| Wilhelm Frankl | |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 December 1893 Hamburg, Germany |
| Died | 8 April 1917 Vitry-Sailly, France |
| Berlin-Charlottenburg | Berlin, Germany |
| Allegiance | German Empire |
| Service/branch | Luftstreitkräfte |
| Years of service | 1914–1917 |
| Rank | Leutnant |
| Unit | FFA 40, KEK Vaux, Jasta 4 |
| Commands held | Jasta 4 |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite, Iron Cross, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern |
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.[1]
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Wilhelm Frankl was born the son of a Jewish businessman located in Hamburg.[1] He later moved to Frankfurt am Main, and then to Berlin.[2] 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[3] on 20 July 1913.[2]
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.[3]
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.[3]
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.[4]
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.[5] While flying as an observer in FFA 40, he used a five-shot carbine to shoot down a French Voisin, on 10 May 1915.[6] He was awarded an Iron Cross First Class for this feat.[1]
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.[2] 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.[7] By this time, Frankl was one of only eight aces in the German flying service.[8]
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.[1][9]
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.[1]
His end came the day after that. While battling Bristol fighters of No. 48 Squadron on Easter Sunday, 8 April 1917,[10] 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.[1][11]
Despite his conversion to Christianity, the Nazis considered Frankl Jewish. As in the case of Fritz Beckhardt, Frankl's heroic service to his country was suppressed from the 1930s through the end of World War II.[1] His name and exploits were expunged from Pour le Merite Flieger, a 1938 account of World War I fliers who won the Blue Max.[4] 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.[1][4]
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