Exploring and Liberating Hitlers House, The 101st Airborne at Berchtesgaden

On May 8, 1945, the American 1st Battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment arrived in Berchtesgaden. It was led by Company C. The 3rd Battalion of the 506th came into the town by a different route and suffered casualties in a skirmish with crews operating two German 8mm guns. This unit took over guarding the place from the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division and the French 2nd Armored Division.

Two days later, following extensive looting and exploring, a film crew arrived to record the happenings for those at home. Watch the footage of the 101st Airborne Division, Screaming Eagles in Hitler’s mountain retreat. These are soldiers who fought their way there crossing the beaches at Normandy, The Netherlands, Bastogne, and the Third Reich itself are exploring the Obersaltzberg, which at the southern tip of Germany, overlooks Berchtesgaden. The only place Hitler said he felt at home, his Berghof, was located here.

In this video, soldiers explore the bomb-gutted ruins of the Berghof, which the SS set on fire to deny the Allies the spoils of the war. Watch as they uncover a significant quantity of Hermann Goering’s stolen art collection that had been hidden in tunnels and bunkers dug throughout the mountainside. This allows a close look of where Hitler, Goering, Speer, and Boermann lived.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cja6O2fJSZA

Joris Nieuwint

Joris Nieuwint is a battlefield guide for the Operation Market Garden area. His primary focus is on the Allied operations from September 17th, 1944 onwards. Having lived in the Market Garden area for 25 years, he has been studying the events for nearly as long. He has a deep understanding of the history and a passion for sharing the stories of the men who are no longer with us.

@joris1944 facebook.com/joris.nieuwint