Otto Skorzeny
| Otto Skorzeny | |
|---|---|
Skorzeny as commander of the SS unit "Friedenthal"
|
|
| Nickname(s) | "The Long Jumper" after rescuing Benito Mussolini in 1943 "The Most Dangerous Man in Europe" after the Battle of the Bulge |
| Born |
12 June 1908 Vienna, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 5 July 1975 Madrid, Spain |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany  Kingdom of Egypt
|
| Years of service | 1931–1945 |
| Rank | SS-Obersturmbannführer |
| Service number | SS #295,979 |
| Commands held | SS Panzer Brigade 150 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Iron Cross (First and Second Classes) Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross |
Otto Skorzeny (12 June 1908 – 5 July 1975) was an Austrian SS-Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel) in the German Waffen-SS during World War II. During the war, he was involved in a string of operations, including the rescue mission that freed the deposed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from captivity. Skorzeny led Operation Greif, in which German soldiers infiltrated enemy lines using their opponents' languages, uniforms, and customs. For this he was charged at the Dachau Military Tribunal with breaching the 1907 Hague Convention, but was acquitted. At the end of the war, Skorzeny was involved with the Werwolf guerrilla movement.
Skorzeny escaped from an internment camp in 1948, hiding out on a Bavarian farm for 18 months, then spent time in Paris and Salzburg before eventually settling in Spain. In 1953 he became a military advisor to Egyptian President Mohammed Naguib and recruited a staff of former SS and Wehrmacht officers to train the Egyptian Army, staying on to advise President Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1962, Skorzeny was recruited by the Mossad and conducted operations for the agency. He spent time in Argentina, where he acted as an advisor to President Juan Perón and as a bodyguard for Eva Perón. Skorzeny died of lung cancer on 5 July 1975 in Madrid. He was 67.
Otto Skorzeny was born in Vienna into a middle class Austrian family which had a long history of military service. His surname is of Polish origin and Skorzeny's distant relatives came from a village called Skorzęcin in Greater Poland region.
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