Otto Fretter-Pico

Otto Fretter-Pico was born on 2 February 1893, in Karlsruhe, formerly the Grand Duchy of Baden, today Baden-Württemberg, in the German Empire, and joined the Württemberg Army on July 14, 1914, as a Fahnenjunker (officer cadet). Like his older brother, who later became General of the Artillery Maximilian Fretter-Pico, he joined the 1st Baden Field Artillery Regiment No. 14 (). 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. 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. == Interwar years ==

After the First World War, Fretter-Pico was accepted into the Reichsheer. He was first used in the 13th Artillery Regiment (). 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 () 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 (); 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 (). 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. He remained in service there when it was renamed the Reich Ministry of War () 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 () in Ingolstadt, back in Bavaria on November 10, 1938. While there, Fretter-Pico completed a course in Jüterbog at the artillery school in January 1939. == World War II ==

Then Lieutenant-Colonel Fretter-Pico led this battalion in the Polish campaign in September 1939, receiving the clasp for his Iron Cross 2nd class on 28 September 1939. A retreat was ordered and the 148th crossed into Italy through the Alps. On October 20, 1944, Fretter-Pico was promoted to Generalleutenant (lieutenant general). Between the end of November and the beginning of December 1944 in the Apennines, between La Spezia and Massa-Carrara, 148th men took part in the killings of numerous Italian civilians during operations. During operation Catilina (27 November–2 December 1944), men of the 148th, operating together with the RSI XXXIII Brigata Nera , operated in Fosdinovo, Sarzana and Aulla claiming 365 enemy dead and taking 20 prisoners. Operation comprised German, Ost and RSI units: the Axis forces were surrounded and forced to surrender on 29 April 1945 in the Battle of Collecchio passing from Brazilian custody to a US POW camp some time later. He was released by US forces on July 7, 1948. The old general then moved to Switzerland and retired there. Fretter-Pico died at the age of 73 on July 30, 1966, in Flims, Canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. ==Awards and decorations==

• Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (25 March 1915) & 1st Class (8 December 1917) • Knight's Cross 2nd Class of the Order of the Zähringer Lion with Swords (13 November 1916) • Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal • General Assault Badge • Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross as Generalleutnant and commander of 148th Infantry Division (12 December 1944) ==References==