Wilhelm Frankl
| Wilhelm Frankl | |
|---|---|
Frankl in 1916
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| Born | 20 December 1893 Hamburg, Germany |
| Died | 8 April 1917 (aged 23) 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 |
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.
Frankl was born the son of a Jewish businessman in Hamburg on 20 December 1893. He later moved to Frankfurt am Main, and then to Berlin. After he graduated from school, he 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. On 20 July 1913, Frankl earned pilot's license number 49.
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 Kapitän zur See Edmund Stroll. Frankl converted to Christianity and married his love in early 1917.
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. On 10 May 1915, while flying as an observer in Feldflieger Abteilung 40 (FFA 40), he used a carbine to shoot down a French Voisin. 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. On 16 May, he was promoted from Vizefeldwebel into the officer's ranks as a Leutnant. He scored once more on 21 May. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Swords of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern during late May, followed by the Hanseatic Cross. By this time, Frankl was one of only eight aces in the German flying service. Frankl's gallantry earned him the Pour le Merite after his eighth confirmed victory; the Blue Max was awarded on 16 July 1916.
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