Hitler's Last Stand (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Enemy Allies - full transcript
After Adolf Hitler's suicide during the final days of World War Two, an American Tank Commander leads a motley mix of German and American soldiers determined to protect French VIP prisoners...
NARRATOR: May 1945.
During the final days
of war in Europe,
an American tank commander
leads an unlikely band
of U.S. and German soldiers...
to rescue French VIPs
held in an Austrian castle.
As he organizes
their defenses...
MAN: Lee's strategy
is to keep the SS guessing
about the disposition of forces
inside the castle.
They don't know he's only got
25 men and three officers.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR: But when
Waffen SS forces attack,
he cannot be sure
where their loyalty will stand.
On June 6, 1944,
Allied forces finally
land troops in Normandy
to open the Western Front.
(yelling in German)
But Nazi fanatics and diehards
continue to fight
ruthlessly for survival.
(gunfire)
D-Day was a battle.
The Allies still need
to win the war.
May 4, 1945.
Tyrol, Austria.
German Army major Josef Gangl
and his driver
near the town of Kufstein,
occupied just the day before
by American troops.
PETER LIEB: German resistance
has more or less collapsed.
But it has not yet surrendered.
German troops are withdrawing
to the Alpine region,
where there is this myth
of this Alpine Fortress,
the last stand of the Nazis.
NARRATOR:
As they turn a corner,
they come face to face
with four U.S. Sherman tanks.
SOLDIER: Out of the car.
Alright. What do you want?
(speaking German)
NARRATOR: On the surface,
it may look like Gangl is one
of thousands of German soldiers
surrendering to Western Allies.
SOLDIER: Whoa, whoa, whoa!
NARRATOR: But Gangl has come
to Kufstein on a mission.
It may be risky.
Days prior,
the U.S. Army began to liberate
the nearby
Dachau prison camp system.
WILLIAM LENCHES:
After witnessing the atrocities,
many of the soldiers
were of the opinion
that they simply
weren't in the business
of taking prisoners anymore.
NARRATOR: But Gangl has joined
the Austrian Resistance
to help defeat the Nazis
from within the Third Reich.
Gangl is taken
to Lieutenant Jack Lee,
commander of Company B,
23rd Tank Battalion,
U.S. 12th Armored Division.
Months of hard fighting
gives Lee confidence,
on the edge of bravado.
LENCHES:
In a couple of days prior,
a German colonel
wanted to surrender
a large number of his men
but wouldn't do so
to a lowly first lieutenant.
So, Lieutenant Lee,
making use of the fact
that the insignia
for a first lieutenant
is a single silver bar
and for a captain
is two silver bars,
simply took a spare bar,
put it on his collar,
and was a captain
for a few minutes
to accept surrender.
NARRATOR: In English,
Gangl delivers his message.
The German officer explains
that he has knowledge
of important French prisoners
held by the Nazis not far away.
JOHN McMANUS:
From the perspective
of a U.S. Army commander,
you're wise if you decide,
I'm only going to trust
my own guys.
But you also have to be
open-minded enough
to realize that
there may be a lot of people
who need your help
and that you're probably
going to do yourself
more harm than good
if you're shooting first
and asking questions later.
NARRATOR:
Gangl presents a letter
written by one of the VIPs.
In it, they plead for rescue.
Rumors had circulated
about an Alpine fortress
holding such prisoners.
The story could be true,
or it could be a trap.
McMANUS: It's a tough sell
for someone like Gangl
to make the Americans understand
that he is going to
join them in common cause
and that he's really
not a supporter of Nazism.
NARRATOR:
Lee climbs into his tank
to radio
his commanding officer.
LEE: HQ, this is Lee.
NARRATOR: He shares the intel
about the French hostages.
Lee receives
permission to proceed
as he judges appropriate.
LEE: Alright,
we'll see it through. Over.
LENCHES: It's indicative
of how fluid the situation is;
there's not always going
to be time to check in.
The battalion commander
is telling Lee
that he needs
to exercise his judgment.
NARRATOR: Lee decides
to check out the story himself.
He will reconnoiter
to where Gangl claims
the VIP prisoners
are being held.
Only one of Lee's gunners
and the two Germans
accompany him.
Lee decides
to travel with Gangl
to determine the German major's
reliability...
and to verify his connections
with the Austrian Resistance.
McMANUS: This situation
that you have there
on the ground in Austria
is extraordinarily complex.
NARRATOR:
German Chancellor Adolf Hitler
committed suicide
five days prior,
on April 30, 1945.
The German military
is disintegrating.
Some surrender to the Allies.
Others retreat,
or even desert.
LIEB: In my opinion,
Gangl represents the state
of the German armed forces
in May 1945.
He understands the war is lost,
probably has also understood
that he had served
the wrong cause.
And now is time to try
to avoid even more damage
to our home country,
even if this means to cooperate
with a former enemy.
NARRATOR: But many still
support the cause of Nazism,
particularly those
in the Waffen-SS--
the military arm
of the Nazi party.
LIEB: There are a number
of Waffen-SS troops
in northern Austria
by this time.
Most of them are
still determined to fight on.
They are fanatical.
ROMAN TOPPEL: When we hear
'fanatic' or 'fanatical' today,
we think of crazy people
who fight on stupid-like.
But fanatic is actually
considered a positive term
by the Nazis.
If they say you are
a fanatic Nazi,
it's meant as a compliment.
NARRATOR: The Waffen-SS
will fight to the bitter end.
TOPPEL: A couple of days
before the war was over,
the thinking then was
we are losing,
but when we are losing,
our enemies shall not survive.
NARRATOR: Their fatalism
creates great risk
for the Allies.
LIEB:
Whether in the next village
they will be met with open arms,
or whether they will be met
with a hail of bullets.
NARRATOR: The four men
travel to their objective--
Castle Itter.
Their route will be
dictated by roadblocks.
McMANUS: The Nazis controlled
most every aspect
of German life,
including the road net.
We have a roadblock
at the entry points of a town.
This was a way to maintain
control over populations,
to cow them into submission.
It was a way to maintain some
semblance of political control.
NARRATOR: With Gangl and his
driver's knowledge of the area,
they bypass some roadblocks.
Other times,
en route to the town of Worgl,
Lee and Gangl encounter
Wehrmacht German Army troops,
who prove loyal
to the German major.
As Gangl navigates each turn,
Lee must still wonder
whether it's an elaborate ruse.
During a stop in Worgl,
Gangl offers Lee
formal surrender
of the garrison
based in the town.
(motor starts)
They then continue
to Itter village,
situated just below
the castle itself.
So, for Lee,
the next introduction
must have been jarring.
Though he's dressed
in civilian clothes,
the man is introduced
as a Waffen-SS captain.
LENCHES: SS officers did not
swear loyalty to Germany
and its constitution
and its laws.
They swore a personal loyalty
to Adolf Hitler himself.
These were the fanatics.
These were the people who ran
the concentration camps.
NARRATOR: Lee may have trusted
the Wehrmacht officer,
only to fall into the clutches
of the SS instead.
NARRATOR: May 4, 1945.
In the final days
of World War II,
an American tank commander
believes
a German officer's story
about French VIP prisoners
in a nearby castle
needing rescue.
But while on reconnaissance,
Lieutenant Jack Lee fears
he has fallen into the hands
of Waffen-SS Captain
Kurt-Siegfried Schrader.
LEE: Why should I believe you?
NARRATOR: But German Army
Major Josef Gangl
vouches for the SS captain.
LENCHES:
This creates a tense moment.
Gangl recognizes him.
They'd worked together before
on Battle Group Giehl.
NARRATOR:
Schrader informs Lee and Gangl
that he has assumed
responsibility
for the French VIPs'
protection.
LIEB: We can only speculate
what motivates
Schrader's change in mind.
Was it a true change of mind,
or was it just opportunism,
seeing the war is lost
for Germany.
NARRATOR:
They also learn from Schrader
that the SS unit that had
guarded the prisoners
has fled overnight.
LENCHES:
The VIPs are safe for now,
but everyone fears
what's coming next.
NARRATOR: Lee finds himself
in a remarkable situation.
Two German officers--
one from the SS--
have turned their backs
on the Nazi cause
to assist American forces to
protect the French prisoners.
LEE: I'm going to check
this guy's story out.
NARRATOR:
Still needing to confirm
Gangl and Schrader's stories,
Lee insists
they continue to the castle.
Schloss Itter,
as it is known in German,
sits amidst
Austria's Tyrol Mountains.
Positioned over a ravine,
a short bridge connects
the 13th-century castle
to a nearby mountain.
Just south of
the Austrian-German border,
the Tyrol region
is of legendary concern.
Mountains separated
by countless rivers,
threaded by country roads,
form natural defenses
for retreating German troops.
A recurrent fear
of Allied supreme commander
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
is a final stand in the Alps.
As the American forces
move south,
they are ordered
to cut off mountain passes
to prevent the formation
of a Nazi redoubt.
(firing)
But as the Allies press
from the north, east,
and south of Austria,
the squeeze may
inadvertently create
the assembly
of loyal Nazi troops
Eisenhower fears.
Upon arriving at the castle...
Lee encounters
an armed group...
and realizes that
Gangl's story is true.
The French VIPs exist,
and they need help.
The prisoners include
two former
French prime ministers,
two French generals,
and the sister
of Charles de Gaulle.
McMANUS: These are very
distinguished soldiers
in some cases.
They are distinguished
political voices.
In a way, they represent
the sort of kernel
of French political nationhood.
So, there's a great value
in them, in that sense.
NARRATOR:
So-called 'honor prisoners'
lived in relative luxury
in hotels and castles
throughout the war.
LIEB: The Nazis see them
as a kind of bargain
for future negotiations
with the enemy.
NARRATOR: But faced
day-to-day uncertainty,
as their survival depended
on Hitler's impulses.
With his death
and German
command structure imploding,
SS units in the region
might decide
it is in Germany's interest
to execute the VIPs.
LENCHES: The fear is
that the SS were fully capable
of executing anybody
that they didn't want around
to testify after the war.
NARRATOR:
Though currently unguarded
and in possession
of German weapons,
the VIPs are trapped
and face imminent danger.
While Lee wants to protect
his men from unnecessary risks
in what could be
the last hours of the war,
he understands the importance
of the French VIPs
and that they may be critical
to the stability
of free France after the war.
Lee tells the French prisoners
that he will be back with help
as soon as possible.
Lee and Gangl
return to Kufstein
to gather reinforcements.
LEE: Alright, boys,
let's roll out!
NARRATOR:
Just before 1900 hours,
Lee leads seven Sherman tanks
and three squads of infantry
from Kufstein
towards Castle Itter.
They are joined by Major Gangl,
who adds men
to strengthen their numbers.
Jack Lee finds himself
in command
of 14 American
and 10 German soldiers.
McMANUS:
I know of no other time
when you had German soldiers
directly serving
and following the orders
of an American junior officer
in World War II.
NARRATOR:
As they proceed to Itter,
Lee must return three
of his tanks to Kuftstein,
when an old bridge gives way
and prevents further crossings.
He also leaves two tanks behind
to defend the town of Worgl
and one to secure a bridge
they may need
as an escape route.
This leaves Lee's tank,
nicknamed the Besotten Jenny,
as the only Sherman
still bound for the castle.
The Besotten Jenny
is an M4 A3 Sherman tank,
operated by a crew of five.
It is armed with
a 76-millimeter main gun,
capable of firing
20 rounds a minute...
(firing)
and fitted with a .50-caliber
and two .30-caliber
machine guns.
As the rescue force
closes in on Itter village,
they encounter
a Waffen-SS roadblock...
(gunfire)
and open fire to clear the way.
(firing)
LENCHES: The German troops
immediately scatter
without firing a shot.
They just melt off
into the woods.
LEE: Pick up the pace.
NARRATOR:
Having announced their presence
to any enemy soldiers
in the area,
Lee and his rescue force
hurry to Itter Castle.
A 60-foot road leads
to the castle's gatehouse.
LEE: OK, move it, move it.
NARRATOR: Lee's driver
puts the tank in reverse.
LENCHES:
There's no way to turn around
once you're at the castle gate.
And if you were
to drive up forward,
he'd have the most vulnerable
portion of the tank--
the engine compartment--
directly facing enemy fire.
LEE: Alright, boys,
keep moving.
NARRATOR: The tank's
rearview mirrors were broken,
so Lee uses his voice
to guide the tank up the hill.
LENCHES: It's an incredibly
tense maneuver
because the consequences
of error are monumental.
The tank would plunge
at least 25 feet
down into the ravine.
NARRATOR: With the Sherman tank
safely parked,
Lee is greeted
by the French VIPs,
whose joyful relief
quickly fades.
McMANUS: The initial reaction
of the French VIPs
to the rescue force
is disappointment.
They're like,
boy, is this all that's coming?
Infused as some of them were
with their own importance,
they would have assumed,
well, of course half
the United States Army
is going to come after us.
And of course, this was just
a little recon element
that they did not find
particularly impressive.
And plus, you've got Germans
in tow with weapons, still.
So, you're probably not
too wild about that either.
NARRATOR: Lee is also met
by SS Captain Schrader.
LENCHES: Schrader informs Lee
that he's witnessed SS troops
moving anti-tank guns into
the woods around the castle.
NARRATOR: This is most likely
because of
the Besotten Jenny's run-in
with the Waffen-SS roadblock.
For their safety,
Lee directs the VIPs
into the castle's cellars.
The male VIPs argue
that they wish to fight
in their own defense,
but Lee counters
that they would not be
much help to France
if they get themselves killed.
McMANUS: From the perspective
of these two French generals--
both very senior,
distinguished generals,
both of whom had extensive
combat experience...
Now you're being asked
to take orders
from some 27-year-old American?
He ranks way below you.
You would find that
somewhat insulting.
You would've expected Lee
to defer to you
and say, General, what do you
think we ought to do now?
That's not his mindset.
NARRATOR:
Lacking sufficient resources
to evacuate the castle,
Lee organizes
a defensive strategy
for the American and German
troops under his command.
LENCHES: Lee assigns
responsibility for 180 degrees--
basically half
the field of fire--to each man.
Schrader to the north
and Gangl to the south.
NARRATOR: Lee also orders
that his tank,
the Besotten Jenny,
is manned at all times.
With the defensive
positions set,
Lee instructs them
to sleep in shifts
and tries to get
some rest himself.
At 0400 hours on May 5th...
(gunfire)
Lee is awoken
by the sound of gunfire.
(gunfire)
Castle Itter is under attack.
NARRATOR: May 5, 1945.
Lieutenant Jack Lee
commands a small group
of American and German soldiers
trying to protect French VIPs
held as hostages
at Castle Itter.
(gunfire)
Woken by the sound of gunfire
from the castle's gatehouse,
Lee rushes out.
(gunfire)
As a machine gun
from a nearby ridge
targets the castle,
the crew member
stationed in Lee's tank,
the Besotten Jenny,
returns fire.
(firing)
(firing)
(firing)
The attack comes
from the Waffen-SS...
SOLDIER: Fire!
NARRATOR: Nazi loyalists
determined to retake the castle
and the prisoners.
When the firefight subsides,
Lee's man reports
he saw four Germans
inside the razor wire,
which rings the castle,
with ropes and climbing gear.
Under fire,
the advancing SS troops
retreated into
the surrounding woods.
Lee debriefs
with Major Josef Gangl
and Captain
Kurt-Siegfried Schrader
about the exchange.
(gunfire)
At the sound
of another machine-gun burst,
the officers race down.
The trio encounter
one of Major Gangl's men
under heavy fire.
Lee and Gangl
pull the soldier to safety...
(gunfire)
while Besotten Jenny's
.50-caliber machine gun
opens up again in retaliation.
Gangl translates
his soldier's account for Lee.
More Waffen-SS soldiers had
gotten past the razor wire
and approached the castle.
The soldier
opened fire on them,
and in turn,
was shot at in retaliation.
They retreated again
into the forest.
LEE: I got a .50-cal
in that section.
No one's getting down there.
NARRATOR: With the Sherman tank
guarding access to the castle,
a frontal attack is futile,
so the SS troops
need to find another way in.
LIEB: What they do is probe
the castle in small groups
and trying to find weak spots,
and perhaps also
trying to find out
the number of the defenders.
LEE: HQ?
(static)
HQ, this is Lee.
(static)
This is Lee. Over.
NARRATOR:
The situation is dire.
LENCHES:
Lieutenant Lee is on his own.
He has no radio communication.
He has no way of knowing
if a rescue force is coming.
At this point, Lee's strategy
is to keep the SS guessing
about the disposition of forces
inside the castle.
They don't know he's only got
25 men and three officers.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR:
But a short time later,
another round of gunfire
alerts Lee to a new problem.
(music)
(music)
One of Major Gangl's men
has fled the castle.
The soldier secretly lowered
himself down the castle wall,
then ran into the trees
of the gorge.
LEE: You said I could
trust your men, Gangl.
NARRATOR:
The soldier's escape
is a grave threat to everyone
left inside Castle Itter.
LENCHES: Up until now,
the SS have no idea
of who is defending the castle.
This man would
likely tell the SS
anything they wanted to know.
LIEB: He can give away
how many people
are defending this castle
and where exactly
are their defense positions.
NARRATOR: The escape
is not just about one soldier.
It undermines
the Americans' faith
in the other Germans as well.
Lee's men observe
that the other Germans
did not fire on him.
LENCHES: Now, at this point
he doesn't know,
is that simply because
they didn't want to kill
a fellow German,
or is there
something bigger afoot?
LIEB: This single soldier
represents a larger problem
for the defenders.
Where is their loyalty?
Is it with Gangl?
Or is it with the besieging
Waffen-SS unit?
NARRATOR:
It seems that Gangl and Lee
came to some sort
of understanding,
and the Germans
retain their weapons.
But it is a good thing,
because it soon becomes clear
that Lee will need
every man he's got.
(music)
NARRATOR: May 1945.
An American tank commander
tries to defend the lives
of French VIPs
taken hostage
and held by the Nazis
at Castle Itter during the war.
A Waffen-SS force prepares
to retake the castle.
In an unusual twist of fate,
former enemies now work
for a common cause.
The castle is held by both
American and German troops.
27-year-old Lieutenant Jack Lee
is the American
tank commander in charge.
LENCHES: In my opinion,
Lieutenant Lee, at this point,
trusts Gangl and Schrader
implicitly.
Gangl already had
well-established bona fides
both from the resistance
and his actions so far.
Schrader, besides being
vouched for by Gangl,
also had his family
inside the castle.
NARRATOR:
Lee joins German officers
Major Gangl
and Captain Schrader
high in the castle
to observe Waffen-SS movements.
Lee spots artillery pieces
being moved into place
among the trees,
only about 800 yards
from the castle--
likely in response
to information
from an escaped defender.
LENCHES: They know
that the defensive force
has no heavy weapons to fire.
And so they feel free to move
their heavy guns into place.
One of the guns is an 88.
The 88
is the most dreaded weapon
in the German arsenal.
It's a high-velocity gun
with a heavy punch.
Literally one round
can go through a Sherman tank
like it's made of butter.
It does the same thing
to stone walls.
NARRATOR: They also watch
as Waffen-SS troops arrive
and take up positions.
LIEB: From all what we know,
the number of German troops
attacking Castle Itter
was about a company.
So, about 150, 200 men maximum.
They were relatively well-armed.
They seemed to have been
in good supply of ammunition.
NARRATOR: Castle Itter
is now surrounded.
While the American and German
officers are concerned,
Major Gangl discovers that
the French VIPs are not.
Gangl encounters them
getting some fresh air
in the courtyard,
in spite of Lee's
clear instructions.
(explosions)
The 88 suddenly opens up.
(firing)
A shot hits
an upper floor of the castle
and rains down debris.
(firing)
Everyone scrambles for cover.
(explosion)
LEE: Let's go. Let's move!
(speaking German)
NARRATOR: At 1000 hours,
Waffen-SS troops
begin a full-scale assault
on the castle.
(firing)
Lee will soon learn if
the Germans inside the castle
will fight to repel them.
(gunfire)
(firing)
Very quickly,
the Besotten Jenny,
the defenders' only tank,
takes a direct hit.
Lee's best hope for protecting
everyone inside Itter Castle
goes up in flames.
(gunfire)
An American tanker
escapes the burning wreckage.
He and two other
U.S. soldiers retreat...
(explosion)
as the Sherman's
fuel tanks explode.
It is a major setback.
(yelling in German)
The assault continues.
(gunfire)
LENCHES:
The forces inside the castle
are reduced
to simply small arms--
rifles, pistols, and grenades.
They have
no heavy weapons whatsoever.
NARRATOR:
The defenders have no way
to take out the German 88...
and it continues
to pound the castle.
Some of the French VIPs
refuse to retreat to safety
in order to join the battle.
They had served
in the French army.
Though for most,
decades earlier
in the First World War.
(gunfire)
LEE: Hurry!
OK! Let's go!
NARRATOR: Some defenders
are positioned higher
to preserve their view
of the attacking troops.
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
The Waffen-SS attack
intensifies.
(music)
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
Lee notices that
one of the French VIPs
has moved into
a vulnerable spot.
(gunfire)
But before Lee can react...
Major Gangl does.
(gunshot)
NARRATOR: May 1945.
During the final days
of the war in Europe...
(gunfire)
American and German soldiers
fight together
to hold a castle
and protect French prisoners
from Waffen-SS forces.
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
German Wehrmacht
Major Josef Gangl
rushes to pull one of
the French VIPs back
from a vulnerable position.
But in his haste...
(gunfire)
Gangl exposes himself
to a bullet fired
from outside the castle.
(gunfire)
In the hope of peace,
Gangl chose
to defy his own country,
because he could no longer
support in its aims,
and he pays the ultimate price.
LIEB: It was not
an opportunistic choice
to defend Castle Itter.
He did it with conviction.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR: Lee cannot stop.
As the incoming fire increases,
he must secure the castle.
(firing)
Lee passes word to his men
in the gatehouse
to hang on as long as possible
before falling back.
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
As part of
the growing onslaught,
Waffen-SS troops advance
from the east and west sides,
as well as up the drop-off
to the castle's north.
(gunfire)
The defenders struggle
to cover all three directions.
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
It is not clear how long
they will be able to hold out.
(gunfire)
Jean Borotra,
one of the prisoners and
a former French tennis star,
braves the incoming fire
to deliver a message.
(gunfire)
(speaking German)
He bursts in to report to Lee
that they're running low
on ammunition...
with Waffen-SS forces
closing in.
Just then...
(phone ringing)
an unexpected sound
cuts through the gunfire.
LENCHES:
What happens next is amazing.
The telephone
in the castle rings.
(ringing)
LEE: Hello?
NARRATOR: Lee answers,
and is relieved
to hear the voice
of an American officer
on the line.
When he had reached
the town of Worgl,
Gangl's
Austrian Resistance fighters
had alerted the officer
to the existence
of the castle telephone.
LENCHES: He's calling
to check on Lee's forces
and what they need.
NARRATOR:
Lee only has time to report
that the castle is under attack
and they're low
on ammunition...
(static)
before the line goes dead.
Though reinforcements
may be coming,
there's no guarantee
they will arrive in time.
He did not get a chance
to relay the strength
and position
of the Waffen-SS troops,
which could help
the relief force
make it more quickly
to the castle.
In addition to losing Gangl,
two of the German soldiers
have been injured.
Lee knows that
the castle could be overrun
before help arrives,
risking the lives
of everyone inside.
Jean Borotra interrupts
with a crazy offer.
During his captivity,
Borotra had escaped
from the castle before,
only to be recaptured
and returned to the prison.
LENCHES: He suggests to Lee
that he should dress
as an Austrian peasant,
jump the wall,
and try and run to town
to get aid.
NARRATOR: If Borotra
can escape once more
and locate the American forces,
he can pass on Lee's warnings.
Lee is not convinced
the plan can succeed,
but has few choices
and even less time.
As the fighting eases...
Borotra is able to slip away
from the castle.
To fulfill his mission,
he will have make his way
past the Waffen-SS
positioned outside the walls.
Everyone's life
could depend on it.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR: May 5, 1945.
In the Austrian Alps,
Waffen-SS troops
attack Castle Itter...
(gunfire)
the wartime prison
which housed French VIPs.
(gunfire)
The castle is held
by a motley mix
of both American
and German soldiers
fighting to protect
the hostages
of the Third Reich.
(gunfire)
With the castle defenders
at risk of being overwhelmed
by loyal Nazi forces...
former French tennis star
Jean Borotra
escapes the castle in disguise
to alert
nearby American troops.
But first,
he must make it through
the Waffen-SS line
advancing on the castle.
Borotra must convince
the Nazi troops
that he is just
an Austrian peasant.
If they even suspect him of
being a military deserter,
let alone an escaped prisoner,
it could cost him his life.
Tense moments pass.
Borotra's performance
as a peasant
must have been convincing,
as they allow him to continue.
Borotra heads off
in search of the Americans.
(gunfire)
Back at Castle Itter...
(explosions)
Lieutenant Jack Lee continues
to lose ground to the SS troops
and runs low on ammunition.
He has no way to know
if friendly reinforcements
can reach them in time.
If the castle is overrun,
they believe the French VIPs
are at risk of being executed
by the Waffen-SS fanatics.
TOPPEL:
Some hardcore SS officers say,
OK, we are losing the war,
but we will take
our enemies with us.
They shall not survive us.
(distant gunfire)
NARRATOR:
Lee and the French generals
agree to retreat to
the castle's inner stronghold,
which Lee calls the keep.
SOLDIER:
Down to the last magazine!
LEE: Make it count.
(gunfire)
LENCHES: The keep is literally
the last stand.
There's no place
to retreat to from it.
They have to gamble
that they can hold off the SS
until relief forces arrive,
or the game is up.
At this point, Lee and his men
are going to win or die.
NARRATOR: Waffen-SS forces
sustain their attack
and close in.
The castle defenders
return fire,
but they are being overwhelmed
by superior numbers.
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
SS troops reach the castle gate
and prepare to
blast their way inside
with a Panzerfaust rocket,
an easy-to-use weapon
which blows up tanks.
(firing and explosions)
LIEB: The Waffen-SS suddenly
hear tank noise from the rear,
from the village.
NARRATOR: Without
an armored unit of their own,
the Waffen-SS are no match
for the arriving U.S. tanks.
LIEB: They quickly realized,
the Americans are coming.
The Waffen-SS disappeared
as quickly as possible.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR: To Lee's relief,
reinforcements have arrived
just in time.
(tanks rumbling)
(music)
(music)
(music)
(music)
Lee and the others
holed up in Castle Itter
have been saved.
LENCHES: Lieutenant Lee,
by this point, is exhausted.
And when the commander
of the 142nd comes up to him,
he says, 'Take 'em, Colonel,
they're all yours.'
NARRATOR:
The battle for Castle Itter
would be amongst
the last ground combat
of World War II in Europe.
Only two days later,
May 7, 1945,
Germany surrenders
unconditionally to the Allies.
LENCHES:
The fact the last battle fought
in the European theatre
of operations
was not to conquer territory
but to defend
innocent prisoners
must have been
an incredibly uplifting moment
for all those involved.
NARRATOR: The Americans
evacuate the French VIPs
to Innsbruck, Austria.
Within days,
they arrive home in France.
Several would return
to politics after the war.
SS-Waffen Captain
Kurt-Siegfried Schrader
receives a letter,
undersigned
by the former prisoners,
stating he ensured the safety
of the French detainees
and stayed with them
during the German attacks.
Schrader serves
as a prisoner of war
for only two years,
before being released.
LIEB: In the end,
when we judge the personality,
we must always bear in mind
there were many SS officers
who didn't act like Schrader,
who didn't change their mind.
You can say Schrader
showed more responsibility
than most of his peers.
NARRATOR: Austria honors
Major Josef Gangl
for his work
with the resistance
and for his actions
at Castle Itter.
Lieutenant Jack Lee
would be awarded
the Distinguished Service Cross
for his initiative,
boldness, and courage
in defense of Castle Itter.
LENCHES: Lieutenant Lee himself
summed it up years later
when he was asked.
He just said, 'It was just
the damnedest thing.'
NARRATOR:
It had been a long road
since the beaches of Normandy.
Peace, eleven months
in the making.
McMANUS:
D-Day is only the beginning,
and it's a really
important beginning
of almost a year of
really intense fighting
by a Western Allied coalition,
all of whom
need one another badly
and all of whom
sacrificed terribly,
for this to come
to a final victory.
(music)
During the final days
of war in Europe,
an American tank commander
leads an unlikely band
of U.S. and German soldiers...
to rescue French VIPs
held in an Austrian castle.
As he organizes
their defenses...
MAN: Lee's strategy
is to keep the SS guessing
about the disposition of forces
inside the castle.
They don't know he's only got
25 men and three officers.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR: But when
Waffen SS forces attack,
he cannot be sure
where their loyalty will stand.
On June 6, 1944,
Allied forces finally
land troops in Normandy
to open the Western Front.
(yelling in German)
But Nazi fanatics and diehards
continue to fight
ruthlessly for survival.
(gunfire)
D-Day was a battle.
The Allies still need
to win the war.
May 4, 1945.
Tyrol, Austria.
German Army major Josef Gangl
and his driver
near the town of Kufstein,
occupied just the day before
by American troops.
PETER LIEB: German resistance
has more or less collapsed.
But it has not yet surrendered.
German troops are withdrawing
to the Alpine region,
where there is this myth
of this Alpine Fortress,
the last stand of the Nazis.
NARRATOR:
As they turn a corner,
they come face to face
with four U.S. Sherman tanks.
SOLDIER: Out of the car.
Alright. What do you want?
(speaking German)
NARRATOR: On the surface,
it may look like Gangl is one
of thousands of German soldiers
surrendering to Western Allies.
SOLDIER: Whoa, whoa, whoa!
NARRATOR: But Gangl has come
to Kufstein on a mission.
It may be risky.
Days prior,
the U.S. Army began to liberate
the nearby
Dachau prison camp system.
WILLIAM LENCHES:
After witnessing the atrocities,
many of the soldiers
were of the opinion
that they simply
weren't in the business
of taking prisoners anymore.
NARRATOR: But Gangl has joined
the Austrian Resistance
to help defeat the Nazis
from within the Third Reich.
Gangl is taken
to Lieutenant Jack Lee,
commander of Company B,
23rd Tank Battalion,
U.S. 12th Armored Division.
Months of hard fighting
gives Lee confidence,
on the edge of bravado.
LENCHES:
In a couple of days prior,
a German colonel
wanted to surrender
a large number of his men
but wouldn't do so
to a lowly first lieutenant.
So, Lieutenant Lee,
making use of the fact
that the insignia
for a first lieutenant
is a single silver bar
and for a captain
is two silver bars,
simply took a spare bar,
put it on his collar,
and was a captain
for a few minutes
to accept surrender.
NARRATOR: In English,
Gangl delivers his message.
The German officer explains
that he has knowledge
of important French prisoners
held by the Nazis not far away.
JOHN McMANUS:
From the perspective
of a U.S. Army commander,
you're wise if you decide,
I'm only going to trust
my own guys.
But you also have to be
open-minded enough
to realize that
there may be a lot of people
who need your help
and that you're probably
going to do yourself
more harm than good
if you're shooting first
and asking questions later.
NARRATOR:
Gangl presents a letter
written by one of the VIPs.
In it, they plead for rescue.
Rumors had circulated
about an Alpine fortress
holding such prisoners.
The story could be true,
or it could be a trap.
McMANUS: It's a tough sell
for someone like Gangl
to make the Americans understand
that he is going to
join them in common cause
and that he's really
not a supporter of Nazism.
NARRATOR:
Lee climbs into his tank
to radio
his commanding officer.
LEE: HQ, this is Lee.
NARRATOR: He shares the intel
about the French hostages.
Lee receives
permission to proceed
as he judges appropriate.
LEE: Alright,
we'll see it through. Over.
LENCHES: It's indicative
of how fluid the situation is;
there's not always going
to be time to check in.
The battalion commander
is telling Lee
that he needs
to exercise his judgment.
NARRATOR: Lee decides
to check out the story himself.
He will reconnoiter
to where Gangl claims
the VIP prisoners
are being held.
Only one of Lee's gunners
and the two Germans
accompany him.
Lee decides
to travel with Gangl
to determine the German major's
reliability...
and to verify his connections
with the Austrian Resistance.
McMANUS: This situation
that you have there
on the ground in Austria
is extraordinarily complex.
NARRATOR:
German Chancellor Adolf Hitler
committed suicide
five days prior,
on April 30, 1945.
The German military
is disintegrating.
Some surrender to the Allies.
Others retreat,
or even desert.
LIEB: In my opinion,
Gangl represents the state
of the German armed forces
in May 1945.
He understands the war is lost,
probably has also understood
that he had served
the wrong cause.
And now is time to try
to avoid even more damage
to our home country,
even if this means to cooperate
with a former enemy.
NARRATOR: But many still
support the cause of Nazism,
particularly those
in the Waffen-SS--
the military arm
of the Nazi party.
LIEB: There are a number
of Waffen-SS troops
in northern Austria
by this time.
Most of them are
still determined to fight on.
They are fanatical.
ROMAN TOPPEL: When we hear
'fanatic' or 'fanatical' today,
we think of crazy people
who fight on stupid-like.
But fanatic is actually
considered a positive term
by the Nazis.
If they say you are
a fanatic Nazi,
it's meant as a compliment.
NARRATOR: The Waffen-SS
will fight to the bitter end.
TOPPEL: A couple of days
before the war was over,
the thinking then was
we are losing,
but when we are losing,
our enemies shall not survive.
NARRATOR: Their fatalism
creates great risk
for the Allies.
LIEB:
Whether in the next village
they will be met with open arms,
or whether they will be met
with a hail of bullets.
NARRATOR: The four men
travel to their objective--
Castle Itter.
Their route will be
dictated by roadblocks.
McMANUS: The Nazis controlled
most every aspect
of German life,
including the road net.
We have a roadblock
at the entry points of a town.
This was a way to maintain
control over populations,
to cow them into submission.
It was a way to maintain some
semblance of political control.
NARRATOR: With Gangl and his
driver's knowledge of the area,
they bypass some roadblocks.
Other times,
en route to the town of Worgl,
Lee and Gangl encounter
Wehrmacht German Army troops,
who prove loyal
to the German major.
As Gangl navigates each turn,
Lee must still wonder
whether it's an elaborate ruse.
During a stop in Worgl,
Gangl offers Lee
formal surrender
of the garrison
based in the town.
(motor starts)
They then continue
to Itter village,
situated just below
the castle itself.
So, for Lee,
the next introduction
must have been jarring.
Though he's dressed
in civilian clothes,
the man is introduced
as a Waffen-SS captain.
LENCHES: SS officers did not
swear loyalty to Germany
and its constitution
and its laws.
They swore a personal loyalty
to Adolf Hitler himself.
These were the fanatics.
These were the people who ran
the concentration camps.
NARRATOR: Lee may have trusted
the Wehrmacht officer,
only to fall into the clutches
of the SS instead.
NARRATOR: May 4, 1945.
In the final days
of World War II,
an American tank commander
believes
a German officer's story
about French VIP prisoners
in a nearby castle
needing rescue.
But while on reconnaissance,
Lieutenant Jack Lee fears
he has fallen into the hands
of Waffen-SS Captain
Kurt-Siegfried Schrader.
LEE: Why should I believe you?
NARRATOR: But German Army
Major Josef Gangl
vouches for the SS captain.
LENCHES:
This creates a tense moment.
Gangl recognizes him.
They'd worked together before
on Battle Group Giehl.
NARRATOR:
Schrader informs Lee and Gangl
that he has assumed
responsibility
for the French VIPs'
protection.
LIEB: We can only speculate
what motivates
Schrader's change in mind.
Was it a true change of mind,
or was it just opportunism,
seeing the war is lost
for Germany.
NARRATOR:
They also learn from Schrader
that the SS unit that had
guarded the prisoners
has fled overnight.
LENCHES:
The VIPs are safe for now,
but everyone fears
what's coming next.
NARRATOR: Lee finds himself
in a remarkable situation.
Two German officers--
one from the SS--
have turned their backs
on the Nazi cause
to assist American forces to
protect the French prisoners.
LEE: I'm going to check
this guy's story out.
NARRATOR:
Still needing to confirm
Gangl and Schrader's stories,
Lee insists
they continue to the castle.
Schloss Itter,
as it is known in German,
sits amidst
Austria's Tyrol Mountains.
Positioned over a ravine,
a short bridge connects
the 13th-century castle
to a nearby mountain.
Just south of
the Austrian-German border,
the Tyrol region
is of legendary concern.
Mountains separated
by countless rivers,
threaded by country roads,
form natural defenses
for retreating German troops.
A recurrent fear
of Allied supreme commander
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
is a final stand in the Alps.
As the American forces
move south,
they are ordered
to cut off mountain passes
to prevent the formation
of a Nazi redoubt.
(firing)
But as the Allies press
from the north, east,
and south of Austria,
the squeeze may
inadvertently create
the assembly
of loyal Nazi troops
Eisenhower fears.
Upon arriving at the castle...
Lee encounters
an armed group...
and realizes that
Gangl's story is true.
The French VIPs exist,
and they need help.
The prisoners include
two former
French prime ministers,
two French generals,
and the sister
of Charles de Gaulle.
McMANUS: These are very
distinguished soldiers
in some cases.
They are distinguished
political voices.
In a way, they represent
the sort of kernel
of French political nationhood.
So, there's a great value
in them, in that sense.
NARRATOR:
So-called 'honor prisoners'
lived in relative luxury
in hotels and castles
throughout the war.
LIEB: The Nazis see them
as a kind of bargain
for future negotiations
with the enemy.
NARRATOR: But faced
day-to-day uncertainty,
as their survival depended
on Hitler's impulses.
With his death
and German
command structure imploding,
SS units in the region
might decide
it is in Germany's interest
to execute the VIPs.
LENCHES: The fear is
that the SS were fully capable
of executing anybody
that they didn't want around
to testify after the war.
NARRATOR:
Though currently unguarded
and in possession
of German weapons,
the VIPs are trapped
and face imminent danger.
While Lee wants to protect
his men from unnecessary risks
in what could be
the last hours of the war,
he understands the importance
of the French VIPs
and that they may be critical
to the stability
of free France after the war.
Lee tells the French prisoners
that he will be back with help
as soon as possible.
Lee and Gangl
return to Kufstein
to gather reinforcements.
LEE: Alright, boys,
let's roll out!
NARRATOR:
Just before 1900 hours,
Lee leads seven Sherman tanks
and three squads of infantry
from Kufstein
towards Castle Itter.
They are joined by Major Gangl,
who adds men
to strengthen their numbers.
Jack Lee finds himself
in command
of 14 American
and 10 German soldiers.
McMANUS:
I know of no other time
when you had German soldiers
directly serving
and following the orders
of an American junior officer
in World War II.
NARRATOR:
As they proceed to Itter,
Lee must return three
of his tanks to Kuftstein,
when an old bridge gives way
and prevents further crossings.
He also leaves two tanks behind
to defend the town of Worgl
and one to secure a bridge
they may need
as an escape route.
This leaves Lee's tank,
nicknamed the Besotten Jenny,
as the only Sherman
still bound for the castle.
The Besotten Jenny
is an M4 A3 Sherman tank,
operated by a crew of five.
It is armed with
a 76-millimeter main gun,
capable of firing
20 rounds a minute...
(firing)
and fitted with a .50-caliber
and two .30-caliber
machine guns.
As the rescue force
closes in on Itter village,
they encounter
a Waffen-SS roadblock...
(gunfire)
and open fire to clear the way.
(firing)
LENCHES: The German troops
immediately scatter
without firing a shot.
They just melt off
into the woods.
LEE: Pick up the pace.
NARRATOR:
Having announced their presence
to any enemy soldiers
in the area,
Lee and his rescue force
hurry to Itter Castle.
A 60-foot road leads
to the castle's gatehouse.
LEE: OK, move it, move it.
NARRATOR: Lee's driver
puts the tank in reverse.
LENCHES:
There's no way to turn around
once you're at the castle gate.
And if you were
to drive up forward,
he'd have the most vulnerable
portion of the tank--
the engine compartment--
directly facing enemy fire.
LEE: Alright, boys,
keep moving.
NARRATOR: The tank's
rearview mirrors were broken,
so Lee uses his voice
to guide the tank up the hill.
LENCHES: It's an incredibly
tense maneuver
because the consequences
of error are monumental.
The tank would plunge
at least 25 feet
down into the ravine.
NARRATOR: With the Sherman tank
safely parked,
Lee is greeted
by the French VIPs,
whose joyful relief
quickly fades.
McMANUS: The initial reaction
of the French VIPs
to the rescue force
is disappointment.
They're like,
boy, is this all that's coming?
Infused as some of them were
with their own importance,
they would have assumed,
well, of course half
the United States Army
is going to come after us.
And of course, this was just
a little recon element
that they did not find
particularly impressive.
And plus, you've got Germans
in tow with weapons, still.
So, you're probably not
too wild about that either.
NARRATOR: Lee is also met
by SS Captain Schrader.
LENCHES: Schrader informs Lee
that he's witnessed SS troops
moving anti-tank guns into
the woods around the castle.
NARRATOR: This is most likely
because of
the Besotten Jenny's run-in
with the Waffen-SS roadblock.
For their safety,
Lee directs the VIPs
into the castle's cellars.
The male VIPs argue
that they wish to fight
in their own defense,
but Lee counters
that they would not be
much help to France
if they get themselves killed.
McMANUS: From the perspective
of these two French generals--
both very senior,
distinguished generals,
both of whom had extensive
combat experience...
Now you're being asked
to take orders
from some 27-year-old American?
He ranks way below you.
You would find that
somewhat insulting.
You would've expected Lee
to defer to you
and say, General, what do you
think we ought to do now?
That's not his mindset.
NARRATOR:
Lacking sufficient resources
to evacuate the castle,
Lee organizes
a defensive strategy
for the American and German
troops under his command.
LENCHES: Lee assigns
responsibility for 180 degrees--
basically half
the field of fire--to each man.
Schrader to the north
and Gangl to the south.
NARRATOR: Lee also orders
that his tank,
the Besotten Jenny,
is manned at all times.
With the defensive
positions set,
Lee instructs them
to sleep in shifts
and tries to get
some rest himself.
At 0400 hours on May 5th...
(gunfire)
Lee is awoken
by the sound of gunfire.
(gunfire)
Castle Itter is under attack.
NARRATOR: May 5, 1945.
Lieutenant Jack Lee
commands a small group
of American and German soldiers
trying to protect French VIPs
held as hostages
at Castle Itter.
(gunfire)
Woken by the sound of gunfire
from the castle's gatehouse,
Lee rushes out.
(gunfire)
As a machine gun
from a nearby ridge
targets the castle,
the crew member
stationed in Lee's tank,
the Besotten Jenny,
returns fire.
(firing)
(firing)
(firing)
The attack comes
from the Waffen-SS...
SOLDIER: Fire!
NARRATOR: Nazi loyalists
determined to retake the castle
and the prisoners.
When the firefight subsides,
Lee's man reports
he saw four Germans
inside the razor wire,
which rings the castle,
with ropes and climbing gear.
Under fire,
the advancing SS troops
retreated into
the surrounding woods.
Lee debriefs
with Major Josef Gangl
and Captain
Kurt-Siegfried Schrader
about the exchange.
(gunfire)
At the sound
of another machine-gun burst,
the officers race down.
The trio encounter
one of Major Gangl's men
under heavy fire.
Lee and Gangl
pull the soldier to safety...
(gunfire)
while Besotten Jenny's
.50-caliber machine gun
opens up again in retaliation.
Gangl translates
his soldier's account for Lee.
More Waffen-SS soldiers had
gotten past the razor wire
and approached the castle.
The soldier
opened fire on them,
and in turn,
was shot at in retaliation.
They retreated again
into the forest.
LEE: I got a .50-cal
in that section.
No one's getting down there.
NARRATOR: With the Sherman tank
guarding access to the castle,
a frontal attack is futile,
so the SS troops
need to find another way in.
LIEB: What they do is probe
the castle in small groups
and trying to find weak spots,
and perhaps also
trying to find out
the number of the defenders.
LEE: HQ?
(static)
HQ, this is Lee.
(static)
This is Lee. Over.
NARRATOR:
The situation is dire.
LENCHES:
Lieutenant Lee is on his own.
He has no radio communication.
He has no way of knowing
if a rescue force is coming.
At this point, Lee's strategy
is to keep the SS guessing
about the disposition of forces
inside the castle.
They don't know he's only got
25 men and three officers.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR:
But a short time later,
another round of gunfire
alerts Lee to a new problem.
(music)
(music)
One of Major Gangl's men
has fled the castle.
The soldier secretly lowered
himself down the castle wall,
then ran into the trees
of the gorge.
LEE: You said I could
trust your men, Gangl.
NARRATOR:
The soldier's escape
is a grave threat to everyone
left inside Castle Itter.
LENCHES: Up until now,
the SS have no idea
of who is defending the castle.
This man would
likely tell the SS
anything they wanted to know.
LIEB: He can give away
how many people
are defending this castle
and where exactly
are their defense positions.
NARRATOR: The escape
is not just about one soldier.
It undermines
the Americans' faith
in the other Germans as well.
Lee's men observe
that the other Germans
did not fire on him.
LENCHES: Now, at this point
he doesn't know,
is that simply because
they didn't want to kill
a fellow German,
or is there
something bigger afoot?
LIEB: This single soldier
represents a larger problem
for the defenders.
Where is their loyalty?
Is it with Gangl?
Or is it with the besieging
Waffen-SS unit?
NARRATOR:
It seems that Gangl and Lee
came to some sort
of understanding,
and the Germans
retain their weapons.
But it is a good thing,
because it soon becomes clear
that Lee will need
every man he's got.
(music)
NARRATOR: May 1945.
An American tank commander
tries to defend the lives
of French VIPs
taken hostage
and held by the Nazis
at Castle Itter during the war.
A Waffen-SS force prepares
to retake the castle.
In an unusual twist of fate,
former enemies now work
for a common cause.
The castle is held by both
American and German troops.
27-year-old Lieutenant Jack Lee
is the American
tank commander in charge.
LENCHES: In my opinion,
Lieutenant Lee, at this point,
trusts Gangl and Schrader
implicitly.
Gangl already had
well-established bona fides
both from the resistance
and his actions so far.
Schrader, besides being
vouched for by Gangl,
also had his family
inside the castle.
NARRATOR:
Lee joins German officers
Major Gangl
and Captain Schrader
high in the castle
to observe Waffen-SS movements.
Lee spots artillery pieces
being moved into place
among the trees,
only about 800 yards
from the castle--
likely in response
to information
from an escaped defender.
LENCHES: They know
that the defensive force
has no heavy weapons to fire.
And so they feel free to move
their heavy guns into place.
One of the guns is an 88.
The 88
is the most dreaded weapon
in the German arsenal.
It's a high-velocity gun
with a heavy punch.
Literally one round
can go through a Sherman tank
like it's made of butter.
It does the same thing
to stone walls.
NARRATOR: They also watch
as Waffen-SS troops arrive
and take up positions.
LIEB: From all what we know,
the number of German troops
attacking Castle Itter
was about a company.
So, about 150, 200 men maximum.
They were relatively well-armed.
They seemed to have been
in good supply of ammunition.
NARRATOR: Castle Itter
is now surrounded.
While the American and German
officers are concerned,
Major Gangl discovers that
the French VIPs are not.
Gangl encounters them
getting some fresh air
in the courtyard,
in spite of Lee's
clear instructions.
(explosions)
The 88 suddenly opens up.
(firing)
A shot hits
an upper floor of the castle
and rains down debris.
(firing)
Everyone scrambles for cover.
(explosion)
LEE: Let's go. Let's move!
(speaking German)
NARRATOR: At 1000 hours,
Waffen-SS troops
begin a full-scale assault
on the castle.
(firing)
Lee will soon learn if
the Germans inside the castle
will fight to repel them.
(gunfire)
(firing)
Very quickly,
the Besotten Jenny,
the defenders' only tank,
takes a direct hit.
Lee's best hope for protecting
everyone inside Itter Castle
goes up in flames.
(gunfire)
An American tanker
escapes the burning wreckage.
He and two other
U.S. soldiers retreat...
(explosion)
as the Sherman's
fuel tanks explode.
It is a major setback.
(yelling in German)
The assault continues.
(gunfire)
LENCHES:
The forces inside the castle
are reduced
to simply small arms--
rifles, pistols, and grenades.
They have
no heavy weapons whatsoever.
NARRATOR:
The defenders have no way
to take out the German 88...
and it continues
to pound the castle.
Some of the French VIPs
refuse to retreat to safety
in order to join the battle.
They had served
in the French army.
Though for most,
decades earlier
in the First World War.
(gunfire)
LEE: Hurry!
OK! Let's go!
NARRATOR: Some defenders
are positioned higher
to preserve their view
of the attacking troops.
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
The Waffen-SS attack
intensifies.
(music)
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
Lee notices that
one of the French VIPs
has moved into
a vulnerable spot.
(gunfire)
But before Lee can react...
Major Gangl does.
(gunshot)
NARRATOR: May 1945.
During the final days
of the war in Europe...
(gunfire)
American and German soldiers
fight together
to hold a castle
and protect French prisoners
from Waffen-SS forces.
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
German Wehrmacht
Major Josef Gangl
rushes to pull one of
the French VIPs back
from a vulnerable position.
But in his haste...
(gunfire)
Gangl exposes himself
to a bullet fired
from outside the castle.
(gunfire)
In the hope of peace,
Gangl chose
to defy his own country,
because he could no longer
support in its aims,
and he pays the ultimate price.
LIEB: It was not
an opportunistic choice
to defend Castle Itter.
He did it with conviction.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR: Lee cannot stop.
As the incoming fire increases,
he must secure the castle.
(firing)
Lee passes word to his men
in the gatehouse
to hang on as long as possible
before falling back.
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
As part of
the growing onslaught,
Waffen-SS troops advance
from the east and west sides,
as well as up the drop-off
to the castle's north.
(gunfire)
The defenders struggle
to cover all three directions.
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
It is not clear how long
they will be able to hold out.
(gunfire)
Jean Borotra,
one of the prisoners and
a former French tennis star,
braves the incoming fire
to deliver a message.
(gunfire)
(speaking German)
He bursts in to report to Lee
that they're running low
on ammunition...
with Waffen-SS forces
closing in.
Just then...
(phone ringing)
an unexpected sound
cuts through the gunfire.
LENCHES:
What happens next is amazing.
The telephone
in the castle rings.
(ringing)
LEE: Hello?
NARRATOR: Lee answers,
and is relieved
to hear the voice
of an American officer
on the line.
When he had reached
the town of Worgl,
Gangl's
Austrian Resistance fighters
had alerted the officer
to the existence
of the castle telephone.
LENCHES: He's calling
to check on Lee's forces
and what they need.
NARRATOR:
Lee only has time to report
that the castle is under attack
and they're low
on ammunition...
(static)
before the line goes dead.
Though reinforcements
may be coming,
there's no guarantee
they will arrive in time.
He did not get a chance
to relay the strength
and position
of the Waffen-SS troops,
which could help
the relief force
make it more quickly
to the castle.
In addition to losing Gangl,
two of the German soldiers
have been injured.
Lee knows that
the castle could be overrun
before help arrives,
risking the lives
of everyone inside.
Jean Borotra interrupts
with a crazy offer.
During his captivity,
Borotra had escaped
from the castle before,
only to be recaptured
and returned to the prison.
LENCHES: He suggests to Lee
that he should dress
as an Austrian peasant,
jump the wall,
and try and run to town
to get aid.
NARRATOR: If Borotra
can escape once more
and locate the American forces,
he can pass on Lee's warnings.
Lee is not convinced
the plan can succeed,
but has few choices
and even less time.
As the fighting eases...
Borotra is able to slip away
from the castle.
To fulfill his mission,
he will have make his way
past the Waffen-SS
positioned outside the walls.
Everyone's life
could depend on it.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR: May 5, 1945.
In the Austrian Alps,
Waffen-SS troops
attack Castle Itter...
(gunfire)
the wartime prison
which housed French VIPs.
(gunfire)
The castle is held
by a motley mix
of both American
and German soldiers
fighting to protect
the hostages
of the Third Reich.
(gunfire)
With the castle defenders
at risk of being overwhelmed
by loyal Nazi forces...
former French tennis star
Jean Borotra
escapes the castle in disguise
to alert
nearby American troops.
But first,
he must make it through
the Waffen-SS line
advancing on the castle.
Borotra must convince
the Nazi troops
that he is just
an Austrian peasant.
If they even suspect him of
being a military deserter,
let alone an escaped prisoner,
it could cost him his life.
Tense moments pass.
Borotra's performance
as a peasant
must have been convincing,
as they allow him to continue.
Borotra heads off
in search of the Americans.
(gunfire)
Back at Castle Itter...
(explosions)
Lieutenant Jack Lee continues
to lose ground to the SS troops
and runs low on ammunition.
He has no way to know
if friendly reinforcements
can reach them in time.
If the castle is overrun,
they believe the French VIPs
are at risk of being executed
by the Waffen-SS fanatics.
TOPPEL:
Some hardcore SS officers say,
OK, we are losing the war,
but we will take
our enemies with us.
They shall not survive us.
(distant gunfire)
NARRATOR:
Lee and the French generals
agree to retreat to
the castle's inner stronghold,
which Lee calls the keep.
SOLDIER:
Down to the last magazine!
LEE: Make it count.
(gunfire)
LENCHES: The keep is literally
the last stand.
There's no place
to retreat to from it.
They have to gamble
that they can hold off the SS
until relief forces arrive,
or the game is up.
At this point, Lee and his men
are going to win or die.
NARRATOR: Waffen-SS forces
sustain their attack
and close in.
The castle defenders
return fire,
but they are being overwhelmed
by superior numbers.
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
(gunfire)
SS troops reach the castle gate
and prepare to
blast their way inside
with a Panzerfaust rocket,
an easy-to-use weapon
which blows up tanks.
(firing and explosions)
LIEB: The Waffen-SS suddenly
hear tank noise from the rear,
from the village.
NARRATOR: Without
an armored unit of their own,
the Waffen-SS are no match
for the arriving U.S. tanks.
LIEB: They quickly realized,
the Americans are coming.
The Waffen-SS disappeared
as quickly as possible.
(gunfire)
NARRATOR: To Lee's relief,
reinforcements have arrived
just in time.
(tanks rumbling)
(music)
(music)
(music)
(music)
Lee and the others
holed up in Castle Itter
have been saved.
LENCHES: Lieutenant Lee,
by this point, is exhausted.
And when the commander
of the 142nd comes up to him,
he says, 'Take 'em, Colonel,
they're all yours.'
NARRATOR:
The battle for Castle Itter
would be amongst
the last ground combat
of World War II in Europe.
Only two days later,
May 7, 1945,
Germany surrenders
unconditionally to the Allies.
LENCHES:
The fact the last battle fought
in the European theatre
of operations
was not to conquer territory
but to defend
innocent prisoners
must have been
an incredibly uplifting moment
for all those involved.
NARRATOR: The Americans
evacuate the French VIPs
to Innsbruck, Austria.
Within days,
they arrive home in France.
Several would return
to politics after the war.
SS-Waffen Captain
Kurt-Siegfried Schrader
receives a letter,
undersigned
by the former prisoners,
stating he ensured the safety
of the French detainees
and stayed with them
during the German attacks.
Schrader serves
as a prisoner of war
for only two years,
before being released.
LIEB: In the end,
when we judge the personality,
we must always bear in mind
there were many SS officers
who didn't act like Schrader,
who didn't change their mind.
You can say Schrader
showed more responsibility
than most of his peers.
NARRATOR: Austria honors
Major Josef Gangl
for his work
with the resistance
and for his actions
at Castle Itter.
Lieutenant Jack Lee
would be awarded
the Distinguished Service Cross
for his initiative,
boldness, and courage
in defense of Castle Itter.
LENCHES: Lieutenant Lee himself
summed it up years later
when he was asked.
He just said, 'It was just
the damnedest thing.'
NARRATOR:
It had been a long road
since the beaches of Normandy.
Peace, eleven months
in the making.
McMANUS:
D-Day is only the beginning,
and it's a really
important beginning
of almost a year of
really intense fighting
by a Western Allied coalition,
all of whom
need one another badly
and all of whom
sacrificed terribly,
for this to come
to a final victory.
(music)