Looking for some help on Prussian officer medals & rank

[dg001]

I am looking for some help regarding an ancestor of mine. The attached photo is of a fellow named Friedrich Kasch. Evidently he fought in the Franco Prussian War - perhaps in a battle at Bionville - and was an officer in the Prussian (?) army. The family story is that he received a high military award for his service. The thinking was that the award was an iron cross. The neck order in the photo does not look like an iron cross to me. At this point I am looking for any information I can get on the following:

does his uniform suggest that he was in fact in the prussian military around 1870?
what rank do his epaulettes and shoulder boards indicate?
what are any of the medals he is wearing?

thanks very much for any input.

[JamesWatson]

interesting. I can't help, but hope someone does.

[Chopperman]

I don't recognize any of the medals