re: On this day in WW2, the US and Germans fought together in the Battle of Castle Itter

Switching sides was fairly common on the eastern front, especially in Ukraine.

10s of thousands of Russian “hiwis” fought with the Wehrmacht and were almost universally complemented for their bravery. There were countless oddities in that colossal war, many of which we may never get the full story on.

Of course they were not treated well once the war turned.