The Prisoners Refused to Hide and Fought Alongside Their Rescuers
The political prisoners at Schloss Itter included Reynaud and Weygand, who were staunch enemies. Reynaud considered Weygand a traitor for being willing to work with the Germans and the Vichy government in France. The feud between rival political factions held at the prison was enough to cause plenty of tension and assigned seating at mealtimes. But no rivalry would stop the men from hoisting their guns and being willing to fight when it came time to save themselves, their rescuers and the women they loved.
When the Nazi troops advanced on the castle, both Lee and Gangl told the prisoners to take cover and hide from enemy fire. The men refused to do so and took up the weapons that had been left by the fleeing guards and fought alongside the German and American troops to stop the advance on the castle. There were outnumbered and their ammunition was limited. Some of the prisoners were in their 70s and some had no experience on the battlefield, but they all joined the fight. They fought throughout the long night as the reconnaissance troops that had been sent to judge their strength kept trying to advance on the castle.
The following morning, May 5, 1945, the Waffen-SS countered with a force of 100 to 150 men. It more than triple the size of the force defending the prison, and the Waffen-SS was much better supplied. The only saving grace was the fact that Lee had managed to bring one tank with him to the castle and he had it positioned at the front gate. The tank was able to provide some cover until it was destroyed by the Germans.
Gangl was able to get a call into the Austrian resistance for help, but they were only able to spare three men. It was not enough. Desperate for help, Lee contacted the 142nd, but he was unable to give exact information before the connection was severed. One of the prisoners, Jean Borata, volunteered to jump the wall and run the gauntlet through the SS troops to deliver the necessary information to the 142nd. He was successful and when he reached the 142nd, he asked for a uniform and went with the troops as part of the relief force to liberate Schloss Itter once and for all.