Johannes Frießner

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 Verbund Deutsche Soldaten. 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

 * Iron Cross (1914)
 * 2nd Class (15 September 1914)
 * 1st Class (19 September 1916)
 * Order of the Crown, 4th class (Prussia)
 * Knights Cross of the Military Order of St. Henry (Saxony, 27 November 1916)
 * Knight's Cross Second Class of the Saxon Order of Albert with swords
 * Wound Badge in Black (1918)
 * Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (27 July 1942)
 * 1st Class (21 August 1942)
 * German Cross in Gold on 9 June 1943 as General der Infanterie and commanding general of the XXXXI. Panzerkorps
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
 * Knight's Cross on 23 July 1943 as General der Infanterie and commanding general of the XXIII. Armeekorps
 * 445th Oak Leaves 9 April 1944 as General der Infanterie and leader of the Army Detachment Narwa
 * Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (29 November 1944)
 * War Merit Cross (1939) 1st and 2nd class with Swords