Alfred Franke

Alfred Franke
Born	20 September 1918 Jena
Died	9 September 1942(1942-09-09) (aged 23) Stalingrad
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	?-1942
Rank	Leutnant (Posthumously)
Unit	JG 53
Battles / wars	World War II Battle of France Battle of Britain Operation Barbarossa Siege of Leningrad
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Alfred Franke (20 September 1918 – 9 September 1942) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. On 9 September 1942, Alfred Franke was killed north of Stalingrad after dog-fighting with a Soviet Il-2 Shturmovik flown by Kapitan Pavel S. Vinogradov. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 29 October 1942 and was also promoted to Lieutenant. During his career he was credited with 60 aerial victories. 4 on the Western Front and 56 on the Eastern Front.

Awards

• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class & 1st Class
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 13 September 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot
• German Cross in Gold on 25 September 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the I./Jagdgeschwader 53
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 October 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 2./Jagdgeschwader 53

References

Bibliography

• Bergstrom, Christer; Dikov, Andrey; Antipov, Vlad (2006). Black Cross – Red Star. Air War over the Eastern Front. Volume 3. Everything for Stalingrad. Pacifica: Pacifica Military History. ISBN 0-9761034-4-3.
• 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.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
• 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.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.