The Most Dangerous Man in Europe

"The Most Dangerous Man in Europe" was how Eisenhower described Otto

Skorzeny, Nazi Germany's most famous commando and special operations

leader.  Before he became the leader of Jagdverbande 502 (a special

operations unit), Skorzeny fought on the Eastern Front and even won an

Iron Cross for bravery.

His most famous mission was Operation Oak, the search and rescue of

Benito Mussolini, who had been captured and imprisoned by his rivals in

the Italy.  Skorzeny led a glider assault on Gran Sasso Mountain, where

Mussolini was being held, and captured him without having to fire a

single shot.  Skorzeny brought Mussolini back to Hitler.  Hitler was

overjoyed. 

Skorzeny was tasked to lead many other commando missions including:

Operation Rosselsprung: Kidnap Josip Tito (the future leader of communist Yugoslavia)Operation Panzerfaust: Kidnap the son of Miklos Horthy (king of Hungary) to persuade him to stay in the AxisOperation Greif: Infiltrate behind allied lines at the battle of the bulge and spread chaos and confusion

After the war, Skorzeny was imprisoned in Darmstadt prison.  From the

prison, he operated the ODESSA network to smuggle Nazis (out of

Germany) to safety.  He was put before a war crimes tribunal at one

point, but he was acquitted.  On July 27th, 1948, he escaped from the

prison thanks to the help of several SS colleagues (disguised in

American uniforms).  He then fled to Franco's Spain, Nasser's Egypt,

and Peron's Argentina.  In Argentina, he fell in love with Eva Peron. 

At the same time, he managed to secure large portions of the Bormann

treasure, named after Martin Bormann (Hitler's secretary) who smuggled

Nazi wealth out of Germany just before the Third Reich's collapse.  He

died in 1975 of cancer.

For more information, read:

Armchair General Magazine (October 2007): The Devil’s

Commando

Skorzeny’s Special Missions by Otto Skorzeny

http://greyfalcon.us/Otto%20Skorzeny.htm

http://ww2db.com/person_bio.php?person_id=133

Battle Fleet.com

http://www.2worldwar2.com/otto-skorzeny.htm

http://homepages.ius.edu/RVEST/SkorzenyDr2.htm

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