Johannes Frießner
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| Johannes (Hans) Frießner | |
|---|---|
| 22 March 1892 — 26 June 1971 (aged 79) | |
| Place of birth | Chemnitz, Kingdom of Saxony |
| Place of death | Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria |
| Allegiance |  German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Heer |
| Rank | Generaloberst |
| Commands held | XXIII. Armeekorps |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Johannes Frießner (March 22, 1892 – June 26, 1971) was a German general during World War II.
Born in Chemnitz, Kingdom of Saxony, Frießner enlisted in the German Army in 1911 and, after seeing extensive duty during World War I, served in the Reichswehr following the war.
After his promotion to Generalmajor on August 1, 1940, during World War II, Frießner was assigned to the Eastern Front where, on May 1, 1942, he would be placed in command of the 102nd Infantry Division. Shortly after his promotion to Generalleutnant on October 1, 1942, Frießner served as commander of the XXIII Corps from January 19–December 11, 1943 (during which time he was promoted General der Infanterie on April 1).
In February 1944, Frießner was transferred to the Northern Front and assigned command to Sponheimer Group (later renamed Army Detachment Narva on February 23). Winning promotion to Generaloberst on July 1, Frießner held briefly command of Army Group North until July 25 before being sent to the southern front to command South Ukraine Army Group (later renamed the Army Group Southeast). Unable to halt the four month Soviet offensive by Marshal Rodion Malinovsky's Second Ukrainian Front, Frießner was relieved of his command on December 22. Holding no further command for remainder of the war, Frießner would live in retirement in Bayerisch Gmain until his death on June 26, 1971.
In 1951, he was the chairman of the Verbund Deutsche Soldaten. In 1956, Frießner wrote Verratene Schlachten (Betrayed Battles), a memoir of his tour of command of the South Ukraine Army Group.
[edit] Awards
- Eisernes Kreuz (1914)
- 2nd Class (15 September 1914)
- 1st Class (19 September 1916)
- Wound Badge in Black (1918)
- Clasp to the Eisernes Kreuz (1939)
- 2nd Class (27 July 1942)
- 1st Class (21 August 1942)
- German Cross in Gold (9 June 1943)
- Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (29 November 1944)
[edit] References
- Walther-Peer Fellgiebel (2000), Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Generalmajor Werner von Räsfeld |
Commander of 102. Infantrie-Division May 1, 1942 - January 19, 1943 |
Succeeded by General Otto Hitzfeld |
| Preceded by Generaloberst Georg Lindemann |
Commander of Heeresgruppe Nord July 4, 1944 - July 23, 1944 |
Succeeded by Generalfeldmarschall Ferdinand Schörner |
| Preceded by Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein |
Commander of Army Group South September 23, 1944 - December 28, 1944 |
Succeeded by General der Infanterie Otto Wöhler |
