Cold Open

It’s May 5th, 1945, in Itter Castle, a small hilltop fortress in Austria.

His weapon drawn, German Army Major Josef Gangl hurries down a dim stone staircase, hot on the heels of an American officer.

Scenes like this have been common in recent months, as Allied forces fight their way to the heart of Nazi Germany. But today is different. Today, Major Gangl and the American, Lieutenant Jack Lee, are on the same side.

They’re both part of a small group defending the castle and its prisoners from an attack by more than 100 diehard Nazis.

The staircase leads to the castle’s courtyard. Gangl crouches and follows Lieutenant Lee to the parapet wall, as enemy rounds ricochet off the cobblestones behind them. He’s had little time since the battle began to reflect on the strangeness of this situation. But the spectacle in front of him now brings it home.

Farther along the wall, an elderly French politician roars insults in his native tongue as he gleefully sprays bullets at the enemy outside the castle. The old man was a prisoner here just a few days ago, but now he’s ignored orders to stay inside where it’s safer and is defending the fortress as if it were his real home.

A nearby door swings open, and three American GIs edge along the wall toward Lieutenant Lee. As the Americans make plans in hurried English, Gangl takes a moment to check his weapon. He’s running low on ammo—they all must be by now. So, unless something changes soon, they’re going to lose this battle.

When he looks up, he sees the French politician is on the move, heading toward the castle’s gatehouse.

For Gangl, half a lifetime’s soldiering takes over, and in an instant, he calculates the angles and comes to a conclusion—the Frenchman is exposed.

Ignoring the risk to himself, Gangl runs to pull the Frenchman back.

He barely makes it ten feet, though, before a sniper’s bullet slams into his body. Gangl crumples to the ground, blood pooling quickly under his head. In his last few moments, he stares up at the Austrian sky as the world darkens around him and the battle rages on.

Three hundred miles away from Itter Castle, Adolf Hitler is already dead inside his bunker in Berlin, and Nazi Germany is on the verge of total defeat. But as Major Josef Gangl draws his last breath, it’s far from certain who will emerge victorious in what will become known as “the strangest battle of World War II” on May 5th, 1945.

Introduction

From Noiser and Airship, I’m Lindsay Graham, and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast—every day—we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world.

Today is May 5th, 1945: The Battle for Castle Itter.

Act One

It’s the morning of May 4th, 1945, in the small Austrian city of Wörgl, less than 24 hours before the Battle for Castle Itter.

Major Josef Gangl reaches into a munitions crate and pulls out a submachine gun. He briefly inspects it, then, more cautiously, hands it over to the skinny man waiting in front of him. This could be a mistake, but Gangl believes he has little choice.

A pale sun is rising over the mountains east of the city and catching the broken glass at Gangl’s feet.

Although American troops have arrived to secure the region, there are still SS men in the city. And they’re so committed to the Nazis cause, that surrender is not an option—either for them or the people of Wörgl. So they’re shooting at houses with white flags at the window and executing any men they find inside.

Josef Gangl has been in the German Army since he was 17 years old—long before the Nazis came to power. He’s seen action on both the Western and Eastern Fronts. But it’s been clear to him for months that Germany has lost the war. And now his priority is just to keep as many soldiers and civilians alive as possible before the conflict comes to its inevitable end.

That’s why, last night, he met with local leaders of the anti-Nazi Austrian Resistance—and it's why, now, he’s handing one of them a loaded submachine gun. He hopes that they’ll help him protect the townspeople from the roaming SS units. And to help them further, Gangl is about to hand over some hand grenades, when there’s a shout and the skinny man points down the road to the east.

Shielding his eyes against the sun, Gangl sees a pair of Austrians he recognizes from last night’s meeting flanking a stranger riding a bicycle.

When they get closer, the stranger drops the bike and then runs forward, introducing himself in heavily accented German. He says his name is Andreas Krobot, and until last night, he was the cook at Itter Castle, a fortress about six miles from Wörgl.

Andreas explains that the castle holds a number of high-profile French prisoners, among them a pair of former Prime Ministers, two generals, a world-renowned tennis star, and the older sister of Charles de Gaulle. But last night, as news came through that American forces were approaching, the prison’s commanding officer lost his nerve and abandoned his post. Shortly after, most of the guards abandoned the castle as well.

So the prisoners were left in charge. But they’re mostly old men, and if any SS soldiers happen upon the castle, it will surely end in a massacre.

So, this morning Andreas volunteered to cycle to Wörgl and ask for help. He hoped to find the Americans, but instead, he’s ended up in front of Major Gangl.

As Andreas catches his breath, Gangl weighs his duties, his duties to his men, to the townspeople, and now to some of France’s most important leaders. There’s no way to keep them all safe without the help of the Americans. But there’s no time to spare either; he can’t wait for the Americans to come to him. So he will have to go to them.

Major Gangl gets into a car and drives toward Kufstein, a small town seven miles north of Wörgl, rumored to have been taken by the Allies. In his pocket, Gangl has a letter from Andreas written in English. And on the seat beside him is a white flag.

When he arrives, the streets of the town are quiet, and he can hear a light spring rain patter the car’s hood. Gangl is nervous, though. There may still be SS soldiers around. And if they spot him with his white flag, Gangl will almost certainly be shot. But if he bumps into any Americans without it, they will probably open fire on him as well.

The dilemma is quickly solved when he turns a corner, and Gangl finds himself suddenly face-to-face with four U.S. tanks. Grabbing the white flag, he quickly gets out of the car and falls to his knees. Soldiers rush him. He’s frisked and pulled up. And then, with several gun barrels at his back, he’s brought before an American officer.

That man stares at him coldly, chewing a cigar. Careful not to make any sudden moves, Gangl reaches for the letter in his pocket. The American tears it open and reads, and climbs onto his tank and disappears below to use the radio.

Gangl doesn’t know if this American is going to offer him help or execute him on the spot. But after two long minutes, the American officer will reappear and jump down from the tank with a smile on his face. Squeezing Gangl’s hand just a little too hard, he’ll introduce himself as Lieutenant Jack Lee—and say it seems like they’ve got a rescue mission on their hands.

Act Two

It’s 3 AM, on May 5th, 1945, at Itter Castle, a few hours after Lieutenant Jack Lee met Josef Gangl.

In the great hall, Lieutenant Lee leans over a map of the surrounding area spread out on a long oak table. Sitting beside him are Gangl and another German officer who stayed behind when the other guards fled.

Looking around him in this castle, Lieutenant Lee has never felt so far from his native New York. He thought the war was over for him and his men. He was watching some of them open bottles of schnapps to celebrate when Gangl’s car came around the corner. Now, he’s making battle plans yet again—and this time, he’s doing it alongside men he was trying to kill only a few days ago.

Looking at the map and thinking about the castle's fortifications, Lee knows that if the SS attack, the odds will be against them. Lee couldn’t afford to pull many men away from their other duties. So, all he has to work with are 14 Americans, 10 German soldiers—and a single Sherman tank named “Besotten Jenny.” He’s ordered the castle’s illustrious former inmates to wait out the battle in the safety of the cellars below. They don’t like it, but these are the men and women who will help rebuild France. They have to survive the war.

So, with plans for the defense of the castle in place, Lieutenant Lee and his companions fall into conversation. They share their experiences in the war and discuss the uncertain future that peace promises. After years of fighting, Lee is surprised how easy it is talking to the two Germans. But he knows the sun will be up in just a few hours, and this may well be the last chance they’ll get to catch some sleep before battle.

So, Lee makes his excuses and finds a cot in one of the dormitories abandoned by the guards. Within moments, he’s asleep. But barely an hour has passed when he’s woken by the sound of gunfire outside. It seems the battle has begun.

The fighting starts slowly, but by the time the sun rises, the castle is surrounded by over a hundred SS troops. Making things worse, they’re armed with an 88-millimeter anti-tank artillery gun. Lieutenant Lee knows from bitter experience that this is more than enough to take out a Sherman like Besotten Jenny.

And indeed, by 10:30 AM, that tank is a burning wreck of twisted metal, and the defense of the castle is becoming desperate.

They’re all running low on ammunition, and when one French prisoner in the fight makes a foolish move, Lieutenant Lee can do nothing but watch as Major Gangl is shot by a sniper. Two other soldiers are then badly injured, and Lee knows that without reinforcements, they’re in serious trouble. The problem is their only radio was in the Besotten Jenny, and he doesn’t have another way to call in help.

So, leaving four men behind to hold the castle walls, Lee calls an emergency meeting in the great hall. He explains the situation to the French former prisoners and is about to order them back to the cellar when, to everyone’s surprise, a phone starts ringing. Following the noise, Lee finds a telephone tucked away in an office.

He picks up the receiver and can’t believe his luck when he hears an American voice. It’s a fellow officer calling from Wörgl. More Allied forces have arrived in the area, and they can spare some men to help defend the castle if Lee needs them.

Lee quickly confirms that they do and starts explaining what they’re up against. But then another 88-millimeter shell slams against the castle walls. When the blast has settled, and Lee’s ears have stopped ringing, he finds the phone line is dead.

Lee glares at the useless receiver. He has no idea whether help is coming. He’s still cursing under his breath when a dark-haired, athletic-looking Frenchman steps forward.

Jean Barotra is no elder statesman. In fact, he’s the “Bounding Basque”, France’s most famous tennis star—and he has an audacious idea.

Jean is in good shape, and after several failed escape attempts, he has strong knowledge of the local area. He suggests that he disguise himself as an Austrian refugee. He will then sneak out of the castle and find his way through the forest to summon help from Wörgl.

Lieutenant Lee shakes his head. The idea is insane. Jean is bound to be caught. But as another shell bursts against the castle wall, he realizes they don’t have any better options.

So, twenty minutes later, Lee watches in awe as Jean climbs over a wall, then drops down to the ground, rolls to his feet in a single, smooth motion, and sprints to the tree line about 40 yards away.

With that, the first part of the plan is complete. But the Bounding Basque will need to live up to his name if he’s to save the day. Because in just a few short hours, the castle’s defenders will be out of ammunition, the enemy will be at the gate, and without reinforcements, all will be lost.

Act Three

It’s late afternoon on May 5th, 1945, at Itter Castle in Austria, 12 hours after the battle began.

In a bedroom on the second floor, former French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier leans against a door, as bullets pummel the wall outside.

Nearby, two soldiers crouch near the window, waiting for the right moment to shoot back. Like everyone in the castle, they only have a few rounds left now, and once those are gone, the battle will be all but over.

Daladier was a soldier himself in his youth, and in a pause in the onslaught from outside, he asks the other men he is fighting with, where in Germany they’re from. They smile and tell him they’re actually from Poland and were forced to join the German Army.

Then they exchange a few words about the war and their homes. And when the subject of Adolf Hitler’s death comes up, one soldier grins and pulls out a bottle of Italian liqueur from his coat. He hands it to Daladier and says they’ve been toasting the happy news.

Daladier takes a long drink. It’s warm and too bitter for his taste, but he doesn’t let that bother him too much. He was still Prime Minister of France when the war began, and Paris fell. He may not live to see the end of the war now, but at least he’s outlived Hitler—and that is worth a drink.

He closes his eyes, letting the liqueur warm his chest. But then one of the soldiers by the window curses.

Daladier opens his eyes and asks what’s happening. The other soldier explains that he’s just seen an SS soldier with a Panzerfaust rocket launcher. He’s taking aim at the castle’s front gate.

Daladier throws himself to the floor and is bracing for whatever will come next, when a burst of machine gun fire rattles outside. It’s faster and higher-pitched than the German guns he’s heard today.

The other soldiers leap to their feet, shouting in delight. Daladier scrambles up too, joining them just in time to see an American tank roll to a stop outside the castle, with trucks and infantry close behind.

Now, outgunned and outnumbered, the SS troops abandon their attack on the castle and flee. Overjoyed, Daladier runs as fast as his 61-year-old legs will take him, down the twisting staircase to the courtyard and through the now open gate.

Others have beaten him to it. Lieutenant Jack Lee is already there, smiling widely as he shakes hands with the Bounding Basque, Jean Barotra, the man who’s saved them all.

Daladier joins him, and as the last guns fall quiet around Castle Itter, the other French prisoners emerge from the fortress to celebrate their freedom.

And like millions of others all across Europe, they will soon be returning to homes transformed by the war. They will not know what the future will bring, but for this night at least, they can celebrate their victory, alongside their unlikely allies, in one of the last and strangest battles of World War II, one that was fought on May 5th, 1945.

Outro

Next on History Daily. May 6th, 1983. What were thought to be Adolf Hitler’s long-lost diaries are exposed as forgeries, sparking one of the greatest scandals in modern journalism.

From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham.

Audio editing by Muhammad Shahzaib.

Sound design by Mollie Baack.

Music by Thrumm.

This episode is written and researched by Ned Carter Miles.

Edited by William Simpson.

Managing producer Emily Burke.

Executive Producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.