Stuff You Should Know – Short Stuff: Battle of Itter Castle

Date: December 17, 2025
Hosts: Josh Clark & Chuck Bryant
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This “Short Stuff” episode dives into the incredible and little-known story of the Battle of Itter Castle, an extraordinary World War II event in Austria's Tyrolean region. It's often described as “the strangest battle of WWII”: Americans, German Wehrmacht soldiers (turned against the Nazis), French VIP prisoners, and assorted others fought together against the Waffen SS just days before Germany’s surrender. Josh and Chuck agree: “This should be a movie.” The gripping story is told with the hosts' signature humor, wide-ranging tangents, and cinematic flair.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Was the Battle of Itter Castle?

• Setting & Significance
  • Castle Itter is a medieval structure in Tyrol, Austria, with its current form dating from 1878. (04:11)
  • After Germany annexed Austria (1938), the Nazis requisitioned the castle. By 1943, it became a VIP prison annexed to Dachau concentration camp for high-value prisoners—French statesmen, generals, and even Charles de Gaulle's sister. (04:51)

“It is a really unusual battle in that Germans got together with Americans and French and fought the Nazis.” — Josh Clark [02:58]

• The War’s Endgame
  • The battle occurred at the very end of WWII in Europe, with Hitler dead, Mussolini executed, and Germany’s surrender imminent. (05:20)

2. The Prisoners & Their Predicament

• The VIP prisoners included:
  • Two French generals, two former French prime ministers, a famous tennis star-turned-politician, and de Gaulle's sister.
• Other inmates included Czechs and Yugoslavians.
• As the Nazis retreated and Dachau was liberated:
  • The maniacal Dachau commandant Eduard Weiter, responsible for mass executions, arrived at Itter Castle before killing himself. (06:32)
  • Guards abandoned the castle, leaving prisoners stranded, fearing nearby SS intent on a violent last stand. (07:24)

3. The Call for Help

• Escape and First Contact

  • A brave Yugoslavian handyman made a dangerous solo journey through war-torn territory to alert approaching American forces, led by Major John T. Kramer. (07:24)
  • Major Kramer, defying “legal” zones of operation, sends a small tank detachment for a rescue. (08:15)
  • “...he said there will be a podcaster one day that will coin the term nuts to that. But I'm gonna say it right now.” — Chuck [08:15]

• Second Attempt

  • Unaware of the handyman’s fate, the castle’s cook sets off next. He finds Major Josef “Sepp” Gangl, a German officer disillusioned with the Nazis, now leading anti-Nazi Wehrmacht soldiers. (11:05)
  • Gangl teams up with Captain Jack C. Lee, Jr., commander of the tank 'Besotten Jenny' and a detachment that included Company D, 17th Armored Infantry (all-Black U.S. troops). (11:57)

“This is not some obvious platoon … it’s just a group of people who almost were like, yeah, I want to go get those people out of that castle.” — Josh Clark [12:28]

4. The Siege of Itter Castle

• Waffen SS Attack
  • The ragtag defenders arrived 12 hours before the Waffen SS started their siege—roughly 100 elite SS troops. (13:08)
  • The attackers quickly disabled the castle’s only tank. The defenders, outgunned, held pistols and rifles. (13:59)

“This is like a medieval siege that’s going on, but with modern armory, right?” — Josh Clark [13:59]

• Running Low on Hope
  • As ammo grew scarce, things looked dire.
  • Gangl, the German anti-Nazi hero, was killed by a sniper while assessing the battle. (14:59)

“He turncoated against the Nazis, he’s doing the right thing. … Just like a movie scene—he’s up on the top, trying to get an assessment … and gets taken out by a sniper.”—Chuck Bryant [15:18]

5. The Cavalry Arrives

• Climax & Rescue
  • As the defense seemed doomed, Major Kramer's U.S. tank column arrived, flanking the SS and scattering them. The siege ended. (16:33)
  • Notably, Gangl was the only fatality among the rescuers and rescued.

“Supposedly Kramer got to the castle, met up with Captain Lee, and Lee said, ‘What kept you?’” — Chuck Bryant [17:06]
“That was a quote from Lee later on recounting it.” — Josh Clark [17:18]

• Aftermath
  • Captain Jack Lee was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and lived into the 1970s. (17:56)
  • The French generals and VIPs were saved—an almost entirely happy ending.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Cinematic Quality

  • “I’m only gonna say this at the beginning, but boy oh boy. This should be a movie.” — Chuck Bryant [02:23]
  • “Yeah, really great cinematic story in every way.” — Josh Clark [02:29]

• On the Unlikeliness of the Team-Up

  • “It was a real motley crew, real ragtag group.” — Chuck Bryant [03:22]

• Authenticity and Humor

  • “Tell the Nazis I said, second…” — Chuck Bryant (mocking overwrought movie death lines) [15:35]
  • “Major Lee lived to be an old man … He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for this amazing…” — Josh Clark [17:56]

Timeline & Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:23] Movie Potential — Hosts marvel at the battle’s cinematic story.
• [04:11] Castle History — Nazis convert Itter Castle into VIP prison.
• [06:32] Dachau Commandant Arrives — Eduard Weiter’s dramatic suicide, prisoners’ panic grows.
• [07:24] Guards Flee & Rescue Mission Begins — Handyman escapes, fetches Americans.
• [11:05] Anti-Nazi German Joins — Sepp Gangl teams up with Captain Lee.
• [13:08] Siege Starts — Waffen SS attack; tank destroyed; medieval-style defensive stand.
• [14:59] Gangl Killed — Gangl shot by sniper.
• [16:33] Rescue Arrives — Major Kramer’s column breaks the siege.
• [17:06] Dramatic Reunification Quote — “What kept you?”—the perfect movie line.

Tone & Style

• Lighthearted and conversational, but respectful of the gravity of the events.
• Infused with pop culture references and comedic asides, especially imagining the battle as a classic war movie.

Conclusion

This episode compellingly tells the tale of the improbable siege and rescue at Itter Castle—a “movie out the yin yang,” as the hosts say. It’s a fascinating moment where former enemies banded together, a “ragtag motley crew” resisting the last gasp of Nazi violence. Only one defender—Sepp Gangl, the unlikely German hero—was killed, and the happy ending reads straight out of Hollywood, yet it’s all historical fact.

For a quick cinematic, comedic, and informative retelling of this untold WWII tale, this SYSK Short Stuff is a can’t-miss listen.