Hans von Guretzky-Cornitz

Hans Karl Moritz von Guretzky-Cornitz (10 August 1855–27 July 1917) was a German army general. He served in the 4th (Queen Augusta) Guards Grenadiers before becoming, by 1904, chief of staff of the IX Army Corps. Guretzky-Cornitz was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1911 and from 1914, as a General of the Infantry, commanded the 9th Reserve Division. After service in the invasion of Belgium Guretzky-Cornitz's took part in the 1916 Battle of Verdun. He was awarded the Pour le Mérite after mistakenly claiming to have captured Fort Vaux. After further service in the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Arras, Guretzky-Cornitz died in Aachen, Germany, while his division was enjoying a rest period.

Early life and career Guretzky-Cornitz was born in Fürstenwalde, Prussia, on 10 August 1855. He was the first son and second child of the Prussian cavalry general Karl Sigmund von Guretzky-Cornitz, and his wife Thekla von Selmnitz. On 11 October 1889 he married Antoinette von Restorff in Radegast, Saxony-Anhalt, which was her family's seat. By 1891 Guretzky-Cornitz was a captain and company commander in the 4th (Queen Augusta) Guards Grenadiers in the Prussian Army, which formed part of the Imperial German Army. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general on 21 April 1911.

First World War Early war

During the early part of the First World War Guretzky-Cornitz commanded the 9th Reserve Division with the rank of General of the Infantry. As part of Crown Prince Wilhelm's 5th Army Guretzky-Cornitz's division participated in the invasion of Belgium and the Battle of the Ardennes. From January 1915 to February 1916 the division held the line from Gincrey to Warcq in the Meuse, France.

Verdun The 9th Reserve Division from withdrawn from Meuse in February 1916 to participate in the German offensive that began the Battle of Verdun. The report had come from a forward infantry officer. The brigade commander raised doubts but apparent confirmation came from an artillery observer who reported seeing a German flag on the fort glacis and other observers reported sighting German troops at the fort with piled arms. The brigade artillery commander noted that this was unlikely but was ordered to cease firing on the fort immediately.

Guretzky-Cornitz sent a self-aggrandising report to the 5th Army headquarters, from which it was sent onwards without verification.

A column of troops sent by Guretzky-Cornitz to occupy Fort Vaux found the defenders were still present. They were machine gunned as they marched over the glacis and suffered heavy casualties.