WW2 Americas War Against Switzerland

There was a documentary on TV last year where a reporter was questioning the Banking Officials in Switzerland about Nazi (Gold, Paintings, Plunder and Money). Asked if she could go down in the vaults of the bank to see. She didn't get any answers or get too far.
 
From what I understand, the Swiss had managed a "Mexican stand off" with the Germans. Their defence was real strong with their ability to blow up their own railway tunnels & sever a link the Germans needed. The Swiss managed to straddle the fence & hold their neutrality throughout the war. Did a much better job than compared to Ireland, as they actually prospered financially at the end. An accurate estimate of how much they hid from the allies after the war, in my opinion, was never really answered. But I am far, far, far, away from being any kind of expert...
 
5 Swiss officers were indicted by US army after the war on war crimes charges. All were camp staff of internet camps for US airman. Another interesting fact. Allied airmen were put internment camps, German airman were put in closed skiing resorts. US paid for US airman accommodations, Germans did not. One Swiss camp commander was said to have skimmed 100000 dollars in US goods from his prisoners.
 
fraserdw said:
5 Swiss officers were indicted by US army after the war on war crimes charges. All were camp staff of internet camps for US airman. Another interesting fact. Allied airmen were put internment camps, German airman were put in closed skiing resorts. US paid for US airman accommodations, Germans did not. One Swiss camp commander was said to have skimmed 100000 dollars in US goods from his prisoners.
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Only allied aircrews who tried to escape were put in the Eschweiler Moos prison camp. But true, the commandant was a nazi and a sadist. He was later punished by the officials, but not enough.
Some allied air crews were stationed in Davos in a skiing resort.
 
purple said:
The neutral Swedes had an interesting war as well. They managed to walk the line between making money from both sides while staying out of the shooting.
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And they blocked desperately needed Allied military aid from reaching Finland during the 1939 Winter War (Germany and the Soviet Union were still in cahoots at this point). Sweden was willing to sacrifice Finland in order to stay out of the war. As the joke still goes: Sweden's defense plan is Finland.
 
Italian aircraft reached Finland during 1939 and would have passed through Switzerland to get there.

The G.50 was exported to several overseas customers, small numbers being flown by the Croatian Air Force while 35 G.50 fighters were shipped to Finland, where they served with distinction during both the Winter War of 1940 and the Continuation War of 1941–1944 against the Soviet Union.[6] In Finnish service, the type reportedly achieved an unprecedented kill/loss ratio of 33/1.[7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_G.50

The story of Italian pilots and airplanes in Finland is described in Aerei nella Storia n.9, a book.

From; https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=54304

In fact some sources were quite bitter that Switzerland allowed the passage of German troop trains through Switzerland during WW 2..
 
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highlander said:
The only reason Germany didn't invade Switzerland was that they were the German's bankers; plus they were pro Nazi, even if they didn't claim it.
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Nazis? Yeah, sure.

Just have a look at a map. Switzerland was surrounded by enemies after the fall of France, without a source for oil, coal or iron. There was no other choice but to cooperate with the germans. Either that or to starve to death.
 
cornelunc said:
I agree 100$
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Why not just walk in and get all that gold ? I think Swiss neutrality was very convenient for all three parties. Spain, on the other hand, was more pro German and the Allies were continually worried it might go that way until the latter days of the war, when it was obvious who was winning.

Grizz
 
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