Johannes Frießner

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Johannes (Hans) Friessner
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1984-018-27A, Johannes Friessner.jpg
Born (1892-03-22)22 March 1892
Chemnitz, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire
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Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria, West Germany
Allegiance  German Empire (to 1918)
 Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch Imperial German Army
Reichswehr
Wehrmacht
Years of service 1911–1945
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 (22 March 1892 – 26 June 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 1 August 1940, during World War II, Friessner was assigned to the Eastern Front where, on 1 May 1942, he would be placed in command of the 102nd Infantry Division. Shortly after his promotion to Generalleutnant on 1 October 1942, Friessner served as commander of the XXIII Corps from 19 January to 11 December 1943 (during which time he was promoted General der Infanterie on 1 April).

In February 1944, Friessner was transferred to the Northern Front and assigned command to Sponheimer Group (renamed army detachment "Narva" on 23 February). Winning promotion to Generaloberst on 1 July, Friessner held briefly command of Army Group North until 25 July 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 22 December. Holding no further command for remainder of the war, Friessner would live in retirement in Bayerisch Gmain until his death on 26 June 1971.

In 1951, he was the chairman of the Verband deutscher Soldaten (Union of German Soldiers). During the early 1950s he was active in advising on the redevelopment of the German army: Bundeswehr (see Searle's Wehrmacht Generals). In 1956, Friessner wrote Verratene Schlachten (Betrayed Battles), a memoir of his tour of command of the South Ukraine Army Group.

Awards

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
29 November 1944 Deutsche Truppen haben zusammen mit den verbündeten ungarischen Streitkräften unter dem Oberbefehl des Generalobersten Frießner seit dem 29. Oktober dem fast ununterbrochenen Ansturm von 61 Divisionen und 7 Panzerkorps der Bolschewisten und Rumänen standgehalten.[5] German forces together with the allied Hungarian armed forces under the command of Colonel General Friessner have since 29 October withstood the almost continuous onslaught of 61 divisions and 7 armored corps of the Bolsheviks and Romanians.

References

Citations

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Thomas 1997, p. 184.
  2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 124.
  3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 188.
  4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 81.
  5. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 350.

Bibliography

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  • Searle, Alaric (2003). Wehrmacht Generals, West German Society, and the Debate on Rearmament, 1949-1959. Praeger Pub.
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External links

Military offices
Preceded by
Generalmajor Werner von Räsfeld
Commander of 102. Infantrie-Division
1 May 1942 – 19 January 1943
Succeeded by
General Otto Hitzfeld
Preceded by
General der Infanterie Carl Hilpert
Commander of XXIII. Armeekorps
January 1943 – 7 December 1943
Succeeded by
General der Panzertruppe Hans Freiherr von Funck
Preceded by
Generaloberst Georg Lindemann
Commander of Heeresgruppe Nord
4 July 1944 – 23 July 1944
Succeeded by
Generalfeldmarschall Ferdinand Schörner
Preceded by
Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein
Commander of Army Group South
23 September 1944 – 28 December 1944
Succeeded by
General der Infanterie Otto Wöhler