Wilhelm Frankl
Encyclopedia
Leutnant Wilhelm Frankl, (20 December 1893–8 April 1917), Pour le Mérite
, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross
, was a World War I fighter ace
credited with 20 aerial victories.
The outbreak of World War I sparked Frankl's volunteering to fly for his country. His flying ability and his personality both commended him to his superiors.
While his professional life took off, so did his personal life. He fell in love with the daughter of Austrian Naval Kapitan zur See Edmund Stroll. Frankl converted to Christianity and married his love in early 1917.
His religious conversion was controversial. Even at that time, Jews' opportunities were curtailed compared to Christians. Even if Frankl converted for the sake of love, he thus seemed opportunistic.
, on 10 May 1915. He was awarded an Iron Cross First Class for this feat.
It took exactly eight months for his second triumph; on 10 January 1916, while flying a Fokker Eindekker with KEK Vaux, he downed another Voisin; this one was armed with a 37mm Hotchkiss cannon. By 1 February, his victory total stood at four. Three months later, on 4 May, he finally became an ace. He scored once more in May, on the 21st. He was awarded the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern during May. By this time, Frankl was one of only eight aces in the German flying service.
His guns then rested until 2 August, when he tallied a Morane-Saulnier L. A double victory followed on 10 August. On 12 August, his award of the Pour le Merite
came through. He then transferred to Prussian Jagdstaffel 4
as it was formed from KEK Vaux, to fly Halberstadt D.Vs.
Four wins in September and two in October made him a triple ace. In late December 1916, Frankl succeeded to command of Jasta 4. Then, after a six month hiatus, he scored a quadruple victory on 6 April 1917, and his twentieth win on the following day.
fighters of No. 48 Squadron on Easter Sunday, 8 April 1917, Frankl's Albatros D.III
lost its lower wing under the stress of combat maneuvers, and he fell 800 meters to his death near Vitry-Sailly, France.
, Frankl's heroic service to his country was suppressed from the 1930s through the end of World War II
. His name and exploits were expunged from Pour le Merite Flieger, a 1938 account of World War I fliers who won the Blue Max
. After the end of World War II, Frankl's name was restored to the roll of German aces. In 1973, the Luftwaffe
named a barracks and a squadron after Frankl as a memorial.
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, was a World War I fighter ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
credited with 20 aerial victories.
Personal life
Wilhelm Frankl was born the son of a Jewish businessman located in Hamburg. He later moved to Frankfurt am Main, and then to Berlin. Wilhelm Frankl graduated from school, and pursued an interest in flying by attending Germany's hotbed of prewar aviation at Johannisthal. His instructor was Germany's first female pilot, Melli Beese. Frankl earned pilot's license number 490 on 20 July 1913.The outbreak of World War I sparked Frankl's volunteering to fly for his country. His flying ability and his personality both commended him to his superiors.
While his professional life took off, so did his personal life. He fell in love with the daughter of Austrian Naval Kapitan zur See Edmund Stroll. Frankl converted to Christianity and married his love in early 1917.
His religious conversion was controversial. Even at that time, Jews' opportunities were curtailed compared to Christians. Even if Frankl converted for the sake of love, he thus seemed opportunistic.
Aerial victories
Frankl began his career of aerial victories early in the war, before the concept of the synchronized machine gun firing safely through the plane's propeller became a practical reality. While flying as an observer in FFA 40, he used a five-shot carbine to shoot down a French VoisinVoisin
- Companies :*Avions Voisin, the French automobile company*Voisin , the French aircraft manufacturer- People :*Catherine Monvoisin, known as "La Voisin" , French sorceress during the reign of Louis XIV...
, on 10 May 1915. He was awarded an Iron Cross First Class for this feat.
It took exactly eight months for his second triumph; on 10 January 1916, while flying a Fokker Eindekker with KEK Vaux, he downed another Voisin; this one was armed with a 37mm Hotchkiss cannon. By 1 February, his victory total stood at four. Three months later, on 4 May, he finally became an ace. He scored once more in May, on the 21st. He was awarded the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern during May. By this time, Frankl was one of only eight aces in the German flying service.
His guns then rested until 2 August, when he tallied a Morane-Saulnier L. A double victory followed on 10 August. On 12 August, his award of the Pour le Merite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
came through. He then transferred to Prussian Jagdstaffel 4
Jagdstaffel 4
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 4, commonly abbreviated to Jasta 4, was a World War I "hunting group" of the Luftstreitkräfte, which was the forerunner to the Luftwaffe. The unit would score 192 confirmed victories; in turn, it would suffer 11 Killed in Action, 9 Wounded in Action, and two Prisoners of...
as it was formed from KEK Vaux, to fly Halberstadt D.Vs.
Four wins in September and two in October made him a triple ace. In late December 1916, Frankl succeeded to command of Jasta 4. Then, after a six month hiatus, he scored a quadruple victory on 6 April 1917, and his twentieth win on the following day.
Killed in action
His end came the day after that. While battling BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
fighters of No. 48 Squadron on Easter Sunday, 8 April 1917, Frankl's Albatros D.III
Albatros D.III
The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service and the Austro-Hungarian Air Service during World War I. The D.III was flown by many top German aces, including Manfred von Richthofen, Ernst Udet, Erich Löwenhardt, Kurt Wolff, and Karl Emil Schäfer...
lost its lower wing under the stress of combat maneuvers, and he fell 800 meters to his death near Vitry-Sailly, France.
His legacy
Despite his conversion to Christianity, the Nazis considered Frankl Jewish. As in the case of Fritz BeckhardtFritz Beckhardt
Vizefeldwebel Fritz Beckhardt , Grand Duchy of Hesse War Honor Decoration, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Iron Cross First and Second Class, Grand Duchy of Hesse Bravery Medal, Bavarian Military Merit Cross, Baden War Merit Cross, black Wound Badge, Hamburg Field Honor Badge, Cross of Honor,...
, Frankl's heroic service to his country was suppressed from the 1930s through the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His name and exploits were expunged from Pour le Merite Flieger, a 1938 account of World War I fliers who won the Blue Max
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
. After the end of World War II, Frankl's name was restored to the roll of German aces. In 1973, the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
named a barracks and a squadron after Frankl as a memorial.