Wilhelm Franken
Wilhelm Franken
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Born | Schildische, district of Bielefeld |
11 September 1914
Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Kiel |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service/ |
Kriegsmarine |
Years of service | 1935–45 |
Rank | Korvettenkapitän |
Unit | SSS Gorch Fock cruiser Karlsruhe destroyer Z6 Theodor Riedel |
Commands held | U-565 |
Battles/wars | World War II |
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 Daresalam.
Contents
Summary of career
Ships attacked
As the commander of U-boat 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 metric tons (1,520 long tons; 1,700 short tons).
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 | 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
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External links
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- Articles containing German-language text
- 1914 births
- 1945 deaths
- Kriegsmarine personnel
- U-boat commanders
- Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
- Recipients of the War Cross for Military Valor
- Recipients of the Bronze Medal of Military Valor
- German military personnel killed in World War II
- Deaths from fire
- German Navy personnel stubs