__NOTOC__ Maximilian Fretter-Pico (6 February 1892 – 4 April 1984) was a German general during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He was a recipient of the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight' ...

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. A veteran of

WWI World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he would serve in the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

, in the Eastern Front and in

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

Early life

Fretter-Pico was born on 6 February 1892 in

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

, in the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

, joining the Field Artillery Regiment "Grand Duke" (1st Badisches) No. 14 (German: ''Feldartillerie-Regiment „Großherzog“ (1. Badisches) Nr. 14'') of the

Prussian Army The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power. The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...

in Karlsruhe on 20 September 1910 as an officer candidate, and attended the

Military School A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...

in Danzig from March to November 1911. On 27 January 1912 he was promoted to lieutenant (German: ''

Leutnant () is the lowest Junior officer rank in the armed forces the German (language), German-speaking of Germany (Bundeswehr), Austrian Armed Forces, and military of Switzerland. History The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") fro ...

'') and completed a course at the

artillery school Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

Jüterbog Jüterbog () is a historic town in north-eastern Germany, in the Teltow-Fläming district of Brandenburg. It is on the Nuthe river at the northern slope of the Fläming hill range, about southwest of Berlin. History The Slavic settlement of ' ...

from September 1913 to January 1914.

First World War

With his regiment he went to the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

as an

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

and took over an anti-balloon gun platoon in January 1915. On 18 September 1915 he was promoted to senior lieutenant (German: ''

Oberleutnant () is the highest lieutenant officer rank in the German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. Austria Germany In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Trans ...

''). In May 1916 he gave up his command again and worked as an adjutant in various

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

s and divisions until 1918. In January and February 1918 he completed

general staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...

training in the high command of the Army Group Duke Albrecht von Württemberg. Before the end of the war, he was promoted to captain (German: ''

Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literally ...

'') on 18 October 1918 and as such he was accepted into the

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...

Interwar Years

There he was first active in the staff of the 1st (Prussian) Artillery Regiment (German: '' 1. (Preußischen) Artillerie-Regiments'') in

Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was named ...

and was then transferred to the staff of Group Command 1 (German: ''Gruppenkommandos 1'') in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

until April 1923. This was followed by an activity in the

Ministry of the Reichswehr The Ministry of the Reichswehr or Reich Ministry of Defence (german: Reichswehrministerium) was the defence ministry of the Weimar Republic and the early Third Reich. The 1919 Weimar Constitution provided for a unified, national ministry of defen ...

in the Army Operations Department T 1 (German: '' Heeres-Operationsabteilung T 1'') until October 1927, which was only interrupted by a one-year transfer from October 1925 to October 1926 as a

company commander A company commander is the commanding officer of a company, a military unit which typically consists of 100 to 250 soldiers, often organized into three or four smaller units called platoons. The exact organization of a company varies by country, ...

in the 6th (Prussian) Artillery Regiment (German: '' 6. (Preußische) Artillerie-Regiment'') in

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

. He then returned to Hanover as chief of the 8th Battery of the 6th Artillery Regiment (German: ''8. Batterie des 6. Artillerie-Regiments'') and held this command until September 1930. After Fretter-Pico had completed a two-month training course at the Army Riding School (German: '' Heeres-Reitschule''), he was transferred to the staff of the 1st Cavalry Division (German: '' 1. Kavallerie-Division'') moved to Königsberg. He stayed there until October 1933. On 1 April 1932 he was promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

and on 1 March 1935 to lieutenant colonel (German: ''

Oberstleutnant () is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Lieutenant colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The Swedis ...

''). In October 1935 he was transferred to the foreign department in the

Army High Command The Army High Command (ACE) of Brazil is formed by the Army Commander and other army generals in active service. The country currently holds sixteen active 4-star generals, several of then in command posts, in addition to a post in the Ministry o ...

and on 1 August 1937 he was promoted to colonel (German: ''

Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The Swedish ...

''). In 1938 he was posted to the

Turkish Army The Turkish Land Forces ( tr, Türk Kara Kuvvetleri), or Turkish Army (Turkish: ), is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the ...

as a

military attaché A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Opport ...

for a few months until November of the same year. After his return he was appointed Chief of Staff of the General Command of the Saar-Palatinate Border Troops (German: '' Generalkommandos der Grenztruppen Saarpfalz'') in

Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...

Second World War

After the beginning of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, this General Command was renamed XXIV Army Corps on 17 September 1939. As part of the Western Campaign, the corps took part in the fighting in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. On 1 March 1941 Maximilian was promoted to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

(German: ''Generalmajor'') and in April of the same year he was briefly transferred to the

Führerreserve The (“Leaders Reserve” or "Reserve for Leaders") was set up in the German Armed Forces during World War II in 1939 as a pool of temporarily unoccupied high-ranking military officers awaiting new assignments. The various military branches an ...

. On 19 April 1941 he took over as commander of the 97th Light Infantry Division (German: '' 97. leichte Infanterie-Division''). With this unit he fought from the beginning of

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...

, the attack on the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, in the area of

Army Group South Army Group South (german: Heeresgruppe Süd) was the name of three German Army Groups during World War II. It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland Army Group Sou ...

. On 1 November 1941 the division took the city of Artemovsk and, as a measure for the coming winter, expanded it into a supply and refitting center for the 17th Army. To do this, the division had to bring the city out of range of enemy artillery, which was achieved by further advances to the east and the formation of the Troitskoye-Kalinowo-Kaganowitscha line. Although this line went far beyond the defence capabilities of a division and there was insufficient winter equipment, the division was able to repel enemy attacks by the vastly outnumbered enemy troops throughout December. For the success of his division, Fretter-Pico was awarded the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight' ...

on 27 December 1941 and he was then entrusted the leadership of the XXX. Army Corps. On 15 January 1942 he was promoted to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

(German: ''Generalleutnant'') and on 1 June 1942 to general of the artillery (German: ''

General der Artillerie General der Artillerie ( en: General of the artillery) may mean: 1. A rank of three-star general, comparable to modern armed forces OF-8 grade, in the Imperial German Army and its contingency armies of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony and Württembe ...

'') and thus commanding general of the corps (German: ''Kommandierender General des Korps''). In the winter of 1942/43, Fretter-Pico led the Fretter-Pico army division (German: ''Armeeabteilung Fretter-Pico''), which was temporarily formed from his corps, and then again the XXX. Army Corps. At the beginning of July 1944 he was briefly reassigned to the

in order to take over command of the 6th Army in the middle of the month, which was destroyed a little later during the Soviet Jassy-Kishinev operation and then had to be reorganised. Due to the subordination of the Hungarian 2nd and 3rd Army, it was temporarily referred to as the Army Group Fretter-Pico (German: ''Armeegruppe Fretter-Pico''). This formation took part in the

Battle of Debrecen The Battle of Debrecen, called by the Red Army the ''Debrecen Offensive Operation'', was a battle taking place 6–29 October 1944 on the Eastern Front in Hungary during World War II. The offensive was conducted by the 2nd Ukrainian Front ...

, from 6 to 29 October 1944. On 23 December 1944 he gave up his command and was z. b. V. of the

. This put him on 25 March 1945 as an assessor in the

court martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

Torgau Torgau () is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district Nordsachsen. Outside Germany, the town is best known as where on 25 April 1945, the United States and Soviet Armies forces first ...

against the ''

General der Panzertruppe General der Panzertruppe () was a General of the branch OF8 rank of the German Army, introduced in 1935. A ''General der Panzertruppe'' was a Lieutenant General, above Major General (Generalleutnant), commanding a Panzer corps. Rank and ran ...

Walter Fries __NOTOC__ Walter Fries (22 April 1894 – 6 August 1982) was a German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Awards * Iron Cross (1914) 2 ...

. Contrary to

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...

's express order, Fries had given up the city of

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

, which had been declared a fortress (German: ''Festung''), and had the German troops withdrawn. The trial ended on 30 March 1945 with Fries' acquittal and Fretter-Pico was appointed commander of military district IX, based in Kassel (German: '' Wehrkreis IX (Kassel)''), this being his last command. There he was taken

prisoner A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...

by the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

on 22 April 1945 being released in mid-1947.

Post-War Period

In the post-war years he wrote several books in which he dealt with the role of the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

. Maximilian Fretter-Pico died at the age of 92 on 4 April 1984 in Kreuth am Tegernsee. He was buried in Cemetery IV of the Jerusalem and New Churches on Bergmannstrasse in

Berlin-Kreuzberg Kreuzberg () is a district of Berlin, Germany. It is part of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte. During the Cold War era, it was one of the poorest areas of West Berlin, but since German reunification in 1990 it has ...

, in the hereditary family grave of the Soltmann family, from which his wife Gertrude (1901-1993) was born.

Family

He was the elder brother of

Otto Fretter-Pico __NOTOC__ Otto Fretter-Pico (2 February 1893 – 30 July 1966) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. A veteran of WWI and the younger brother of General Maximilian Fretter-Pico, he took part in operations from Poland to France ...

(one year younger), also a German general during

Awards

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia est ...

(1914) 2nd Class (12 October 1914) & 1st Class (23 December 1916) * Knight's Cross 2nd Class of the

Order of the Zähringer Lion The Order of the Zähringer Lion was instituted on 26 December 1812 by Karl, Grand Duke of Baden , house = Zähringen , father = Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden , mother = Landgravine Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt ...

with Swords (10 October 1914) *

Hanseatic Cross The Hanseatic Cross (German: ''Hanseatenkreuz'') was a military decoration of the three Hanseatic city-states of Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck, who were members of the German Empire during World War I. Each republic established its own version of ...

of Hamburg (20 January 1918) *

Wound Badge The Wound Badge (german: Verwundetenabzeichen) was a German military decoration first promulgated by Wilhelm II, German Emperor on 3 March 1918, which was first awarded to soldiers of the German Army who were wounded during World War I. Between th ...

in Black (June 1918) *

Clasp to the Iron Cross The Clasp to the Iron Cross (Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz) was a white metal medal clasp displayed on the uniforms of German Wehrmacht personnel who had been awarded the Iron Cross in World War I, and who again qualified for the decoration in World W ...

(1939) 2nd Class (31 October 1939) & 1st Class (16 June 1940) * West Wall Medal (22 November 1940) *

German Cross The War Order of the German Cross (german: Der Kriegsorden Deutsches Kreuz), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repe ...

in Gold as ''

'' and commanding general of the XXX. Armeekorps (19 September 1942) *

** Knight's Cross as ''

Generalmajor is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two-star ...

'' and commander of the ''97. leichte Infanterie-Division'' (26 December 1941) ** Oak leaves as ''General der Artillerie'' and commanding general of the XXX. Armeekorps (16 January 1944)

Works

* ''Mißbrauchte Infanterie – Deutsche Infanterie-Divisionen im osteuropäischen Großraum 1941 bis 1944'' ishandled Infantry - German infantry divisions in the Eastern European metropolitan area 1941 to 1944 Verlag für Wehrwesen Bernard & Graefe, Frankfurt am Main, 1957. * ''Verlassen von des Sieges Göttern – (Mißbrauchte Infanterie)'' orsaken by the Gods of Victory - (Mishandled Infantry) Kyffhäuser Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1969.

Bibliography

* Dermot Bradley (Hrsg.): ''Soldatenschicksale des 20. Jahrhunderts, Band 5: Maximilian Fretter-Pico – Die Jahre danach: Erinnerungen des Generals der Artillerie a. D. 1945 bis 1984'' oldier Fates of the 20th Century, Volume 5: Maximilian Fretter-Pico - The Years After: Memories of the General of the Artillery a. D. 1945 to 1984 Biblio-Verlag, Osnabrück 1986, . * Dermot Bradley: ''Die Generale des Heeres 1921 bis 1945, Band 4'' he Generals of the Army 1921 to 1945, Volume 4 Biblio-Verlag, Bissendorf 1996, , S. 75 f.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fretter-Pico, Maximilian 1892 births 1984 deaths Military personnel from Karlsruhe German Army generals of World War II Generals of Artillery (Wehrmacht) German Army personnel of World War I Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class People from the Grand Duchy of Baden Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Reichswehr personnel