• Barricade (1942)

Date of birth:

October 30th, 1894 (Eisenach/Rhine Province, Germany)

Date of death:

June 18th, 1964 (Gießen/Hesse, Germany)

Nationality:

German

Karl-Wilhelm August von Schlieben was a German officer who rose to the rank of lieutenant general in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. Born into an old Saxon noble family with a long military tradition, he was the son of Major Wilhelm von Schlieben and Gabriele von Kreutzburg. His father, who commanded Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 83, was killed in action in 1914, the same year Karl-Wilhelm entered the Prussian Army as a volunteer. He began his career in the 3rd Guards Regiment on Foot and was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1915. During the First World War he was wounded twice and decorated with numerous medals and a wound badge.

After the war, von Schlieben remained in the Reichswehr, continuing his career through the interwar years. He advanced steadily, becoming a major in 1935, a lieutenant colonel in 1938, and a colonel in 1941. By May 1943 he had been promoted to major general, and in May 1944 he reached the rank of lieutenant general. His commands included the 208th Infantry Division, the 18th Panzer Division, and later the 709th Infantry Division, which was stationed in Normandy at the time of the Allied invasion.

Von Schlieben fought in several major campaigns of the Second World War, including the Battle of France, the Eastern Front, Stalingrad, and Kursk. In December 1943 he was appointed commander of the 709th Infantry Division, a static coastal defense unit responsible for the Cotentin Peninsula. When the Allies landed in Normandy in June 1944, he was placed in charge of the defense of Cherbourg, which Hitler had declared a fortress to be held at all costs. Despite these orders, von Schlieben and his garrison were overwhelmed by American forces under General Joseph Lawton Collins. On 26 June 1944, after days of heavy bombardment and encirclement, von Schlieben surrendered the fortress and its defenders, marking a decisive victory for the Allies in securing a deep-water port.

Following his capture, von Schlieben was sent to Trent Park in England, where high-ranking German officers were interned and secretly recorded by British intelligence. He remained a prisoner of war until 1947, when he was released and returned to Germany. He lived quietly in Gießen until his death in 1964, and he was buried in the Alter Friedhof there.

Promotions:
August 11th, 1914: Fahnenjunker;
March 3rd, 1915: Leutnant mit Patent vom 22-5-1914
July 1st, 1922: neues RDA vom 1-9-1915 (46) erhalten;
April 1st, 1925: Oberleutnant (25);
October 1st, 1929: Rittmeister (31);
October 1st, 1935: Major (33);
August 1st, 1938: Oberstleutnant (16);
August 1st, 1941: Oberst (13);
August 10th, 1942: neues RDA vom 1-8-1940 (11a) erhalten;
May 1st, 1943: Generalmajor (1);
May 1st, 1944: Generalleutnant (3).

Career:
August 26th, 1939: Adjutant Stab XIII. A.K.;
June 21st, 1940: kdt.z. Stab 1. Pz.Div.;
August 1st, 1940: Führer-Reserve OKH;
August 15th, 1940: Kdr. Schützen-Rgt. 108
July 20th, 1942: Kdr. 4. Schützen-Brig.;
September 16th, 1942: Kdr. Brig.Stab z.b.V. 4;
February x?, 1943: Stellv.Fhr. 208. Inf.Div.;
April 1st, 1943: Führer-Reserve OKH (zugl.mFb 18. Pz.Div.);
May 1st, 1943: Kdr. 18. Pz.Div.;
September 7th, 1943: Führerreserve OKH / W.Kr. VIII (fürth 18. Pz.Div. noch bis 20-10-1943);
December 12th, 1943: Kdr. 709. Inf.Div.;
June 22nd, 1944: Kommandant der Festung Cherbourg.

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

• Photo 1: pd
• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
  - NARA Roll T-78 R892
  - axishistory.com