×
Home Intro People Events Equipment Places Maps Books Photos Videos Other Reference FAQ About
     

World War II Database

Fretter-Pico file photo [5557]

Maximilian Fretter-Pico

SurnameFretter-Pico
Given NameMaximilian
Born6 Feb 1892
Died4 Apr 1984
CountryGermany
CategoryMilitary-Ground
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbaseMaximilian 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 WW1; 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.

ww2dbaseAt 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.

ww2dbaseFretter-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 passed away at Bad Wiessee, Bavaria, Germany.

ww2dbaseSource: Sevastopol 1942.

Last Major Revision: Jan 2008

Maximilian Fretter-Pico Timeline

6 Feb 1892 Maximilian Fretter-Pico was born.
4 Apr 1984 Maximilian Fretter-Pico passed away.




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds




Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Change View
Desktop View

Search WW2DB
More on Maximilian Fretter-Pico
Event(s) Participated:
» Battle of Sevastopol

Famous WW2 Quote
"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us... they can't get away this time."

Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, at Guadalcanal


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!