Franz Budka

Franz Budka
Born	18 August 1920 Vienna
Died	6 May 1945 (aged 24) Breslau
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen-SS
Years of service	1939–45
Rank	Obersturmführer
Unit	SS Fortress Regiment 1
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross I class Iron Cross II class

Franz Budka (18 August 1920 – 6 May 1945) was an Obersturmführer in the Waffen-SS during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II.

Franz Budka was born on 18 August 1920, in Vienna. During World War II he was the commander of the 1st Company, SS Fortress Regiment 1 which was involved in the 82 day Siege of Breslau. Franz Budka positioned his men in the cellar of a destroyed building in Augusta Strasse. While the entire structure above them continued to burn, the men of Budkas company repelled many attacks inflicting heavy losses on the Red Army (the temperature of the burning building approached 120-140 °C). The Red Army managed to take control of a building nearby and Budka launched an immediate attack against them, re-taking the building and inflicting heavy casualties on the Red Army soldiers, with only a few managing to escape. His company resisted every attack by the Red Army for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross in April 1945. He committed suicide during an attempted breakout from Breslau on 6 May 1945 - after being seriously wounded after stepping on a mine, he shot himself.

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Further reading

• 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.
• 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 Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.