No Victory in Valhalla

by Ian Gardner

  Col Sink and the regimental combat team were still in Miesbach when alerted for the move toward Obersalzberg and the Austrian border. The authorities had informed Gen Taylor that they were expecting the Waffen-SS to make a last stand around Hitler’s Alpine resort at Berchtesgaden.

  Commander of Heeresgruppe Süd (German Army Group South, which became known as Heeresgruppe Ostmark) Generaloberst Lothar Rendulic wanted to fight on to the end but Feldmarschall Albert Kesselring, who had taken over from Gerd von Runstedt as Commander-in-Chief West on March 9, denied the request. Earlier on April 20, Bavarian-born Kesselring was at his HQ in Motzenhofen near Munich when the order came to defend Obersalzberg, and Heeresgruppen C and G immediately began withdrawing to bolster the “Alpine fortress.”

  Favored by Hitler and his Reich chancellery, Berchtesgaden was a beautiful place centered in the middle of three jagged massifs. At 6,017ft, Kehlstein Mountain overlooked Berchtesgaden from the east, while the much lower features of Baderlehenkopf and Kälberstein protected the western approaches. The fast-flowing river Ache courses through the eastern edge of town before dividing into the Ramsauer and Königssee valleys.

  Dominated by the awe-inspiring twin peaks of Watzmann Mountain (8,901ft), the nearby spa resort of Königssee nestles alongside a huge lake whose crystal clear waters are among the deepest in Germany. Set in the center of the lake, next door to the church of Sankt Bartholmä, was a hunting lodge owned by Hitler, who often sailed on Lake Königssee while his girlfriend Eva Braun sunbathed naked on the shore.

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  The writing was on the wall when the Allies easily overran what should have been the most “heavily defended” parts of southern Bavaria. After transferring his HQ to Alm, Kesselring, with permission from Grossadmiral Karl Dönitz (appointed by Hitler as his successor), sent a notice of possible surrender to SHAEF HQ. Despite his obvious foresight, 60-year-old Kesselring was no politician and struggled to organize public security with the regional Gauleiters (branch leaders personally selected by the Führer). At a conference in Königssee, those Gauleiters who bothered to attend refused to accept the situation and naively demanded that the German Army continue to fight “guerrilla style” so that the Nazi Party could maintain some sort of civil order. Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels called these guerrilla fighters “Werewolves,” who in the event never really materialized as most of the German troops now flooding into the Alps simply wanted to surrender and receive a hot meal.

  As overall commander, Kesselring insisted that there would be no “Fight to the Death.” To avoid looting, he ordered the Gauleiters to hand over any surplus food and clothing to the civilian population. When General der Panzertruppen Hans Röttiger’s Heeresgruppe C surrendered on May 2, the Alps were thrown wide open. Two days later negotiations were scheduled to begin at Salzburg. Kesselring sent the commander of 1.Armee, General Hermann Foertsch, and a small delegation to conduct the talks that really amounted to a series of unworkable demands. During this period Feldmarschall Kesselring made his first personal approach to Eisenhower, who declined any dialogue that did not involve the total surrender of all German forces.

  Two weeks earlier, northeast of Berlin, 52-year-old Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring had abandoned his beautiful château, “Karinhall,” in the Schorfheide Forest. On specific instructions from Göring, Karinhall, along with its recently completed museum wing, was then completely demolished by the Luftwaffe.

  Before leaving Karinhall, Göring sent a long telegram to Hitler, who was furious when he read: “In view of your decision to remain in the fortress of Berlin, do you agree that I take over at once the total leadership of the Reich, with full freedom of action at home and abroad as your deputy in accordance with your previous decree? If no reply is received by 10 o’clock tonight, I shall take it for granted that you have lost your freedom of action and will act for the best interests of our country and our people.”

  Hitler accused Göring of “high treason” and ordered his immediate arrest. After being betrayed by Himmler, Hitler was showing absolutely no mercy to those he felt were deserting him. Even Eva Braun’s brother-in-law, Hermann Fegelein (Himmler’s Berlin representative), did not escape the firing squad. Unaware of Hitler’s less than positive reaction, along with hundreds of other leading Nazis, Göring headed south via Pilsen to Berchtesgaden. Accompanying the Reichsmarschall were his second wife Emmy, seven-year-old daughter Edda, nanny Christa Gormans, personal adjutant Oberst Bernd von Brauchitsch, and a small protection force.

  The southern rim of the Bavarian Alps with its front extending toward Switzerland had been heavily fortified during 1943 but never completely finished. The area was garrisoned by SS security forces and mechanized infantry who were under jurisdiction of Gauleiter Franz Hofer at Innsbruck.

  Upon reaching the Alpine fortress, Göring and his staff were taken into custody by the SS based at Obersalzberg, which had just been bombed by the Royal Air Force. Many buildings were damaged during the raid, including the Berghof (Hitler’s house), Göring’s holiday home, and the SS caserne. Luckily for Göring, because of the bomb damage the SS were forced to move them further south into Austria. The Reichsmarschall’s good fortune continued when he was rescued en route by a small contingent of loyal troops belonging to the Luftwaffe. On April 30, when news of Hitler’s suicide reached Bavaria, Göring once again tried to take control of what was left of the Third Reich and sought to negotiate with Gen Eisenhower and his immediate subordinate Gen Jacob Devers (CO of the US 6th Army Group).

  An die allen Kameraden – Berchtesgaden, May 4–10, 1945

  The road from Munich was one of the first autobahns built by the Nazis when they came to power. The motorway also connected Berlin and Nuremberg to Salzburg and Linz in Austria. On the morning of May 4, 1945, Harley Dingman and the 506th PIR were traveling east on the highway toward Siegsdorf behind the US 3rd ID. Civilian wood-burning steam vehicles and an assortment of jeeps and trucks made up the ragtag convoy. DUKWs were also available in case the regiment came upon any serious water obstacles. Dingman recalls: “We were driving a heavily armored, 16-cylinder Mercedes touring car that used more oil than fuel! Everyone was issued with ‘strip maps’ – a simple planner showing salient features along the route. As we all knew where we were going the journey turned into a bit of a free-for-all! Driving down the autobahn I recall passing a number of dense wooded areas that had been carved out to create dozens of individual makeshift hangars for the Luftwaffe. Even the concrete hard standings that led out onto the road had been painted green. The natural canopy was left in place, leaving a cleared area underneath for the planes.” Reaching Siegsdorf the battle group ran into the back of a massive traffic jam, causing Col Patch to send troops from G and I companies southeast along a secondary road.

  Attached to the 3rd ID was French Division Blindée, commanded by Philip Leclerc de Hauteclocque. Easily recognizable by its distinctive “Cross of Lorraine” insignia, a detachment designated Combat Command V was already in front of the 3rd Bn advance party, leaving a trail of havoc behind it. Ironically, Sgt Manny Barrios and his squad decanted from their comfortable DUKW into several smaller vehicles before heading off toward Inzell, along with a squad of engineers carrying collapsible boats.

  Twenty-five miles from Berchtesgaden, around 1030hrs, they came upon the rear elements of the French armored force at the river Rote Traun where the bridge had been recently demolished. As the 2nd French Armored Division had no bridging equipment, their tanks were stranded, although some had already made it across before the bridge was blown. “To be honest, I wasn’t happy about the detail to begin with, but what can you do?” recalls Barrios. “After reporting our location and situation via radio to battalion we were told to sit tight and await further instructions.” It is somewhat unclear what happened next but it seems likely that a squad from 3 Ptn G Co was sent back to scout an alternative route in from the west. Using a liberated fire engine, Sgt William Bowen was in charge of the G Co team, who included
privates Macrae Barnson (who had sweet-talked his way out of jail for his actions at Bastogne), Harry Barker, and Bob Izumi.

  Back at Inzell, Sgt Barrios was listening to the French soldiers engaging enemy forces somewhere across the river when the order came for them to advance and form a defensive perimeter on the opposite bank. “I had to calm the lads down who were moaning that we were all gonna get killed! Once we’d paddled over, I set up our arcs and waited. That night, not long after my watch began, I heard French voices and hollered out the password [‘Double Good’ – ‘Tonight’]. Suddenly a single shot rang out, followed by fleeing footsteps. My guys came rushing over and we went to investigate and found a German soldier lying on the ground with his brains blown out. Go figure that one!”

  Early the following morning (May 5), the main body arrived. “It took a while for the engineers to move up the line, and ironically the heavy bridging equipment they were using overbalanced and toppled into the river,” recalls Harley Dingman. At that point Sink decided it would be quicker to use the DUKWs and ordered 3rd Bn to prepare for the crossing. “Everyone was feeling apprehensive at this stage because the French had encountered small pockets of fanatical Hitler Youth who didn’t want to surrender,” continues Dingman. Because of the increasing delays Col Sink established a temporary CP and sent his XO, Robert Strayer (Charlie Chase was still working at Division), with 1st and 2nd battalions back to the autobahn with the intention of reaching Berchtesgaden via Bad Reichenhall – a huge detour of over 50 miles.

  Dingman and his team, plus elements of Co HQ and B Battery 321st GFA, also went along with them. Tanks and trucks from both divisions were now clogging every arterial road. 2nd Bn had not been on the autobahn long before they encountered 3rd ID, who had been held up for several hours at another sabotaged bridge. “During this phase we seemed to be under constant sniper fire,” recalls Ray Nagell from B Battery.

  Earlier the previous afternoon (May 4) a few miles northwest of Berchtesgaden, Karl Jakob, Obersalzberg’s Landrat, or District Commissioner, had been brokering a “peaceful” surrender at Winkl with elements of 3rd ID, who had been traveling south from Bischofswiesen. Before leaving Berchtesgaden, Jakob and his staff burned many files and distributed a leaflet urging all locals to stay calm and place white flags outside their homes.

  Accompanied by district attorney Dr Müller, Jakob’s vehicle was stopped by a Sherman tank that happened to contain Col John Heintges (CO 7th IR) who, contrary to his original mission of capturing Salzburg, ordered Jakob and Müller to return with him to Berchtesgaden. Thus 7th IR became the first Allied unit to enter the town. Heintges came in from the north and drove straight to Schlossplatz (the main square) and parked opposite the unusual Gothic twin spires of Sankt Peter und Johannes der Täufer – the abbey of St Peter and St John the Baptist.

  Here, in the shadow of the abbey and the World War I memorial, Col Heintges began negotiations for the full and unconditional surrender of the “Alpine” prize. East of the river Ache at Obersalzberg, before Heintges arrived, the SS set fire to what remained of the Berghof.

  Situated 1½ miles east of Berchtesgaden, the area of Obersalzberg was the nucleus of Hitler’s mountain hideaway. On the left of the steep road leading to Hitler’s home was the Gutshof – built as the blueprint for all future German farms. Close by were the beautiful properties belonging to Göring and several Cabinet ministers (known as Reichleiters), including Martin Bormann – all of which had been badly damaged during the earlier RAF raid.

  By early evening, the recon group led by Sgt Bowen in his firetruck had crossed into Austria and were now heading northeast from Lofer back toward the Ramsauer valley. Ascending the steep, single-track road, the convoy was forced to stop at Stockklaus, where the bridge over the river Klausbach had been destroyed. Capt Cann ordered Bowen by radio to take advantage of the situation, establish a checkpoint, and settle in for the night.

  Late the following day a message came through: “Effective immediately all troops will stand fast on present positions. German Army Group G in this sector has surrendered. No firing on Germans unless fired upon. Notify French units in the vicinity. Full details to be broadcast, will be issued by SHAEF.”

  Despite the good news, Bowen continued with his duties and posted guards as per Cann’s instructions. While Bowen was sweeping the area with Barnson and Barker they bumped into a nervous German sentry who luckily did not open fire. The enemy soldier marched the three men at bayonet point to a nearby farmhouse full of SS troops, including several senior officers. Looking around, Bowen reasoned this was more than a company or battalion CP. It took a while but Barnson, who spoke a little German, managed to convince the soldiers that a ceasefire had been declared and there was no need for any further violence. Amazingly, the Germans agreed that Barnson could speak to their commander but Bowen and Barker would have to stay behind as “collateral.”

  A few minutes later, Barnson was standing in front of Generalleutnant Theodor Tolsdorff, the commanding officer of the 82.Armeekorps. Highly decorated and still only 35 years old, Tolsdorff had previously been in charge of 340.Volksgrenadier-Division, who fought against the 506th during the later stages of the Battle of the Bulge. The korps were a newly assembled “assault force” attached to Heeresgruppe G, under overall command of General der Infanterie Friedrich Schulz. Tolsdorff had around 1,200 men at his disposal collected from various divisions. After an hour or so of discussion, Tolsdorff was more than happy to surrender but only to someone of equal rank. Bowen remained behind, while Barker and Barnson went back to the checkpoint and called Derwood Cann, who immediately sent their platoon commander, 1st Lt Perrin Walker, down to take control.

  To expedite things, Walker procured a horse from a local farm and headed across the mountain to Stockklaus while official arrangements were being made to take Tolsdorff’s surrender.

  “Early the following morning (May 6) I was forced to fire a warning shot into the air when a man approached our position on horseback,” recalls Bob Izumi. “It was only when the guy came closer that I realized it was 1st Lt Walker! When Capt Cann found out what I’d done, he thought it was hilarious and congratulated me for sticking to his orders.”

  Walker met with Tolsdorff and informed him that Capt Doughty would be along as soon as possible with an interpreter from the divisional IPW team to take him back to Berchtesgaden for a meeting with Col Sink. At the time (1030hrs), Sink and the regimental combat team (with E Co as spearhead) had only just arrived in Berchtesgaden behind 3rd ID from Bad Reichenhall. Col Sink quickly established his CP at the Hotel Geiger where a squad from 1 Ptn F Co were allocated as perimeter guard. The 60mm mortar squad were assigned to secure a tunnel situated less than half a mile northeast of the railway station. Hidden inside the 250-yard-long passageway was the train containing part of Hermann Göring’s art collection sent on ahead before he left Karinhall in April. 1 Ptn leader Ben Stapelfeld was also instructed by Sink to post squads at a nearby ammunition dump and set up a POW enclosure in a building overlooking the neck of the Ramsauer valley.

  Harley Dingman and his team, who had been traveling with the main body, drove around looking for a suitable place for the battalion CP. This part of Berchtesgaden seemed deserted as Dingman reached a street called Nonntal. Here he found a four-storey hotel that seemed perfect for Col Patch’s needs, but there was just one small problem – the enormous red swastika banner hanging above the entrance.

  “I told the boys they could have the flag if they could get it down,” Dingman recalls. “After much effort and much to my surprise, the men presented it to me as a token of their appreciation. Tears rolled down my face as the guys started to thank me for everything I’d done for them – especially Chester Molawa, who still couldn’t believe that after all this time he was now a technical corporal!”

  Inside the building (which no longer exists) on the ground floor was what appeared to be a locked strong room. Thinking there might be loot inside, Dingman asked Molawa if he could pick the lock
. “Yep, sir, of course, but I don’t want you guys watching while I do it.” Harley and the boys left Chester to get on with opening the incredibly large mechanism. A minute or so later the door was open, revealing hundreds of bottles of the finest French Cognac, Champagne, and wine. Despite being a non-drinker, Dingman turned to his men and laughed, “Well that oughta get the party started fellas!”

  Earlier that morning 1st Squad from F Co was sent to Obersalzberg to guard the properties belonging to Reichsmarschall Göring and his chief liaison officer, General der Flieger Karl Bodenschatz. Badly burned during the failed assassination attempt against Hitler, Bodenschatz had been arrested the previous day while recuperating in the military hospital at Bad Reichenhall. While Ben Stapelfeld’s men were clearing Bodenschatz’ HQ they came across the body of General der Flieger Gustave Kastner-Kirdorf. The 64-year-old senior Luftwaffe staff officer had shot himself in the head before the French arrived.

  No turning back – the Ramsauer valley

  The day before, on May 5, after successfully crossing the river at Inzell, H Co, who had been designated as Battalion Assault Group, drove ahead in their DUKWs to clear the way along the Ramsauer valley.

  The area was surrounded on both sides by tall, densely forested mountains, covered by a carpet of snow on the upper slopes and summits. Along the route, patrols were sent out to clear re-entrants and isolated buildings, as Hank DiCarlo recalls: “I was carrying a BAR when we noticed someone furtively sneaking into a house about 70 yards away, and despite calling for him to come out we received no reply. Bracing the heavy gun on a wall I fired a short burst through the windows, and about 20 German soldiers appeared with hands raised. Those Krauts were damned lucky that it was us and not the French who took their surrender.”