Friedrich - August Schack Friedrich August Schack ( born 27 March 1892 , Schmiedeberg im Riesengebirge / Silesia ( now Kowary ) , died 24 July 1968 , Goslar ) was a General of Infantry best known for his pyrrhic defense of Caen after the allied invasion , September 1944 , and for his brief leadership of the LXXXI Army Corps defending Aachen and the Siegfried Line . World War I . Schack enlisted in the army , 6 August 1914 , as a volunteer in Hussar regiment No . 1 . In September 1915 he joined infantry regiment No . 195 as second lieutenant . His rank became official 23 March 1914 . Schack fought throughout World War I as a platoon leader , battalion and regimental adjutant . On 3 April 1918 Schack transferred to the 1st West Prussian infantry regiment " Count Kleist von Nollendorf " No . 6 . During the war he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class and other medals . After the war he was transferred to the Reichsheer . Interwar . In the so - called transition army , spring 1920 , Schack served in Reichsheer infantry regiment 9 . While helping to train 100 , 000 men he moved to the 8th Prussian Infantry Regiment , where in autumn 1921 he served as battalion adjutant . On 1 April 1923 Schack was promoted to first lieutenant . In spring 1924 and 1925 he belonged to the 12the MG ( " Maschinengewehr " / machine gun ) company of the 8th Prussian Infantry Regiment in Görlitz . In spring 1926 and 1927 he moved to the 8th MG company of the 8the Prussian Infantry Regiment in Glogau . In the autumn Schack was appointed commander of 14th Company of the 8th Prussian Infantry Regiment in Lübben . As such , he was promoted to captain , 1 April 1928 . In 1928 / 29 Schack was appointed , for the next 5 years , commander of the 8th MG company of the 8th Prussian Infantry Regiment in Glogau . Finally Schack was shifted ( 1934 ) as a major and tactics teacher to the war college in Dresden . There he became , 1 October 1937 , lieutenant colonel . World War II . On 1 October 1938 Schack was appointed commander of MG battalion 15 , and fought in the Polish campaign at the outbreak of the Second World War , September 1939 . On 18 January 1940 Schack was named commander of infantry regiment 392 , which he led during the western campaign in spring 1940 . On 1 October he was promoted to colonel . In June 1941 Schack fought in Russia . For the capture of Salla , 24 July 1941 , he was awarded the Knight ’ s Cross of the Iron Cross . On 1 October 1942 he became commander of the war College in Potsdam . On 7 May 1943 he became leader of the 216th Infantry - Division . On 1 July 1943 Schack was promoted to major general and commander of the 216th Infantry division . Schack led his division in bloody combat in Orel , July 1943 , during the Battle of Kursk , and suffered heavy losses . Some of the surviving soldiers were sent to Belgium , where they became the 272nd Infantry - Division . On 15 December 1943 Schack was appointed commander of the division . As such he was promoted , 1 January 1944 , to lieutenant general . For leading his division during the defense of Caen after D Day , Schack was awarded , 21 September 1944 , the Knight ’ s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves . However , Schack had sustained heavy losses during the battle and was suffering severe combat fatigue . On 4 September 1944 Schack became leader of the LXXXI Army corps , five badly mauled divisions , charged with defending Aachen and the Siegfried Line . Schack ’ s superiors became dissatisfied with his performance and replaced him with General Friedrich Köchling . Beginning 15 November 1944 Schack led the LXXXV army corps in southern France and the Ardennes for one month . On 26 March 1945 Schack was assigned to lead the XXXII Army corps , on the Oder near Stettin . On 20 April 1945 Schack was promoted to General of Infantry and commanding general of the XXXII Army corps . At war ’ s end the Allies imprisoned him . They released him 24 March 1948 .