Wilhelm Franken

Wilhelm Franken
Born	(1914-09-11)11 September 1914 Schildische, district of Bielefeld
Died	Kiel
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	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 Battle of the Atlantic
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.

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
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)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (14 April 1940)
  • 1st Class (28 January 1942)
• Sudetenland Medal (31 May 1940)
• U-boat War Badge (1939) (15 October 1941)
• High Seas Fleet Badge (28 January 1942)
• Croce di Guerra with Swords (30 March 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 April 1943 as Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-565
• Medaglia di bronzo al Valore Militare (29 May 1943)