Heinz Frank

Heinz Frank
Born	12 December 1914 Arnstadt
Died	7 October 1944(1944-10-07) (aged 29) Yugoslavia
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1934–1944
Rank	Major
Unit	LG 2 SchlG 1 SchlG 2 SchlG 151
Commands held	II./SG 2 IV. / SchlG 151
Battles/wars	World War II Annexation of Austria Annexation of the Sudetenland Invasion of Poland Battle of France Battle of Greece Operation Barbarossa Battle of Białystok–Minsk Siege of Leningrad Second Battle of Kharkov Battle of the Caucasus Battle of Kursk
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Heinz Frank (12 December 1914 – 7 October 1944) was a highly decorated Major in the Luftwaffe during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Heinz Frank was credited with 9 victories in 900+ missions.

Heinz Frank died on 7 October 1944 in a hospital of a circulatory collapse following an accidental pistol shooting incident, the bullet was lodged in his right hip. He was interred in Arnstadt in Thuringia.

Awards and decorations

• Anschluss Medal
• Sudetenland Medal
• Aviator badge
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "900"
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (28 October 1939)
  • 1st Class (27 June 1940)
• Eastern Front Medal
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (30 November 1940)
• German Cross in Gold on 6 March 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 3./Schlachtgeschwader 1
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 3 September 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 3./Schlachtgeschwader 1
  • 172nd Oak Leaves on 8 January 1943 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 3./Schlachtgeschwader 1
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 27 April 1944

References

Bibliography

• Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6. CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)

External links

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• World War 2 Awards.com