In January 1904, the native Herero tribe of Southwest Africa rebelled against German colonial rule over the expropriation of their land and cattle.

Generalleutnant Lothar von Trotha, the Military Commander of German Southwest Africa, suppressed the rebellion with extreme brutality, relying on a policy of ethnic cleansing backed by forced labor, deportations, wholesale execution of prisoners and the use of concentration camps.

On the same day Kirchheim was shot through the neck while attempting to take an English battery at Fontaine aux Pierre east of Cambrai .

His battalion would transfer back to Western Front in early 1916 taking part in the Battle of Verdun where Kirchheim was wounded and sent to Charleville hospital.

Initially held in reserve, Kirchheim's division took part in the second phase of the Invasion of France in June 1940 under General Ernst Busch and the 16th Army.

During Rommel's first offensive in Cyrenaica (31 March 1941 – 12 April 1941), Generalmajor Kirchheim led the northern group that pushed up the Via Balbia coast road from Agedabia.

The German Reconnaissance Battalion 3, commanded by Oberstleutnant Irnfried Freiherr von Wechmar, hooked east and crossed the desert south of the Jebel el Akdar hills to Mechili.

Securing northern Cyrenaica, Kirchheim's Brescia column linked up with the German Machinegun Battalion 8, commanded by Oberstleutnant Gustav Ponath, at Derna on 8 April 1941.

On 16 May 1941, Rommel placed Kirchheim in command of a battle group formed from the bulk of Generalmajor Johannes Streich's 5th Light Division for an assault against the Ras el Madauer high ground on the Tobruk defensive perimeter.

Though the group did seize the high ground, the attempt to capture Tobruk failed after suffering the loss of almost 1,400 German and Italian dead, wounded and missing.

The court members consisted of Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt, Generaloberst Heinz Guderian, General der Infanterie Walter Schroth and Generalleutnant Karl-Wilhelm Specht.

Additionally, General der Infanterie Karl Kriebel and Generalleutnant Kirchheim were designated standing representatives for members who could not attend a court sitting.