Maximilian Fretter-Pico

Maximilian Fretter-Pico
Born	6 February 1892 Karlsruhe
Died	4 April 1984 (1984-04-05) (aged 92) Kreuth, Upper Bavaria
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1910–1945
Rank	General der Artillerie
Commands held	XXX. Armeekorps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Relations	Otto Fretter-Pico (brother)

Maximilian Fretter-Pico (6 February 1892 – 4 April 1984) was a German general during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career

Maximilian Fretter-Pico was born in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany and entered service on 20 Sep 1910 with German Army's artillery units. He was a junior officer with the German Army at the start of World War I; at the very end of that conflict, he was promoted to the rank of captain. During the inter-war years, he remained in the German military, reaching the rank of major by the time the Nazi Party came to power. In 1938, as a colonel, he was sent to Turkey as a military attaché. Although he was recalled to Germany for the European War, he missed the campaigns in Poland and France. In Mar 1941, he was promoted to the rank of major general.

At the start of Operation Barbarossa, Fretter-Pico was given command of the 97th Jäger Division in Army Group South. On 27 Dec 1941, he was given command of the XXX Corps, which participated in the Battle of Sevastopol in southern Ukraine. He was known as a by-the-books general who lacked imagination, thus his commanding officer Erich von Manstein did not rely upon him during the battle at Sevastopol. To prove himself, he launch an offensive at the southern end of the Russian defenses at Sevastopol. Although he made some minor advances, his attack caused too many casualties, and it was frowned upon by Manstein as Fretter-Pico engaged his forces in a piecemeal fashion instead of attempting to overwhelm the Russian defenses.

Fretter-Pico was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general on 15 Jan 1942, and a full general by Jun 1942. He remained the commanding officer of the XXX Corps until mid-1944, and then commanded the 6th Army for the remainder of the year. On 30 Mar 1945, he was given command of the IX Corps, an under-strength reserve unit. He was captured by American forces on 22 Apr 1945 and remained a prisoner until 1947. Fretter-Pico died at Bad Wiessee, Bavaria, Germany.

Awards

• Eisernes Kreuz (1914) 2nd and 1st Class
• Wound Badge in Black (1918)
• Knight’s Cross 2nd Class of the Order of the Zähringer Lion with Swords
• Hanseatic Cross of Hamburg
• Clasp to the Eisernes Kreuz (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold (19 September 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 26 December 1941 as Generalmajor and commander of the 97. Infanterie-Division^[1]
  • 368th Oak leaves on 16 January 1944 as General der Artillerie and commanding general of the XXX. Armeekorps^[1]

References

Citations

1. ^ ^{a b} Scherzer 2007, p. 318.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945. Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Helden der Wehrmacht III - Unsterbliche deutsche Soldaten (in German). München, Germany: FZ-Verlag GmbH, 2007. ISBN 978-3-924309-82-4.

External links

• Maximilian Fretter-Pico in the German National Library catalogue (German)
• "Maximilian Fretter-Pico". Lexikon der Wehrmacht. http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/F/Fretter-Pico-R.htm. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 

Military offices
Preceded by General der Infanterie Sigismund von Förster	Commander of 97. Infanterie-Division 15 April 1941 – 27 December 1941	Succeeded by Generalleutnant Ernst Rupp
Preceded by Generalleutnant Friedrich Siebert	Commander of 57. Infanterie-Division 20 February 1943 – 1 September 1943	Succeeded by Generalmajor Vincenz Müller
Preceded by General Maximilian de Angelis	Commander of 6. Armee 17 July 1944 – 22 December 1944	Succeeded by General Hermann Balck

Persondata
Name	Fretter-Pico, Maximilian
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	6 February 1892
Place of birth	Karlsruhe
Date of death	4 April 1984
Place of death	Kreuth, Upper Bavaria