Biography Otto Skorzeny: years of life, family, children, memoirs

One of the notorious personalities of the Second World War - Otto Skorzeny. "A man with a scar," he was called differently. By nationality, Otto is a Pole. He is known in the world as the most professional scout, for whom there were no borders and boundaries. This man had no conscience. He worked for Hitler. After the defeat of Germany, he took the side of the Americans. He gave preference to work for those who pay more. An interesting and full of events life, which is full of undisclosed secrets. Biography Otto Skorzeny will be told in the article.

Youth Skorzeny

Otto Skorzeni (years of life 1908-1975) was born in Vienna. His father was a simple engineer. His growth was, by many measures, enormous and was 196 cm. In the student body, Otto often performed in duels ("musketeer duels"). They passed like in the old days, with swords. In one of these fights he received his mark on his face. In the student body, he met a man who introduced him to the NSDAP

In 1934, as part of the 89 standard, Skorzeny took part in the putsch. As a result, he earns the glory of an unsurpassed leader.

1938 - the widespread rout of the Jews. The so-called "Kristallnacht" in all parts of Germany. Here, Otto also shows his best. He takes away the enterprises belonging to the Jews and gives them to the father-in-law. And he himself took the villa of one of the defeated.

The War Begins

When the war began, Skorzeny entered the service as an engineer. But it did not suit him, and he joined the army. But the military did not find it. First he was in the spare, then he worked as a driver. In general, his military career was not asked from the very beginning.

In 1941, he managed to take part in hostilities, but he became seriously ill and was sent for treatment to his hometown. Immediately after his departure, decisive action on the part of the Soviet Union began. The fate itself saved his life, not letting him die on the battlefield, for more important matters in his difficult life. After treatment, he was left for a simple post in Berlin.

Skorzeny was eager to fight. He tried to master the tanker's courses. But here he did not succeed. Since 1943, he has become a saboteur, working for special purpose departments. It was this work that made him famous all over the world.

Special operations conducted by a saboteur

• The operation, which was called "Oak", or "Ayehe", is the most famous. To implement it, candidates were selected with special care by Hitler himself. Scorzeny's concern was not only to find out where Mussolini was kept, but also to be able to rescue him and bring him to Hitler. No matter how confusing the traces of the Italians, the location was found. The pictures taken on the spot showed that it would be very difficult to get there, the hotel was surrounded by rocks. It was decided to go a small group. They reached the place on the gliders, two of which were wrecked. Otto himself personally controlled the glider and the whole operation. At its carrying out 40% of group were lost. This despite the fact that the operation was practically without a single shot. Mussolini before Hitler decided to deliver on a two-seat airplane. The pilot was categorically against, but Skorzeny still flew with them. With great difficulty, the plane managed to be lifted into the air. The operation was successful. Mussolini was taken to his destination.
• "Long Jump" is an operation that ended in failure. Otto had to kill or steal Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill. Thanks to Russian intelligence, he did not succeed.
• Attempt on Hitler. Otto Skorzeny suppressed the mutiny, brutally exterminating all those who dared to speak against the Fuhrer. This successful operation was marked by another reward in the treasury of the saboteur.
• Battles for Pomerania. For this operation, Hitler awarded him a special order, a knightly cross with oak leaves.

The operations conducted by Skorzeny basically ended in failure. But for those whose performance was particularly brilliant, he was marked by special orders personally from Hitler. He was awarded numerous awards for his espionage affairs and sabotage.

The most unsuccessful operation of Skorzeni

One of the most disastrous operations in the biography of Otto Skorzeny is the help to a non-existent detachment of partisans. The Soviet intelligence officer, whom the Germans considered to be their own, gave information that a detachment of about 2000 people was stuck. They managed to survive, and they ask for help. Supervised by the detachment Sherhorn, who at that time was an enlisted agent of the USSR. Otto decided to check the reliability of the information. He sent there 8 paratroopers from among the best and devotees. They were immediately captured by the Soviet Union. Skorzeny received an answer from them. A report of the usual signal came, and then a special one, which said that they are all well and captured they are not captured. Skorzeny began to actively help the detachment, cut off from the allies. After 8 months, 22 scouts from Germany, radio stations, foodstuffs, weapons and about 2 million rubles were sent there. Otto did not understand that he was cruelly deceived.

Otto Skorzeny: children, family

He was married three times. He had one daughter who claims that she never refused her father and did not hide her family relationship with him. Difficulties did not arise even when she openly spoke her name. Daughter, Waltraud Riss, gave birth to two boys, Otto's grandsons, with whom he was very proud. They say that he dreamed of a boy, and he wanted to call his still unborn daughter Klaus. He had no idea that a boy could not be born. And, in general, Otto Skorzeny's family is covered with a curtain of secrecy. Very little is known about his personal life.

Life after the end of World War II

The fate of Otto Skorzeny after the war was not the best. He was arrested and imprisoned. But he did not become long in prison and was justified by the Americans. And then he went to their service. Then, on a false passport, he left the country and began to help the same inmates like him to officially leave the country without fear of persecution. He was part of the secret community of ODESSA.

Another group of "Palladin" was founded by Otto in 1970 as a neo-fascist organization. She gathered together all those who were part of secret associations of different times, and helped to hide from justice.

Part of life, about 10 years, spent in Ireland, where he bought a house and a certain amount of land for himself.

Involvement and cooperation with the Mossad

Until some time, the public was not aware of the fact that Otto was involved in the Mossad. But when the newspaper published the data, the sensation plunged everyone into shock. In the confrontation between Israel and Egypt was the eternal race for primacy and power. When Egypt began to attract German specialists, Israel became worried. It was impossible to allow the strengthening of Egypt's position, and they began their own recruiting of former Nazis. Their goal was to seize as many people as possible under their authority, who are able to obtain the necessary secret archives of documents.

Otto Skorzeni, whose biography is full of not the most commendable acts, was one of such people. He was offered freedom from fear for his life. The murder of Eichmann made Otto think that he might become the next. He agreed, but no one ever knew about it.

Otto Skorzeny: memoirs and other books

It is believed that Otto himself wrote his biography. But due to the fact that many questions turn out to be controversial, one might think that some achievements are simply attributed. Many of his facts do not fit in with real history. Therefore, it is worth considering whether to trust his words or not.

Memoirs written by Otto Skorzeny are a great work called "The Secret Assignments of the RSHA." In the annotation to her it is written that this is a huge collection of incredible adventures that fell to the share of the officer. The course of all the secret operations of the Reich is reflected in his book. It is fascinating and very interesting that, in fact, the man was not a high rank, but achieved such prominence that not every ruler of the state achieves.

The contents of the book are 20 chapters, which thoroughly and consistently describe the actions of the saboteur during the time when the operations were performed, and his personal conclusions.

The "Unknown War" is another book by "Scarface Man" by Otto Skorzeny, in which he tells how the service in the SS ranks, revealing details that were not previously known to anyone.

"Why did not we take Moscow?" - arguments from his memoirs about where and how errors were committed, and why the ultimate goal of the war has not been achieved. What was the reason that Moscow was not taken immediately in 1941.

Otto Skorzeny's books were not fully translated into Russian. Basically, the translation touched those pages, which described in detail the course of this or that operation.

The End of the Life of the "Superdivers"

How did Otto Skorzeny die? In 1970, he found cancer cells. Then an operation was performed, as a result of which he again began to live a normal life. But in 1975 the disease began to progress with renewed vigor. It was not possible to save him. He died in the hospital, his body was cremated. Ashes was sent to Austria.

In the biography of Otto Skorzeny a lot of incomprehensible, memoirs, which he left behind, are worthy to become a plot of an adventure film. He lived an interesting life, but, unfortunately, not the most worthy. Many are now interested in his biography and achievements. We hope that the article answered many questions about Otto Skorzeny's personality.