Kurt Franke

Kurt Franke
Born 13 June 1915
Wurzen, Germany
Died 19 January 1945(1945-01-19) (aged 29)
Budapest, Hungary
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Waffen SS
Years of service 1935–45
Rank Obersturmführer
Unit 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
German Cross in Gold
Iron Cross 1st Class
Iron Cross 2nd Class
Close Combat Clasp in Gold
Infantry Assault Badge in Bronze
Wound Badge in Silver
Eastern Front Medal 1941/42
Demyansk Shield

Wilhelm Hermann Kurt Franke (13 June 1915 – 19 January 1945) was an Obersturmführer (First Lieutenant) in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II. He was also one of only 631 men to be awarded the very rare Close Combat Clasp in Gold.[1]

Career

Kurt Franke was born on the 13 May 1915, in Wurzen, Saxony. In 1935 he volunteered to join the SS and in 1938 served in the concentration camp service of the SS until 1940 when he was transferred to the new SS Division SS Totenkopf as a platoon commander.

During the Battle of France Franke was awarded the Wound Badge and the Iron Cross 2nd class.

In 1941 Franke participated in the invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa). Franke, now an Unterscharführer (The Waffen-SS use of Unterscharführer was as a junior squad commander, one of several attached to company and platoon sized formations. The rank was considered the equivalent to the first Waffen-SS Officer Candidate rank of SS-Junker), and was awarded the Eastern Front Medal for service on the Eastern Front during the 1941 to 1942 winter and the Demyansk Shield awarded to all troops involved in the battles for the Demyansk Pocket, thereafter he, along with the rest of the division was withdrawn to France to recover.

Franke returned to the Eastern Front, for the Battle of Kharkov, where Franke was awarded the Iron Cross 1st class.

In August 1943, his unit was involved in the fighting on the Mius-Front where he was awarded the Close Combat Clasp in Silver, followed in October 1943 by the award of the Knight's Cross. In April 1944 he was awarded the German Cross in Gold.

In December 1944, the Totenkopf was sent to Hungary, together with the SS Wiking Division. On 19 January 1945, he was mortally wounded and died in the hospital. In March 1945 Franke was posthumously awarded the Close Combat Clasp in Gold.

Awards

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Berger 2004, p. 6.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Wegmann 2010, p. 112.
  3. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 185, 491.
  4. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 316.
  5. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 120.

Bibliography

  • Berger, Florian (2004). Ritterkreuzträger mit Nahkampfspange in Gold [Knight's Cross Bearers with the Close Combat Clasp in Gold] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-3-7. 
  • 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. 
  • Mitcham, Samuel W (2007). Retreat to the Reich : the German defeat in France, 1944. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3384-7. 
  • 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. 
  • 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. 
  • Wegmann, Günter (2010). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil III: Infanterie Band 7: Fl–Fu [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part III: Infantry Volume 7: Fl–Fu] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2380-1. 
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