Wilhelm Franken
| Wilhelm Franken | |
|---|---|
| Born |
11 September 1914 Schildische, district of Bielefeld |
| Died |
13 January 1945 (aged 30) Kiel |
| Allegiance |
.svg.png){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |
.svg.png){kind=small} Kriegsmarine |
| Years of service | 1935–45 |
| Rank | Korvettenkapitän |
| Unit |
SSS Gorch Fock cruiser Karlsruhe destroyer Z6 Theodor Riedel |
| Commands held | U-565 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Wilhelm Franken (11 September 1914 in Bielefeld-Schildesche – 13 January 1945 in Kiel) was a German U-boat commander in World War II and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Franken was killed in a fire on board the accommodation ship Daresalam.
Summary of career
Ships attacked
As the commander of U-565 Franken is credited with the sinking of three ships with a total of 11,347 gross register tons (GRT), damaging two ships of 17,565 GRT and sinking one warship, the British destroyer HMS Partridge, of 1,540 long tons (1,560 tonnes).
| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage (GRT) |
Fate[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 April 1942 | Kirkland |  United Kingdom |
1,361 | Sunk |
| 18 December 1942 | HMS Partridge |  Royal Navy |
1,540 | Sunk |
| 24 February 1943 | Nathanael Greene |  United States |
7,176 | Damaged |
| 27 February 1943 | Seminole | United Kingdom |
10,389 | Damaged |
| 20 April 1943 | Michigan | United States |
5,594 | Sunk |
| 20 April 1943 | Sidi-Bel-Abbès | .svg.png){kind=small} Free France |
4,392 | Sunk |
Awards
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class (4 April 1939)[2]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- Sudetenland Medal (31 May 1940)[3]
- U-boat War Badge (1939) (15 October 1941)[3]
- High Seas Fleet Badge (28 January 1942)[3]
- Croce di Guerra with Swords (30 March 1942)[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 April 1943 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-565[4][5]
- Medaglia di bronzo al Valore Militare (29 May 1943)[3]
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (2003). Der U-Boot-Krieg 1939–1945 — Die Ritterkreuzträger der U-Boot-Waffe von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [The U-Boat War 1939–1945 — The Knight's Cross Bearers of the U-Boat Force from September 1939 to May 1945] (in German). Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn Germany: Verlag E.S. Mittler & Sohn. ISBN 978-3-8132-0515-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
External links
- Helgason, Guðmundur. "Wilhelm Franken". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
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