenly free—but trapped. The castle was surrounded by woods filled with the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division, diehard Nazis executing anyone who tried to surrender.

Chapter 3: Desperate Measures

The prisoners armed themselves with weapons left behind by the fleeing guards. But they were old men, not soldiers. They needed help, and they found it in the most unlikely place.

A few miles away, in the town of Wörgl, Major Josef Gangl was fighting his own war. Gangl was a Wehrmacht officer—a regular army soldier and a hero of the Russian front. But he was also anti-Nazi, secretly helping the Austrian resistance. He knew the SS planned to blow up the town’s bridges and fight to the death. Gangl wanted to save his men and his town. He was looking for someone to surrender to.

Then a messenger arrived from the castle—a Czech cook who’d ridden a bicycle through SS lines. “The French leaders are trapped,” he told Gangl. “The SS is coming to kill them.” Gangl faced a dilemma. He didn’t have enough men to fight the SS alone. But he couldn’t let the SS massacre the French VIPs. It would be a stain on Germany’s honor.

So Gangl did something extraordinary. He grabbed a white flag, jumped into his Kübelwagen, and drove toward the American lines—not to fight, but to find a friend.

Chapter 4: The American Cowboy

The US 12th Armored Division had just arrived in the town of Kufstein. Leading the reconnaissance unit was Captain John “Jack” Lee, the perfect American tank commander—cigar-chomping, tough, loud, and beloved by his men. He was resting his Sherman tank, “Besotten Jenny,” when a German car approached with a white flag.

Lee put his hand on his pistol, but the German officer didn’t shoot. He saluted. It was Major Gangl. In broken English, Gangl explained the situation: “Captain, we have French VIPs trapped. The SS is coming. I want to help you save them.”

Lee looked at Gangl—a German major asking to join forces. It sounded like a trap. But Lee was a gambler. He chewed his cigar, looked at the map, and said, “All right, Fritz, let’s go get ‘em.” He radioed his HQ: “I am taking a rescue mission to Castle. I am taking the German major with me.” His superiors thought he was crazy, but they gave him the green light.

Lee gathered a small force: two tanks, seven infantrymen, and Gangl’s truckload of Wehrmacht soldiers. It was the strangest convoy of the war—an American tank in the lead, a German truck behind it, driving together into SS territory.

Chapter 5: The Strange Alliance

As they drove up the winding road to the castle, they ran into SS roadblocks. The Besotten Jenny blasted them out of the way. The German soldiers in the truck fired their Mauser rifles at the SS. Together, they fought their way to the castle gate.

The French VIPs came out to meet them. They expected a massive American army. Instead, they saw one tank, seven Americans, and a handful of Germans. The French were confused. “Where is the rest of the army?” they asked.

Captain Lee climbed out of his tank and grinned. “I am it.”

Lee took command. He was only a captain, but he ordered the French prime ministers around like privates. “Get inside,” he told them. “Stay away from the windows.” He placed his tank, the Besotten Jenny, right in front of the main gate. He told his gunner to aim at the road. He positioned the German soldiers on the walls, his American infantry in the towers. He told Major Gangl, “You watch the south wall. I’ll watch the gate.” Gangl saluted.

For the first time in five years, German and American soldiers shared cigarettes, food, and checked each other’s weapons. They knew that when the sun came up, they were all going to die together.

Chapter 6: The Calm Before the Storm

Night fell over Castle Itter, cloaking the ancient stone in shadows. Inside, the strange alliance settled in for what might be their last night. Captain Lee walked the ramparts, checking on each position. He found Major Gangl on the south wall, quietly loading his pistol.

Lee offered him a cigarette. “Strange times, Major. Never thought I’d be fighting alongside a German.”

Gangl smiled, tired but resolute. “I never thought I’d fight against my own countrymen. But these SS… they are not soldiers. They are butchers.”

Below, the French VIPs huddled together. For once, their political arguments were forgotten. Jean Borotra, the tennis star, passed out coffee. Daladier and Reynaud, former rivals, sat in silence, listening to the distant thunder of artillery.

Through the night, the defenders prepared. Ammunition was rationed. The Americans checked their radios—static. The only working radio was in the Sherman tank, but it was unreliable. If help was needed, someone would have to break through the enemy lines on foot.

Chapter 7: The SS Attack

At dawn, a heavy fog blanketed the valley. Then, the first shots rang out. The 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division had arrived—150 men, armed with mortars, machine guns, and an 88mm anti-tank gun. They were furious, seeing their own countrymen—Gangl’s Wehrmacht—fighting beside Americans.

The SS opened fire, bullets chipping away at the ancient walls. The defenders returned fire, Americans and Germans side by side. The French VIPs, to their credit, did not hide. Reynaud and Daladier grabbed rifles, joining the defense. Even Borotra, the tennis champion, took up arms.

The SS focused their fire on the main gate, where the Besotten Jenny stood guard. The tank’s gun roared, scattering attackers. But the SS brought up their 88mm. The first shell screamed through the air, slamming into the Sherman’s armor. The tank lurched, smoke pouring from its hatches. The crew bailed out just before another shell turned the Besotten Jenny into a burning wreck.

Now, the defenders were down to rifles and pistols. Lee moved from post to post, calm and determined. “Hold the line,” he told his men. “We make them pay for every inch.”

Chapter 8: Sacrifice

The battle raged for hours. Ammunition ran low. The SS inched closer, preparing to storm the walls. Major Gangl directed fire from the ramparts, exposing himself to enemy snipers. Suddenly, he saw Paul Reynaud standing in the open, trying to return fire.

“Get down!” Gangl shouted, rushing to pull Reynaud to safety. A sniper’s bullet caught Gangl in the chest. He fell, mortally wounded. The German officer who had risked everything to save the French was the only defender killed that day.

Lee knelt beside him as Gangl struggled for breath. With his last words, Gangl whispered, “Tell my men… I did what was right.”

Chapter 9: The Final Stand

With the tank destroyed and ammunition nearly gone, the defenders braced for the final assault. The SS were at the gate, planting charges to blow it open. Lee ordered his men to fix bayonets. The German soldiers checked their magazines—empty. The French VIPs prepared to fight hand-to-hand.

Suddenly, Jean Borotra stepped forward. “I will go,” he said. “I am fast. I can run for help.” Without waiting, Borotra vaulted over the wall and sprinted across the open field. SS bullets kicked up dirt at his heels, but he ran on, disappearing into the trees.

Inside the castle, Lee and the others prepared for the end. The SS blew open the gate, ready to pour in.

Then, from the distance, came the sound of engines.

Chapter 10: The Tennis Player’s Run

Jean Borotra ran like his life—and the lives of everyone in Castle Itter—depended on it. He sprinted across open ground, dodging bullets that tore through grass and shattered stones. The SS fired at the lone figure, but Borotra was quick, weaving through the trees and disappearing into the dense Austrian forest.

For miles, he ran without stopping, lungs burning, heart pounding. He knew that the fate of prime ministers, generals, and his fellow defenders rested on his speed and luck. Finally, as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him, Borotra saw the glint of steel—an American column, Sherman tanks and infantry from the 142nd Infantry Regiment, winding up the mountain road.

Stumbling to the lead tank, Borotra gasped for breath. “The castle,” he managed. “They’re dying. You must hurry.”

The American commander didn’t hesitate. Engines roared to life, and the column surged forward, racing toward Castle Itter.

Chapter 11: The Siege Breaks

Back at the castle, the defenders braced for the SS’s final assault. The gate was blown open, smoke and splinters filling the courtyard. Captain Lee ordered his men to stand ready, bayonets fixed, faces grim. The German soldiers checked their empty magazines, determined to fight with bare hands if necessary.

The SS stormed the courtyard, shouting, firing wildly. The defenders met them with everything they had—rifles, pistols, even broken pieces of furniture. The French VIPs fought alongside their rescuers, refusing to surrender.

Then, a new sound cut through the chaos—the thunder of tank engines and the crack of American rifles. The 142nd Infantry Regiment burst onto the scene, Sherman tanks blazing. The SS attackers, caught between the castle’s defenders and the fresh American force, panicked. Some tried to flee into the woods; others dropped their weapons and surrendered.

Within minutes, the siege was broken. The courtyard filled with American soldiers, checking on the wounded and securing the area. Captain Lee, face blackened with smoke and fatigue, met the relief commander at the gate. He took the cigar from his mouth and managed a tired grin. “What took you so long?”

Chapter 12: Aftermath and Honor

The French VIPs were safe. The Americans quickly evacuated them from the castle, driving them to safety as the news of Germany’s surrender spread across Europe. The defenders—American, German, and French—stood together, united by the strangest battle of the war.

Captain Jack Lee received the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery. He returned to New York after the war, opening a hotel and living quietly, never boasting about the battle that had made him a legend.

Major Josef Gangl was buried with honor in the town of Wörgl. In Austria, a street bears his name—a tribute to the German officer who died fighting Nazis, saving the lives of men who had once been his enemies.

The story of Castle Itter became a symbol of hope, showing that even at the end of the world’s bloodiest conflict, humanity could triumph over hatred. Enemies became brothers, and men chose to do what was right, even when the world had gone mad.

Chapter 13: Reflection in the Ruins

As the dust settled over Castle Itter, the survivors gathered in the battered courtyard. The ancient stones bore the scars of battle—bullet holes, shattered gates, the charred shell of the Besotten Jenny. Yet, standing among the ruins, men who had been enemies only days before now shared cigarettes, stories, and silent gratitude.

The French VIPs, once divided by politics and pride, found unity in survival. Daladier and Reynaud, their disagreements forgotten, thanked their rescuers—American and German alike. Jean Borotra, the tennis star, was hailed as a hero for his daring run.

Captain Jack Lee, exhausted but proud, shook hands with every man who had defended the castle. He paused at Gangl’s grave, honoring the German major who had given his life for honor and humanity.

Chapter 14: The Legacy of Major Gangl

Word of Major Gangl’s sacrifice spread quickly through Wörgl and beyond. To some, he was a traitor to Germany; to others, the very definition of a hero. In Austria, his name became a symbol of resistance against tyranny—a man who chose conscience over blind loyalty.

A street in Wörgl still bears his name, and every year, locals remember the day a German officer died saving French leaders from the SS. Gangl’s story reminds us that courage can flourish in the most unlikely places, and that the lines drawn by war are never as simple as they seem.

Chapter 15: The Meaning of Brotherhood

The Battle for Castle Itter was a small skirmish in the vast tapestry of World War II, but its meaning endures. For a brief moment, Americans and Germans fought side by side—not as conquerors or captives, but as brothers in arms against a greater evil.

The defenders showed that, even in the darkest hours, humanity can survive. Choices matter. Courage matters. And sometimes, the right thing to do is the hardest thing of all.

Years later, when asked about the battle, Captain Lee would simply smile and say, “It was the weirdest thing I ever saw—me and the Krauts fighting side by side.” He never bragged, never sought the spotlight. For him, and for those who stood with him, the victory was enough.

Epilogue: The Last Stand Remembered

Castle Itter still stands, a silent witness to history. Its walls have seen kings, prisoners, and armies—but none stranger than the alliance that formed in its final hours of war.

Today, the story of the battle is told in books, documentaries, and quiet conversations among veterans. It remains the only time American and German soldiers fought together as allies in World War II—a testament to the power of honor, the possibility of redemption, and the enduring hope that, even in war, humanity can prevail.

As the sun sets over the Austrian Alps, the legacy of Castle Itter echoes through time.
Enemies became brothers.
A German died a hero.
And the world learned that, sometimes, the right side is simply the side of humanity.