297B - Germans and Americans fighting side by side! - WW2 - May 5, 1945

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  • Опубліковано 4 тра 2024
  • I don't want to give too much away about this extra regular episode here in the description, but it's true- German and American soldiers fought side by side in the waning days of the European part of WW2, and not just once! And the second time is an all-time great tale of adventure.
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    Between 2 Wars: • Between 2 Wars
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    Hosted by: Indy Neidell
    Director: Astrid Deinhard
    Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
    Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson
    Creative Producer: Marek Kamiński
    Community Management: Jake McCluskey
    Written by: Indy Neidell
    Research by: Indy Neidell
    Map animations by: Daniel Weiss
    Map research by: Sietse Kenter
    Edited by: Karolina Dołęga
    Artwork and color grading by: Mikołaj Uchman
    Sound design by: Marek Kamiński
    Colorizations by:
    Mikołaj Uchman
    Julius Jääskeläinen - / jjcolorization
    Source literature list: bit.ly/SourcesWW2
    Archive footage: Screenocean/Reuters - www.screenocean.com
    Image sources:
    Bundesarchiv
    Sammlung Risch-Lau, Vorarlberger Landesbibliothek: 33595, 33596, 33592, 36288
    pid.volare.vorarlberg.at/o:33596
    Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe
    National Archives NARA
    Besotten Jenny photo courtesy of U.S. Army Steven Zaloga
    Soundtracks from Epidemic Sound:
    Fly Baby Fly - Fabien Tell
    Force Matrix - Jon Bjork
    Leave It All Here - Fabien Tell
    London - Howard Harper-Barnes
    March Of The Brave 10 - Rannar Sillard
    Other Sides of Glory - Fabien Tell
    Rememberance - Fabien Tell
    The Inspector 4 - Johannes Bornlöf
    Weapon of Choice - Fabien Tell
    A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.

КОМЕНТАРІ • 919

  • @WorldWarTwo
    @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +322

    Things are coming to a head - Hitler is dead, and it looks like a German collapse is likely any moment - but the war is far from over. In Asia it looks like many things are only beginning… but even when that ends, we won’t be going anywhere. We will continue to satisfy your WW2 needs for as long as you’ll have us… there will be specials, mini chronologies, and even a new weekly long series. To not mention that Indy begins covering the Korean War on a dedicated channel on June 25 youtube.com/@KoreanWarbyIndyNeidell

    • @danendraabyantara2931
      @danendraabyantara2931 Місяць тому +8

      Hope you guys covering some post war situation too, cuz this war is getting very cold 😊❤

    • @Vtarngpb
      @Vtarngpb Місяць тому

      @@danendraabyantara2931 🥶🥶🥶

    • @poorwotan
      @poorwotan Місяць тому +6

      In another post we talked about this needing to be a movie (although I think one was done a while back). Perhaps your team might consider writing a good screenplay and start shopping it around...

    • @ahorsewithnoname773
      @ahorsewithnoname773 Місяць тому +9

      @@poorwotan The other incident mentioned by Indy where American & German troops fought side-by-side against the SS (Operation Cowboy) did have have a film based on it, called Miracle of the White Stallions. I haven't seen it so I can't comment on how accurate or good it is, but Disney made a film out of it back in 1963.

    • @doubledouble4g379
      @doubledouble4g379 Місяць тому +11

      Thank-you SO MUCH for giving this one some special attention :) This is my favorite WW2 story as it is just so bizarre, beating out even the story of Corporal Wotjek and that time a Finnish soldier took his entire unit's supply of Prevertin.
      This battle is a LOT weirder than Indy was able to give it credit - at one point, a former French Tennis Pro, who was a prisoner at the castle, sneaks out to look for American reinforcements after the radio goes dead. Who does he run into in the village? Future Quebec Premier Rene Levesque, who was a war correspondent at the time and recognized him. War is Hell, but it can also be very, VERY weird...

  • @saltzkruber732
    @saltzkruber732 Місяць тому +1589

    «Never thought i’d die side by side with a kraut.»
    «How about side by side with a friend?»
    «Yeah, i can do that»

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +313

      The reference we all wanted to see!
      But who got tossed then? -TimeGhost Ambassador

    • @goodman4966
      @goodman4966 Місяць тому +30

      my favorite line from the whole film

    • @thorwaldberg
      @thorwaldberg Місяць тому +3

      From which movie it is? I can't remember.

    • @Healermain15
      @Healermain15 Місяць тому +21

      Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

    • @thorwaldberg
      @thorwaldberg Місяць тому +13

      Oh yeah, Gimli and Legolas talk, thanks.

  • @RashKranky
    @RashKranky Місяць тому +858

    Meanwhile a Soviet officer looking from his scope from a mile away:
    - THE FUCK ??

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +331

      "Ivan, come take a look" -TimeGhost Ambassador

    • @briceoka5623
      @briceoka5623 Місяць тому +81

      Molotov would've had an aneurism if he caught wind of that story

    • @_ArsNova
      @_ArsNova Місяць тому +62

      @@briceoka5623 You kidding? He would've uncorked some champagne. Perfect excuse to legitimize the Soviet Union's naked annexation of Eastern Europe.

    • @83j049733rfe4
      @83j049733rfe4 Місяць тому

      "...блять?"
      "..."
      "...сука ебать!!!"
      (google translate, forgive me vodka friends)

    • @briceoka5623
      @briceoka5623 Місяць тому +8

      @@_ArsNova it had already been legitimised at yalta lol

  • @jorikrouwenhorst7220
    @jorikrouwenhorst7220 Місяць тому +618

    An American army officer, a German Waffen-SS officer, and a German Werhmacht officer walk into a castle.

    • @Nelsonwmj
      @Nelsonwmj Місяць тому +57

      Upon hearing the news, a Soviet army officer promptly had a heart attack.

    • @canman5060
      @canman5060 Місяць тому +18

      And meet Count Dracula !

    • @kistler1994
      @kistler1994 Місяць тому +8

      The Wehrmacht Officer asks "Whatever Happened to my Transylvanian Twist?"

    • @RodericSpode
      @RodericSpode Місяць тому +1

      @@kistler1994 Hilarious!

  • @Raoul167
    @Raoul167 Місяць тому +836

    Imagine going through the whole war from the battlefield of France to the USSR and then back to France just to die in the final hours of the conflict... Heartbreaking.

    • @thisguyaintfunny1881
      @thisguyaintfunny1881 Місяць тому +92

      Heartbreaking indeed, a sad reality of war.

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +150

      Very much, indeed -TimeGhost Ambassador

    • @Doc_Tar
      @Doc_Tar Місяць тому +39

      That's heroism.

    • @shawnjohnson9763
      @shawnjohnson9763 Місяць тому +116

      It was a heroic redemption arc. While most of the war he had been fighting to conquer and enslave, in the end, he died defending life and liberty. 😢

    • @joelellis7035
      @joelellis7035 Місяць тому +53

      @@shawnjohnson9763 and defending someone who had been his enemy.

  • @RollTide1987
    @RollTide1987 Місяць тому +794

    The fact that Hollywood has yet to turn this story into a blockbuster film is a travesty.

    • @jonaz7312
      @jonaz7312 Місяць тому +107

      What i like about this event: you could turn in it into a serious contemplation of the complexity of war in a style similar to "Saving Private Ryan" ans similar movies... or you can turn the battel into a Wes Anderson comedy. I would go broke watching that movie.

    • @joelellis7035
      @joelellis7035 Місяць тому +44

      @@jonaz7312 It was a bit of a comedy of errors. Could start off with how Lee kept on having to whittle down his force until he got to the castle. How there was another effort to get to the castle was mired in delays and obstacles. How this trio defending the castle was so unlikely, and how the french "prisoners" at the time weren't altogether enthused by the situation.

    • @poorwotan
      @poorwotan Місяць тому +1

      In my mind, I'd like to say a movie was made which is probably why I knew of this event before. One of that slew of somewhat unremarkable WW2 pictures made in the 60's/70's? No blockbuster by any means. That said, this is definitely one that could be done (re-done?).

    • @isaiahkayode6526
      @isaiahkayode6526 Місяць тому +20

      Same with the battle of Leyte gulf the largest naval battle in history.

    • @AbbeyRoadkill1
      @AbbeyRoadkill1 Місяць тому +27

      And each of the people involved have their own fascinating history that's perfect for character development. The flashback scenes would be epic.

  • @leowilly29
    @leowilly29 Місяць тому +173

    I would add an even more epic fun fact: among the french VIP prisonners is Jean Borota, a famous tennis player, former vichy sport minister. Contrary to the old politicians there like Reynaud or Dalladier he is very fit. And so in the heart of the battle he voluntered to cross the enemy lines to seek help. And he managed to do it! It is him who guided the american relief force.
    If it was the plot of a movie, people would say its unbelievable.

    • @spikespa5208
      @spikespa5208 Місяць тому +16

      So many weird things happened in that war that, if written into a fiction novel or screenplay, would get the author laughed out of a publisher's or producer's office.

    • @SEARCHFoundationAus
      @SEARCHFoundationAus Місяць тому +4

      Borota was Vichy Minister responsible for effectively banning rugby league, the professional, working class version of rugby, that had shot to sudden popularity in France in the 30s. Assets of the rugby league were transferred to the rugby union, and have never been returned. He also crippled table tennis, real tennis and badminton. A complex character indeed, a villain in many arenas.

    • @Clewerly
      @Clewerly Місяць тому +4

      He crossed the enemy line twice in fact!

  • @alexandersturnn4530
    @alexandersturnn4530 Місяць тому +600

    "After the Downfall, a Castle besieged,
    Facing the Nazis, awaiting relief!
    Gangl and Lee,
    And their men set the Prisoners free!"
    -Sabaton, "The Last Battle"

    • @monsieurmig8969
      @monsieurmig8969 Місяць тому +16

      @@whenyoucantfindanameWARSAW, RISE!

    • @f3nn3lgaming
      @f3nn3lgaming Місяць тому +8

      Sabaton! Sabaton!

    • @Jomoko123
      @Jomoko123 Місяць тому +28

      It's the end of the line of the final journey
      Enemies live in these past,
      It's American troops and the German army,
      Joining together at last!'

    • @L3corpwt
      @L3corpwt 29 днів тому

      GOTT MITT UNS

    • @SourDohSteele
      @SourDohSteele 23 дні тому +1

      JENNY AT THE GATES!

  • @thedemonlord8685
    @thedemonlord8685 Місяць тому +397

    🎶 "And its American Troops and the German Army, joining together at last"! 🎶

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +122

      *Sabaton Intensifies* -TimeGhost Ambassador

    • @ignorance112
      @ignorance112 Місяць тому +4

      Exactly what is was thinking!

    • @FleetAdmiralDouglas
      @FleetAdmiralDouglas Місяць тому +3

      When you consider how much of the US has German heritage, it was about time indeed. There has been so much German immigration to the old colonies and the US that when one tries to identify waves of immigration, you find that it has basically been happening since the beginning of European settlement in North America, with the first "German-American" arriving with the Jamestowns colonists in 1607.

    • @F15_C
      @F15_C Місяць тому +4

      @@WorldWarTwoindy knows about that event more than anyone else (sabaton history)

    • @Demo-critus
      @Demo-critus 25 днів тому

      @@FleetAdmiralDouglas I once heard that there was a vote about whether English or German would become the first language in the USA, and English won only by a narrow margin. Imagine how WWI and WII would have played out if the USA had been a German-speaking country.

  • @alexquirel1648
    @alexquirel1648 Місяць тому +84

    A little anecdot about the French prisonners's life at Itter. Paul Reynaud had to cope with the presence of Edouard Dalladier, long political rival. Reynaud and Dalladier had left each others in bad terms after the defeat of 1940 and tried to avoid each other but Reynaud could'nt stop complaining about what he saw through his window. Indeed, Dalladier was a staunch nudist and used to make a nude walk in the Itter garden quite often.

  • @C_hoffmanni
    @C_hoffmanni Місяць тому +109

    One more important thing to note: the 12th Armored Division was one of the only American divisions that had mixed white and black soldiers so not only did you have the pre-existing cauldron of people involved you also had African American soldiers taking a hand in it as well which I feel is important to note.

    • @thomaskositzki9424
      @thomaskositzki9424 Місяць тому +10

      Makes this story even more unusal and cool! 🙂

    • @ohiorobertstephens
      @ohiorobertstephens Місяць тому +9

      I remember reading a few times that Europeans being liberated from Nazis loved to see the black soldiers because it was a clear sign that it was the Americans and the Allies coming.

  • @PG-kt1hz
    @PG-kt1hz Місяць тому +112

    Fun Fact: Gangl was included in the video Game Hearts of Iron 4 as the picture for a generic General.

    • @brenokrug7775
      @brenokrug7775 Місяць тому +15

      Probably the only one to be smilling, too

    • @khata_yaburyana
      @khata_yaburyana Місяць тому

      @@brenokrug7775 Not really
      John Basilone, an American marine, was awarded a Medal of Honor for his actions on Guadalcanal. One of his photos served as a portrait for generic Italian generals (Basilone was of Italian origin)
      Even though he does not smile as clearly as Gangl, you can still see it
      preview.redd.it/zjkvikjtih961.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=19c82030ded3fd04e8cacbecd0127cb0989e52fd

    • @alanmichael5619
      @alanmichael5619 Місяць тому +12

      aaaaaah! I knew I recognised his picture from somewhere! Thank you!

  • @ewok40k
    @ewok40k Місяць тому +134

    Clemenceau, old tiger of WW1 getting some action now is really stuff of legends...

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +42

      What a life he had! -TimeGhost Ambassador

    • @bbenjoe
      @bbenjoe Місяць тому +30

      His son*
      The WW1 prime minister Clemenceau died years before WW2.

    • @giannisv.4472
      @giannisv.4472 Місяць тому +13

      @@bbenjoe yes but the son took part in ww1 too. He was in his 40s at the start of the first world war

    • @thechekist2044
      @thechekist2044 22 дні тому +1

      ​@@giannisv.4472The Tiger was the nickname of Georges Clemensceau.

  • @mr6johnclark
    @mr6johnclark Місяць тому +91

    The Battle of Castle Itter...
    Why this incident isn't made into a movie is beyond me.

    • @isaiahkayode6526
      @isaiahkayode6526 Місяць тому +4

      The same with Leyte Gulf.

    • @tcpratt1660
      @tcpratt1660 Місяць тому +9

      ​@isaiahkayode6526 to do Leyte Gulf justice, it would require well over $200 million in production budget alone, and no studio today would ever risk that, even for a story far better than the entire Marvel Cinematic Multiverse...
      ...this movie could be done far less expensively, as this would be on the scale of "The Dirty Dozen", and even if Christopher Nolan directed it, it would probably be ok with a production budget of $120 million, and this, in IMAX? NOLAN, SHUT UP AND MAKE THE MOVIE AND TAKE MY MONEY!!! 😂

    • @jasonking3182
      @jasonking3182 Місяць тому +2

      Deadline Hollywood reported a lot of studios have looked into turning this into a movie. I imagine it’s only a matter of time

    • @snickle1980
      @snickle1980 Місяць тому +2

      Ive been to that Castle...what knockers!

    • @Lonovavir
      @Lonovavir Місяць тому

      As soon as I visited a castle near me I wanted there to be a reenactment of this battle.

  • @peelsherrif0995
    @peelsherrif0995 Місяць тому +384

    People nowadays: *Infinity war is the most epic crossover in history*
    Me, an intellectual:

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +54

      Thank you! -TimeGhost Ambassador

    • @darkobg9997
      @darkobg9997 Місяць тому +17

      Wait until you hear about the siege of the International legations in 1900

    • @jonbaxter2254
      @jonbaxter2254 Місяць тому +1

      Allies! Assemble...

    • @jonbaxter2254
      @jonbaxter2254 Місяць тому +2

      @@darkobg9997 EVERY country that fought in WW1 against each other, fought that battle together. wild.

  • @Pavlos_Charalambous
    @Pavlos_Charalambous Місяць тому +258

    The moment the Sabaton fans was waiting for

  • @amienabled6665
    @amienabled6665 Місяць тому +106

    ah finally
    the crossover moment where the two enemies team up to take down a bigger threat

  • @Canofasahi
    @Canofasahi Місяць тому +69

    Meanwhile the Georgians are still fighting against the Germans on the Dutch Island of Texel, their leader Shalva Loladze is killed on April 25th but fighting continues even after the surrender of the German forces in the Netherlands on may 5th or for that matter in Europe on the may 8th, it is not until may 20th when the Canadians arrive on Texel that the fighting stops.

    • @Southsideindy
      @Southsideindy Місяць тому +10

      And you think I won’t cover that why?

    • @Vtarngpb
      @Vtarngpb Місяць тому +3

      @@Southsideindy 🤫🤫 I've been following since the Guns of August... I know it hasn't been you alone, so let everyone on the team know... Thank you. 🤙 edit: You're a good dude

    • @ericcarlson3746
      @ericcarlson3746 Місяць тому

      another wierd and tragic coda to this war

  • @ploegdbq
    @ploegdbq Місяць тому +103

    About the French prisoners: they included not only Reynaud and Gamelin (who Reynaud fired during the Battle of France in 1940), but also former Vichy politicians who fell out of favor and were imprisoned by the Germans. Naturally these prisoners worked together during the battle, but they did not get along before the battle, and they did not get along after the battle (as witnessed by René Lévesque, a reporter who went on to become the founder of the Parti Québécois in Canada and an advocate for Quebec sovereignty).

    • @ryanprosper88
      @ryanprosper88 Місяць тому +6

      Seriously?!? Rene Levesque was here?

    • @ploegdbq
      @ploegdbq Місяць тому +11

      @ryanprosper88 Yep, René Lévesque was one of two reporters traveling with the relief force. In his memoirs, Lévesque noted that, after the relief force arrived, the French dignitaries separated themselves into separate groups disinclined to talk with one another. Relations between Reynaud and Daladier were particularly icy, with each one in turn declining to comment beyond indicating that they would deal with each other after they returned to France.

    • @seanlawrence6519
      @seanlawrence6519 Місяць тому +4

      I was about to write a comment on this, but now I see you've beaten me to it. As a Canadian, I find his participation by far the most surreal part of it all.
      BTW, we should give kudos to Levesque for his war service. As a Quebec nationalist, he refused to serve under King George, so volunteered for the US Army, who put him to work as an embedded war correspondent. He was also present at the liberation of Dachau.
      I don't like that he nearly destroyed my country, but the man had integrity.

    • @ryanprosper88
      @ryanprosper88 Місяць тому +2

      @seanlawrence6519 dang, a Quebec without Canada would have been MUCH better off!

    • @MIRobin22
      @MIRobin22 Місяць тому

      @@ryanprosper88 This story just keeps getting more insane.

  • @JustSomeCanuck
    @JustSomeCanuck Місяць тому +24

    The end of World War Two - when the Germans and Americans fighting with each other against other Germans to rescue horses is not the weird one.

  • @BleedingUranium
    @BleedingUranium Місяць тому +18

    Thank you so much for giving this its own episode! Poor Gangl, he checks off basically everything on the "tragic heroic sacrifice" list. German officer defecting, had served since _before_ the Nazis came to power, fought through basically everywhere during the war, died specifically protecting a very high level asset, literally days before "retirement", is the only one to die, plus that big honest grin in his photo. :'(
    The whole rest of the story is so utterly perfect for a movie too. Setting out with seven Shermans, down to four with a broken bridge, two left in the town, one partway there, the last one at the gate, which is lost during the fighting (but with no deaths). The politician VIPs taking up arms, the cavalry arriving at exactly right moment, the symbolism of people joining together despite their nations to fight the SS, one of them being an SS turncoat, a literal castle, and on it goes...

  • @brandonarmienti6875
    @brandonarmienti6875 Місяць тому +122

    Someone needs to make a movie about this!!

    • @Gogmosis
      @Gogmosis Місяць тому +22

      I cant believe it hasnt

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +37

      same -TimeGhost Ambassador

    • @joakimbjorkgren3511
      @joakimbjorkgren3511 Місяць тому +17

      I fear that people who did not know the history would find it far too unrealistic. Even I struggle to grasp this really happened and is well documented. But truth is often far more bizarre than stories

    • @francesconicoletti2547
      @francesconicoletti2547 Місяць тому +5

      @@joakimbjorkgren3511it sounds like every “ war movie “ I saw on television as a kid. The Guns or Navarone, The Dirty Dozen. Believably wasn’t what those movies ran on. Just because for once the plot would be actually be based on a true story, doesn’t matter, that’s not what makes a good movie.

    • @isaiahkayode6526
      @isaiahkayode6526 Місяць тому +1

      @@WorldWarTwoLeyte Gulf as well.

  • @StephenLuke
    @StephenLuke Місяць тому +58

    RIP
    Josef Gangl
    (1910-1945)

  • @SyndicateSuperman
    @SyndicateSuperman Місяць тому +26

    I am homeschooling my daughter and have used this channel as part of my curriculum. I sometimes think she "tunes me out" but luckily she hangs on every word she hears each video. Thank you Time Ghost team for your help with teaching my daughter.

    • @oglocbaby520
      @oglocbaby520 Місяць тому +1

      Your daughter is getting a much better history education than you can possibly imagine. There are literally young American adults and teenagers that don't know who bombed Pearl Harbor for instance. I've heard of high school history classes having something like being able to name the 13 colonies as part of the final exam. It's absolutely insane.

  • @HistoryfortheAges
    @HistoryfortheAges Місяць тому +191

    Just a few days before the end of the war! I just finished lecturing about WWII this week. My students knew so little about the war. They did not even know the term Blitzkrieg. They never heard of the Nuremberg laws. They could not name a concentration camp. I appreciate any channel that is telling the story of WWII. As a history professor I felt a sense of responsibility to explain to people why this Holocaust Remembrance Day is different than all others. So, I made a short video and included many resources for people to learn more about the Holocaust. Soon the entire generation of survivors will be gone. Now is the time to learn the lessons of the past.

    • @uncleheavy6819
      @uncleheavy6819 Місяць тому +7

      Professor, it is so important that these events are not lost to history, lest they are repeated.

    • @macleunin
      @macleunin Місяць тому

      This new generation can’t even recognize the swastika or the SS insignia because they only consume social media, which is heavily censored, so they either never saw the symbols, or they don’t know exactly what they mean, much less the history behind it.

    • @JarodFarrant
      @JarodFarrant Місяць тому +2

      I hope you got them all interested in this channel told theme to subscribe to it! I can imagine the reaction to the holocaust that’s something we learned the first time it leaves you shocked for days on end.

    • @monsieurmig8969
      @monsieurmig8969 Місяць тому +7

      not to be that guy, but there's still the Pacific

    • @georget8008
      @georget8008 Місяць тому

      in which country? in Europe or elsewhere?

  • @Kay2kGer
    @Kay2kGer Місяць тому +79

    RIP Gangel

    • @Lex-dw7ng
      @Lex-dw7ng Місяць тому

      Gangl was at Babi Yar and didn't seem to have any issues with the war of extermination then. Fuck that Nazi piece of shit.

  • @sankarchaya
    @sankarchaya Місяць тому +17

    Stalin - “I TOLD you they were getting ready to work together!”

  • @YourTypicalMental
    @YourTypicalMental Місяць тому +103

    The whole battle of Itter Castle reads like a dark comedy by Taika Waititi, in the same vein of Jojo Rabbit.
    I can imagine a scene introducing the defecting German soldiers, burning every piece of Hitler memorabilia they have on them. A lone private, clutching his prized Hitler plushie, forced to throw in the fire as he's consoled by his fellow soldiers.

    • @_ArsNova
      @_ArsNova Місяць тому +1

      So a US Army officer, an SS officer, a German Army officer, and a French prime minister walk into a bar.
      Just kidding, the bar is a castle and we're under attack by the Waffen SS. Grab an MP 40.

    • @Arashmickey
      @Arashmickey Місяць тому

      My mind went to Three Kings.

  • @VosperCDN
    @VosperCDN Місяць тому +36

    Absolutely deserved it's own episode .. and beyond time for getting it's own movie. This would be epic if done in a Band of Brothers format (and care for the historical record).

  • @peterturner8766
    @peterturner8766 Місяць тому +25

    I was flown home injured from Itter.
    Okay, it was a skiing trip. On the last day, I returned my skis, went to buy an ice cream and slipped on some ice!
    Itter is a pretty little village. I recommend a visit - but beware of the ice cream!

  • @kieranfitz
    @kieranfitz Місяць тому +46

    5TH OF MAY, VE DAY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

    • @alphamikeomega5728
      @alphamikeomega5728 Місяць тому +13

      1945, the Führer's reign's at its end

    • @republikstarfighter3688
      @republikstarfighter3688 Місяць тому +10

      Jenny at the gates, as the SS open fire

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +11

      And not short enough it was! -TimeGhost Ambassador

    • @blahmaster6k
      @blahmaster6k Місяць тому +2

      ​@@WorldWarTwoMaster Yoda, you survived.

  • @nickmacarius3012
    @nickmacarius3012 Місяць тому +18

    This is about as crazy as that time during WW1 when the Germans and the Ottomans fought a battle against each other in the Caucuses!

    • @micumatrix
      @micumatrix Місяць тому +1

      ? Some key words to find this in the internet?

    • @klassehkhornate9636
      @klassehkhornate9636 Місяць тому +1

      Azerbaijan expedition 1918​@@micumatrix

  • @ForgottenHonor0
    @ForgottenHonor0 Місяць тому +43

    I always wondered what happened to Schrader after the battle since almost every record I've found glosses over his future after Itter. I eventually found out almost immediately after the battle he was nearly taken captive by Yugoslavian soldiers who would likely have summarily shot him as a suspected war criminal. Luckily, Lee and the others protected him and convinced the Yugoslavians to let the Americans keep Schrader as a POW. After he was released from captivity he returned to his hometown and built a life and family there as well as becoming a master bricklayer.

    • @TaxEvader08
      @TaxEvader08 25 днів тому +1

      Glad to know he lived a good life after, but how'd he end up in Yugoslav hands? If he was in Itter, wouldn't he have been an American POW?

    • @ForgottenHonor0
      @ForgottenHonor0 15 днів тому

      @@TaxEvader08 I think there was a unit of Free-Yugoslavian soldiers with the Americans. This wasn't unheard of after the war started and especially after the fall of France when numerous men from multiple countries fled to Britain and were reorganized into expat units according to their nationality.

  • @SmedleyDouwright
    @SmedleyDouwright Місяць тому +20

    "Boche Buster" is a great name for a Sherman tank.

    • @ahorsewithnoname773
      @ahorsewithnoname773 Місяць тому +1

      I quite like Besotten Jenny also. That could work as a good name for a boat or race horse as well. I wonder who the real Jenny was. I bet when she became besotted with some American tanker she never expected her name to become immortalized in one of the Second World War's strangest events.

    • @spikespa5208
      @spikespa5208 Місяць тому

      Perhaps she was a donkey once owned by him.......who had a drinking problem.

  • @Superlegend56
    @Superlegend56 Місяць тому +47

    So many episodes this week! No complaints ofc keep it up

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +9

      We hope you enjoy them all! -TimeGhost Ambassador

    • @Superlegend56
      @Superlegend56 Місяць тому +2

      Always!

  • @peymanmostafaei6963
    @peymanmostafaei6963 Місяць тому +27

    'Kings and Generals' channel has done a video on the battle of Castle Itter too. It's worth watching.

  • @norwegiantactician
    @norwegiantactician Місяць тому +12

    "And it's the end of the line of the final journey
    Enemies leaving the past
    And its American troops and the German Army
    Joining together at last"

  • @robertrussell2869
    @robertrussell2869 Місяць тому +7

    Thank you, Indy. My father father’s unit (261st Regiment of the 65th Infantry Division) met the Russians at the Enns River in Austria about this time 79 years ago. While he did not find himself fighting along side Germans against nazis, he had many stories of strange combinations of soldiers, refugees, displaced persons and bewildered civilians. One of my great regrets is that he refused to write down his memories. Perhaps that is the reason I have followed you every week since the start of your great endeavor. You tell the stooge is not here to tell.

  • @5x385
    @5x385 Місяць тому +9

    That point at the corner referencing a familiar thumbnail finally did it for me. You'd think it would've been Hitler's death or something else with a finale impact but no, it was recognizing a "5 year" old video and having the points in it come back to me in a faded memory. Wow, I've actually watched every video of this series every day or whenever I could and barely missed any. It really was in real time, and I only just now felt where that time had gone. I am sure it will make a lasting impact but, wow, it's really coming to a close.

  • @BubblewrapHighway
    @BubblewrapHighway Місяць тому +30

    You are all lifesavers. This series has been such an honor to experience. Thank you so much for all your hard work. 👏

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +5

      Thanks a lot for those kind words! -TimeGhost Ambassador

  • @Paladin1873
    @Paladin1873 Місяць тому +7

    Let's not forget the part of the story where former international tennis star Jean Borotra vaulted the castle wall in the middle of the fighting to summon help from a nearby town and then returned with the liberating force to fight alongside them. And let's also remember the mistress of one of the former French prime ministers (I don't recall if it was Daladier's or Reynaud's) who remained to help the wounded and pass out ammunition.

  • @imbelgian8293
    @imbelgian8293 Місяць тому +12

    It’s nice to see Paul Reynard again, last time I remember hearing him mention was during the battle of France all the way back in 1940

    • @matthewcreelman1347
      @matthewcreelman1347 Місяць тому +7

      One of the interesting things about the battle was that it had people like Reynard actually doing the fighting themselves. Early in the war, he commanded one of the mightiest armies in human history. At the end, he was another grunt with muddy boots.

  • @emil.jansson
    @emil.jansson Місяць тому +11

    Maurice Gamelin and Paul Reynaud have had a rough five years.

    • @seneca983
      @seneca983 Місяць тому

      I'd guess Daladier too.

  • @jeffdowney7452
    @jeffdowney7452 Місяць тому +5

    I was glad you covered this battle, especially with a special episode. My dad was in the 12th Armored Division, which went by the nickname The Hellcats. He wasn’t involved in this battle, but it’s undoubtedly the most famous one the 12th was in. It was also nice seeing his unit’s marker on some of the maps showing the fighting around Colmar.

  • @mrsupremegascon
    @mrsupremegascon Місяць тому +6

    This might be one of the most famous "funny" fact of WW2.
    It amaze me that nobody did a movie about it yet. Especially us, French. Seeing Reynaud or Gamelin fighting side by side in an Austrian would be like seeing MacArthur and Truman fighting side by side for Americans.

  • @CLARKE176
    @CLARKE176 Місяць тому +12

    There were instances where Wehrmacht deserters joined resistance groups such as in a joint raid with British, Italian, Russian and Spanish fighters along with a Dutch member who raided the German 14th army headquarters in Italy two months previously.

    • @seneca983
      @seneca983 Місяць тому +2

      There were also Germans who had fought in the International Brigades (on the Republican side) in the Spanish Civil War. After that war ended many of the fled to France and after France was occupied many joined the French Resistance (as they didn't have many options).

  • @kevinramsey417
    @kevinramsey417 Місяць тому +19

    And it's the end of the line of the final journey, enemies leaving the past. American troops and the German army joining together at last.

  • @TheMasonK
    @TheMasonK Місяць тому +7

    What this amazing story details is that anyone can be evil but anyone can fight evil as well. May the last battle be a reminder to all of us that there’s always good in the world even in the darkest times.

  • @jmc7034
    @jmc7034 Місяць тому +12

    I’ve heard of this several times in the past but it still amazes me. Love it 😍

  • @ChefSandwichboy
    @ChefSandwichboy Місяць тому +7

    YES! I was really hoping you guys would do a special on this amazing story. How has this not been turned into a film yet?

  • @_DinoREX_
    @_DinoREX_ Місяць тому +1

    Man, this deserves a movie. At least a series episode

  • @Paladin966
    @Paladin966 Місяць тому +10

    Phenomenal story telling as usual

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому

      Thank you! -TimeGhost Ambassador

  • @indianajones4321
    @indianajones4321 Місяць тому +10

    You’re going all out these past few weeks

    • @thisguyaintfunny1881
      @thisguyaintfunny1881 Місяць тому +3

      Common Timeghost and Co W

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +3

      Well, it was kind of a special occasion -TimeGhost Ambassador

  • @PolarisC8
    @PolarisC8 Місяць тому +6

    This battle would have made for an outstanding pulp war movie

  • @brushwolf
    @brushwolf Місяць тому +4

    This incident has always intrigued me. I first heard of this on Mark Felton's channel some years back and now I'm about to get a second dose here! Great stuff!👍

  • @thanos_6.0
    @thanos_6.0 Місяць тому +3

    I always hoped that you would bring out a video about this very interesting battle.
    Glad to know that you *never* disapoint.

  • @malikcagatay7923
    @malikcagatay7923 Місяць тому +4

    Nolan or scorsese should make a movie about battle of castle itter

  • @SammyNeedsAnAlibi
    @SammyNeedsAnAlibi Місяць тому +1

    Once again, you guys at Time Ghost tell stories that I never heard of before- and I thought I was pretty well informed on WW II... not anymore- you guys consistently kick my butt! GOOD JOB!

  • @tylers1996
    @tylers1996 Місяць тому +3

    Another notable VIP is French tennis legend Jean Borotra, who won a boatload of international championships in the 20’s and 30’s. He was minister of education during the Vichy regime before being arrested by the Gestapo in 1942 and imprisoned. He fought during the battle where apparently he jumped over the castle walls to help direct reinforcements to the castle.

  • @belbrighton6479
    @belbrighton6479 Місяць тому +9

    What a brilliant story, told brilliantly of course!

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому

      Thanks a lot! -TimeGhost Ambassador

  • @Dm79a
    @Dm79a Місяць тому +4

    That should be a film! Great episode.

  • @notaidan4451
    @notaidan4451 Місяць тому

    Oh my god I’m so glad we’re getting an episode on this story. It’s so good, thank you Indy and TimeGhost team

  • @adamkell1584
    @adamkell1584 Місяць тому +1

    I read a book about this event and all I can say, “Why hasn’t it been made in to a movie yet.” It literally has everything. So much of the story couldn’t be done justice in just 10-12 minutes.

  • @parsifal6094
    @parsifal6094 Місяць тому +25

    We all know what we want after the WWII series come to end:The 100 years war - week by week!

    • @uncleheavy6819
      @uncleheavy6819 Місяць тому +5

      That's gonna be one long series. 😂

    • @RandomNamejagddjxuossn
      @RandomNamejagddjxuossn Місяць тому +2

      😂

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +3

      Of course! -TimeGhost Ambassador

    • @sha2532
      @sha2532 Місяць тому +3

      I wonder how many episodes would just be
      "This week: nothing relevant actually happens"
      *roll the credits*

  • @elifink6184
    @elifink6184 Місяць тому +12

    Wow was not expecting this

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +3

      No one really did I think -TimeGhost Ambassador

  • @SeanA099
    @SeanA099 Місяць тому +1

    I’m surprised no one has made a movie about this event yet

  • @ErkCarlson
    @ErkCarlson Місяць тому

    Been patiently waiting for ages for this episode. Thanks Time Ghost crew.

  • @ohmniac
    @ohmniac Місяць тому +9

    How is this not a movie?

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +1

      It surely never reached the historical epicness of the event -TimeGhost Ambassador

    • @isaiahkayode6526
      @isaiahkayode6526 Місяць тому

      @@WorldWarTwothe same with Leyte Gulf the largest naval battle in history.

    • @ahorsewithnoname773
      @ahorsewithnoname773 Місяць тому

      @@isaiahkayode6526 A Leyte Gulf film might be a bit too sprawling with too large a cast of characters and events to make for a good story than can be covered in only 2 hours. I'd probably narrow it down to just the Battle Off Samar and focus on the suicidal heroism of the officers & men of the US destroyers & destroyer escorts.

  • @GarthKlaus
    @GarthKlaus Місяць тому +4

    Thanks for this and everything else too. I've been watching since '14.

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому

      Glad to have you with us since then! -TimeGhost Ambassador

  • @Professor_sckinnctn
    @Professor_sckinnctn Місяць тому

    This battle was batshit crazy and awesome, and I'm so happy you gave it the attention it deserves. Looking forward to the next episode, on my birthday!

  • @fireplusbirdfilms6517
    @fireplusbirdfilms6517 Місяць тому

    I love this story. Your telling of it was spellbinding. Great work as always, Indy.

  • @ronaldbaker2858
    @ronaldbaker2858 Місяць тому +7

    They should make a movie about Lee, Schrader &co.

    • @joelellis7035
      @joelellis7035 Місяць тому +4

      I heard like Universal bought the rights to the book "The Last Battle" but nothing has since come of it

  • @cabalofdemons
    @cabalofdemons Місяць тому +8

    I literally just read about the Battle of Castle Itter seconds before I watched this video! I wondered if Indy would cover the events that occurred on May 5, 1945.

    • @VosperCDN
      @VosperCDN Місяць тому +3

      If you want a bit more on this battle, Indy has a more in-depth version on the Sabaton History channel, from a few years ago.

    • @Oneprimal
      @Oneprimal Місяць тому +1

      ua-cam.com/video/PX9y7z1qndQ/v-deo.html

  • @teeguy100
    @teeguy100 Місяць тому +1

    One of the most dramatic events of the war. I had heard of this before but your retelling captures the intensity of the battle. Needs a movie. I remember a movie starring Burt Lancaster titled “Castle Keep” - one of my all time favorites- but it is about trying to save art treasures if my memory serves. Thanks for all the great educational content!

  • @americanpatriot2422
    @americanpatriot2422 2 дні тому +1

    Outstanding video and presentation

  • @Fernando.1607
    @Fernando.1607 Місяць тому +7

    That was an amazing story

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +3

      Thank you! -TimeGhost Ambassador

  • @sombra216_
    @sombra216_ Місяць тому +15

    FIFTH OF MAY, V DAY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

  • @bertarndt9953
    @bertarndt9953 Місяць тому +2

    WOW. Good job. Informative and your narration was EXCITING. Again, Good Job.

  • @mema0005
    @mema0005 Місяць тому

    Brilliant coverage as always. I had never heard this story before

  • @schulze25
    @schulze25 Місяць тому +4

    Sunday morning ww2 video!? Nice!!!!

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +1

      Go nuts! -TimeGhost Ambassador

  • @martinhatalyak5497
    @martinhatalyak5497 Місяць тому +3

    Somebody should write a song about this.

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +3

      Maybe a music group that does music about historical events -TimeGhost Ambassador

    • @shawnjohnson9763
      @shawnjohnson9763 Місяць тому

      ​@@WorldWarTwoif only there were such a band.

  • @BlaiseX-jg4op
    @BlaiseX-jg4op Місяць тому

    I'm following you guys for months and I just would like to say THANKS for all...your tone, your deep culture of the combats all this sounds good fair and last but not least I would like as a french patriot say to you both ( and the brits as a whole) a great thank you so mutch for the job done, we shall NEVER FORGET - Peace and Love - Vince

  • @andyreynolds6194
    @andyreynolds6194 Місяць тому

    I cannot understate the enjoyment and knowledge that I have gained from this channel. It is absolutely superb. My huge thanks to you all.

  • @CARL_093
    @CARL_093 Місяць тому +4

    Thanks indy and crew
    I will see you in our nxt journey the forgotten war korean war with indy nidel

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому +3

      Thanks a lot for watching! -TimeGhost Ambassador

    • @shawnjohnson9763
      @shawnjohnson9763 Місяць тому +1

      ​@WorldWarTwo looking forward to it. Hopefully a lot of MASH references, I loved that show as a kid.

  • @petesime
    @petesime Місяць тому +3

    Howdy team. Busy week on the front lines, huh?

    • @WorldWarTwo
      @WorldWarTwo  Місяць тому

      Howdy there, yes indeed! -TimeGhost Ambassador

  • @j.johnson3520
    @j.johnson3520 Місяць тому +1

    Fantastic show. Your work is excellent.

  • @bros1183
    @bros1183 Місяць тому +1

    I genuinely thought at the end I was gonna hear Indy say
    *”Because War… War never changes”*

  • @chrisnesbitt8454
    @chrisnesbitt8454 Місяць тому +3

    Boy Gangl can't get along with ANYBODY... :/

  • @Hanley209
    @Hanley209 Місяць тому +14

    Felt bad for Gangel for a moment but remember, he fought for 6 years with an enslaving and brutalising whermacht only turning when all hope was lost.
    A heroic last deed does not erase a lifetime of being a cog in the most destructive machine of all time. Never forget.

    • @mjbull5156
      @mjbull5156 Місяць тому +4

      Yes, Lord Stannis.
      However: "Greater love than this no one has, that one lay one lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13
      Gangl's last acts in this life surely counted greatly against what ever he had done in the previous years of war. He went out his way to save others under circumstances in which he did not have to act at all.

    • @KR0TE7
      @KR0TE7 Місяць тому +1

      He wasnt in the ss the wehrmacht was just the army did they commit war crimes definitely but he's not a brutal person just because he was in the wejrmacht

    • @spikespa5208
      @spikespa5208 Місяць тому +2

      Sometimes it just takes longer for some to see the light.

  • @user-cz9gr5wy1b
    @user-cz9gr5wy1b Місяць тому

    Thank you for making this special episode. It is a great one!

  • @Chris.in.taiwan
    @Chris.in.taiwan Місяць тому +3

    Cheers from Taiwan 🇹🇼

  • @Chris.in.taiwan
    @Chris.in.taiwan Місяць тому +3

    What happened to the SS guy?

    • @Harry-mp8vi
      @Harry-mp8vi 3 дні тому +1

      He gets promoted for his great communication skills.

  • @charlesperry1051
    @charlesperry1051 Місяць тому

    Great episode! This is why I fund your efforts.

  • @kieranfrancke790
    @kieranfrancke790 Місяць тому

    Very interesting Indy. Thank you so much for this!!

  • @joshuasomething529
    @joshuasomething529 Місяць тому +4

    Awfully ungrateful of them to imprison Maurice Gamelin, when you consider how much he contributed to German success from 1936-1940

  • @DiNap44
    @DiNap44 Місяць тому

    What a great story! This is one of my favorite episodes. Thanks Indy!

  • @Rookz89
    @Rookz89 Місяць тому +1

    The fact that the Battle at Castle Itter was not yet made into a modern war movie is just criminal.
    I imagine anyone watching it would probably think its made up.

  • @longdeath51
    @longdeath51 Місяць тому

    Great Episode! Thank you, Mr. Neidel.

  • @BeauTyeVideos
    @BeauTyeVideos Місяць тому

    Love the way you present it - going to have to go back and watch them all now - spot on

  • @iamnolegend2519
    @iamnolegend2519 Місяць тому

    I’ve heard of this before, but your description is, as always, great !