Rank Generaloberst Battles and wars World War I, World War II | Service/branch German Army Commands held XXIII Army Corps | |
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Born 22 March 1892
Chemnitz, German Empire ( 1892-03-22 ) Allegiance German Empire
Weimar Republic
Nazi Germany Battles/wars World War I
World War II Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Died 26 June 1971, Bad Reichenhall, Germany Award Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Similar Paul Laux, Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz, Karl von Oven, Sergiu Nicolaescu | ||
Johannes Friessner (22 March 1892 – 26 June 1971) was a German general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. 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 and 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). Promoted to Generaloberst on 1 July, Friessner briefly held 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 the remainder of the war, Friessner lived 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. In 1956, Friessner wrote Verratene Schlachten (Betrayed Battles), a memoir of his tour of command of the South Ukraine Army Group.