Background
Frankl was born the son of a Jewish businessman in Hamburg on 20 December 1893. He fell in love with the daughter of Austrian Naval Kapitän zur See Edmund Stroll.
Frankl was born the son of a Jewish businessman in Hamburg on 20 December 1893. He fell in love with the daughter of Austrian Naval Kapitän zur See Edmund Stroll.
After he graduated from school, he pursued an interest in flying by attending Germany"s hotbed of prewar aviation at Johannisthal.
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 Future Farmers of America 40, he used a carbine to shoot down a French Voisin. He was awarded an Iron Cross First Class for this feat.
lieutenant took exactly eight months for his second triumph.
On 10 January 1916, while flying a Fokker Eindekker with Kō Enerugī Kasokuki Kenkyū Kikō 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. His guns rested until 2 August, when he tallied a Morane-Saulnier L. A double victory followed on 10 August.
On 1 September 1916, he then transferred to Prussian Jagdstaffel 4 (Jasta 4) as it was formed from Kō Enerugī Kasokuki Kenkyū Kikō Vaux, to fly Halberstadt Doctorate.Vs. On 1 January 1917, he succeeded to command of the squadron.
Four wins in September and two in October made him a triple ace.
In late December 1916, Frankl succeeded to command of Jasta 4. His end came the day after that. While battling Bristol F.2 Fighters of Number.
48 Squadron Reconstruction Finance Corporation on Easter Sunday, 8 April 1917, Frankl"s Albatros Doctorate.III lost its lower wing under the stress of combat manoeuvres, and he and his collapsed craft fell 800 m (2,600 ft) to his death near Vitry-Sailly, France.
Wilhelm Frankl was buried in Berlin-Charlottenburg. After the end of World World War II, Frankl"s name was restored to the roll of German aces.
On 22 November 1973, the Luftwaffe named the air force barracks in Neuburg an der Donau after Wilhelm Frankl. The "Wilhelm-Frankl-Kaserne" is home to the Luftwaffe"s Fighter Wing 74.