
Lloyd Ralston Fredendall (28 December 1883-4 October 1963) was a Lieutenant-General of the US Army who commanded the US II Corps during the North African campaign of World War II. Fredendall's corps met success during Operation Torch in November 1942, but he was relieved of command after losing the Battle of Kasserine Pass in 1943.
Biography[]
Lloyd Ralston Fredendall was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming on 28 December 1883, and he joined the US Army in 1907, having been dismissed from West Point after one semester due to low grades. He worked in the army's overseas schools during World War I, and he was temporarily promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, ending the war without ever seeing combat. During the Interwar period, Fredendall served on staff and training duties, and he was promoted to Brigadier-General in December 1939 and Major-General in October 1940 during World War II.
World War II[]

Fredendall leaving II Corps headquarters, 1943
Fredendall commanded US II Corps during the Operation Torch landings in North Africa in November 1942, and he became the de facto military governor of Oran, Algeria. Fredendall was relieved of command after the disastrous Battle of Kasserine Pass, in which the Americans lost their first battle against the Germans, with their armor being destroyed by the Germans and their attacks repulsed due to a lack of air cover. George S. Patton was sent to replace Fredendall, who was promoted to Lieutenant-General and sent home to a hero's welcome. He retired from the army in 1946 and died in San Diego, California in 1963 at the age of 79.