Otto Fretter-Pico
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Otto Fretter-Pico | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 2 February 1893 |
| Died | 30 July 1966 (aged 73) |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch | German Army |
| Service years | 1914–1945 |
| Rank | Generalleutnant |
| Commands | 57th Infantry Division 148th Reserve Division |
| Conflicts | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Relations | Maximilian Fretter-Pico (brother) |
Otto Fretter-Pico (2 February 1893 – 30 July 1966) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II.[1] A veteran of WWI and the younger brother of General Maximilian Fretter-Pico, he took part in operations from Poland to France, and from the Soviet Union to Italy. Fretter-Pico commanded artillery units before commanding the 57th Infantry Division and the 148th Infantry Division. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.[1]
Ahead of his 148th Infantry Division, he was blocked and surrounded by Brazilian forces in Collecchio when trying to retreat to Germany. He surrendered to the Brazilian division on 29 April 1945.
Otto Fretter-Pico was born on 2 February 1893, in Karlsruhe, formerly the Grand Duchy of Baden, today Baden-Württemberg,[1] in the German Empire, and joined the Württemberg Army on July 14, 1914, as a Fahnenjunker (officer cadet).[1] Like his older brother, who later became General of the Artillery Maximilian Fretter-Pico, he joined the 1st Baden Field Artillery Regiment No. 14 (1. Badisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 14).[1] They both were sent to the front, where Otto was wounded after a few days. In autumn 1914 he came back to the front. There he was promoted to Leutnant (lieutenant) on January 27, 1915.[1] Otto would serve the whole war on the Western Front; interruptions were only made by being assigned to the staff of the 28th Division from February to May 1916 and then again briefly in October of the same year. In addition, Fretter-Pico completed a two-month course at the artillery school in late 1916. From September 1917 he took over as chief of the 6th battery of his regiment and kept this position until the end of the war. On October 18, 1918, he was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant). During World War I he was given both Iron Crosses and other awards.[1]
Interwar years
After the First World War, Fretter-Pico was accepted into the Reichsheer. He was first used in the Reichswehr 13th Artillery Regiment (Reichswehr-Artillerie-Regiment 13). With the formation of the 100,000-man army, he then joined the staff of the 2nd battalion of the 5th Artillery Regiment; where he served until 1924 as a battalion adjutant. In autumn 1924 he was transferred to the 6th battery of the 5th (Hesse-Württemberg) Artillery Regiment (5. (Hess.-Württ.) Artillerie-Regiment) in Fulda. In this unit he was promoted to Hauptmann (captain) on February 1, 1928. On October 1, 1928, he was transferred back to the staff of the 2nd battalion of the 5th Artillery Regiment. From there, Otto was then ordered to the Army Department (T 1) in the Ministry of the Reichswehr in Berlin. In the spring of 1930 he was then assigned to the regimental staff of the 5th Artillery Regiment.
On October 1, 1930, Fretter-Pico was transferred to the 7th (Bavarian) Medical Battalion (7. (Bayer.) Sanitäts-Abteilung); being appointed adjutant in said unit on May 1, 1933. On October 1, 1933, he was appointed chief of the 2nd squadron of the 7th (Bavarian) Driving Battalion (7. (Bayer.) Fahr-Abteilung). On September 13, 1934, he was recalled and briefly commanded the 3rd Battalion of the Munster Artillery Regiment until October 1, 1934, when he was transferred back to the Ministry of the Reichswehr, as inspector of the Artillery (Department In 4). On January 1, 1935, he was promoted to Major.[1] He remained in service there when it was renamed the Reich Ministry of War (Reichskriegsministerium) in the spring of 1935.
On October 1, 1937, he was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel). As such, he was appointed commander of the 7th Observation Battalion (Beobachtungs-Abteilung 7) in Ingolstadt, back in Bavaria on November 10, 1938.[1] While there, Fretter-Pico completed a course in Jüterbog at the artillery school in January 1939.
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