Wilhelm Frankl

Name:

Wilhelm Frankl

Country:

Germany

Rank:

Leutnant

Units:

FA 40
Jasta 4
KEK Vaux

Victories:

Born:

20 December 1893

Place of Birth:

Hamburg

Died:

08 April 1917

Place of Death:

Near Vitry-Sailly

Cemetery:

Berlin-Charlottenburg

The son of a Jewish businessman, Frankl scored his first victory on 10 May 1915 while serving as an observer with FA 40. That day, he shot down a Voisin with a carbine. For this feat, he received the Iron Cross, 1st Class. Later that year he became a pilot and scored nine victories flying the Eindekker with KEK Vaux. On 1 September 1916, he joined Jasta 4 and scored eleven more victories before he was killed in action on the afternoon of 8 April 1917. During a fight with Bristol Fighters, his Albatros D.III came apart in the air and went down near Vitry-Sailly.

When the Nazis came to power, Frankl's name was removed from the list of German World War I aviation heroes. After World War II, his name was reinstated to the list and in 1973, the Luftwaffe honored his memory by naming a barracks for him.

Victories

	Date	Time	Unit	Aircraft	Opponent	Location
1	10 May 1915		FA 40		Voisin
2	10 Jan 1916		KEK Vaux		Voisin	Woumen, Dixmude
3	19 Jan 1916		KEK Vaux		Voisin	Woumen
4	01 Feb 1916		KEK Vaux		Voisin	Chaulnes
5	04 May 1916		KEK Vaux		B.E.2c (4109)	S of Warneton
6	21 May 1916		KEK Vaux		F.E.2b (5206)	Houthem
7	02 Aug 1916	p.m.	KEK Vaux		Morane Parasol	Beaumetz
8	10 Aug 1916		KEK Vaux		Voisin
9	10 Aug 1916		KEK Vaux		EA
10	07 Sep 1916		Jasta 4		Nieuport	NE of Combles
11	15 Sep 1916		Jasta 4	Halberstadt D	Nieuport (A136)	Péronne
12	17 Sep 1916	1135	Jasta 4		F.E.2b	Equancourt
13	26 Sep 1916	0920	Jasta 4		Caudron	Rancourt
14	10 Oct 1916	1330	Jasta 4		Nieuport	Villers Carbonnel
15	22 Oct 1916	1145	Jasta 4		Sopwith 1½ Strutter	Driencourt
16	06 Apr 1917	0730	Jasta 4		F.E.2b	Quiery-la-Motte
17	06 Apr 1917	0850	Jasta 4		F.E.2b	Fauchy
18	06 Apr 1917	0855	Jasta 4		F.E.2b (3819)	Arras
19	06 Apr 1917	0955	Jasta 4		B.E.2c (5834)	Douai
20	07 Apr 1917	1925	Jasta 4	Albatros D.III	Nieuport 17 (A6773)	SE of Fampoux