History Tidbit... when right trumps prejudice

[dawg80]

The Battle of Castle Itter, in Austria late April, 1945

With Hitler's Nazi Germany collapsing there was utter chaos among the German military. Some just wanted to surrender, preferably to US troops, not the Russians, others decided they needed to make amends and speed the end of the war, while others, the stubborn hardliners, such as the Waffen SS, fought to the bitter end defending Nazism.

As US Troops poured through southern Germany, Bavaria, and into Austria, the situation was changing daily. News reached US HQ in Innsbruck, Austria of a special prison of political prisoners. Over 100 French leaders, along with former political leaders from other countries, two British ambassadors, members of houses of royalty from across Europe, and some key military leaders, such as two prominent French generals captured in 1940 were being held at mountain top fortress known as the Castle Itter. The SS had been given orders to proceed to the castle and murder all of the prisoners. The race was on.

The closest US units were only scouting platoons. One such platoon approached the road up the mountain to the castle but was stopped by dug in German troops with heavy anti-tank weapons and machine gun positions. They radioed it was impossible for them to reach the castle. The commander of the nearby infamous Dachau Concentration Camp was leading a killing squad on its way to the castle to carry out the murders. Word was put out over the US radio system, "can anyone mount a mission to rescue the prisoners in time?"

Lieutenant Jack Lee, a great grandson of Confederate General Robert E. Lee answered the call. He pulled together a makeshift unit composed of two M4 Sherman Tanks and two M10 Tank Killers, with a motley crew of infantry volunteers. Included in this group were 20 German soldiers, recently captured and led by Major Indahl. Also 24 US truck drivers of the famous "Red Ball Express" offered to pick up a rifle and join the mission...they were all African-Americans. Lt. Lee had 8 men of his own, a machine gun crew. This conglomerate of soldiers, 4 heavy guns, 2 jeeps, 2 trucks and 2 German troop carriers, started the 30 mile drive toward the castle. In what is known as the Battle of the Castle Itter this bunch pulled off the impossible, fighting their way up the mountain and reaching the castle before the SS soldiers from Dachau arrived. Along the way one of the Shermans took a direct hit from a German 88 and was knocked out. The former German soldiers fought right along side the black truck drivers. There are stories of each risking their life to help the other. Lt. Lee deployed his men, joined by some of the prisoners who took up a rifle, to defend against the SS attack coming. The fighting lasted two days until US reinforcements were spotted coming along the highway. The SS attackers abandoned their fight and retreated deeper into Austria.

The German commander, Major Indahl, was killed during the fight as he positioned himself with a machinegun to protect some of Lee's men falling back, mostly the black US soldiers. Afterwards, the congregation of people from so many countries, ethnic groups, and walks-of-life came together and raided the castle's wine cellar to celebrate as US reinforcements reached the castle. Soldiers, standing shoulder to shoulder together to fight to save others...

This was one of two times former German soldiers fought along side US Troops in a mission. The other one, somewhat surprisingly, is much more famous. The rescue of the famous Spanish Lippizan Stallions who were to be slaughtered by retreating SS troops. Disney made a movie about this back in the 1960's.

[tech70]

Thank you for posting these interesting tidbits . I enjoy them very much.