List of aerial victories of Wilhelm Frankl
Background Wilhelm Frankl (1893-1917) was a German First World War fighter ace credited with 20 confirmed aerial victories. He scored his first aerial victory with a carbine on 10 May 1915, before the Fokker Eindecker, the world's first dedicated fighter airplane, came into use. Once Frankl was equipped with an Eindecker, he became part of Germany's air superiority offensive, the Fokker Scourge, shooting down eight more enemy airplanes. He became one of the first eight aces in Germany's service, and one of its first winners of the prestigious Pour le Merite. As such, he was appointed to lead one of the world's first fighter squadrons, Jagdstaffel 4. Although he died fighting for Germany on 8 April 1917, in later years the Nazis would ignore his wartime conversion to Christianity, and expunge his heroic record because he was Jewish.The Aerodrome webpage on Wilhelm Frankl
The victory list Wilhelm Frankl's victories are reported in chronological order, which is not necessarily the order or dates the victories were confirmed by headquarters. No.DateTimeFoeUnitLocationRemarks 1 10 May 1915 Voisin Downed with a five shot carbine 2 10 January 1916 Voisin Woumen, Diksmuide, Belgium 3 19 January 1916 Voisin Woumen, Diksmuide, Belgium No corresponding report of loss 4 1 February 1916 Voisin Chaulnes, France No corresponding report of loss 5 4 May 1916 Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c No. 7 Squadron RFC South of Warneton, France Loss of Life: 2 Lt. Edward Gurney Ryckman, of Toronto, ON and Lieutenant John Romeyn Dennistoun of Winnipeg, Canada 6 21 May 1916 Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b No. 20 Squadron RFC Houthem, Belgium Unconfirmed 1 July 1916 Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2c No. 12 Squadron RFC 7 2 August 1917 p.m. Morane-Saulnier BB No. 26 Squadron RFC Beaumetz, France 8 9 or 10 August 1916 Voisin? Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2d? Does not match opposing losses on either date 9 9 or 10 August 1916 Enemy airplane No further details; no match to opposing losses on either date 10 7 September 1916 Nieuport Northeast of Combles, France Unconfirmed 8 September 1916 Caudron 11 15 September 1916 Nieuport Peronne, France 12 17 September 1916 1135 hours Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b No. 11 Squadron RFC Equancourt, France Unconfirmed 22 September 1916 Royal Aircraft Factory BE.12 No. 19 Squadron RFC Near Le Transloy, France Victory awarded to a Jagdstaffel 2 pilot 13 26 September 1916 0920 hours Caudron Rancourt, France 14 10 October 1916 1330 hours Nieuport Villers-Carbonnel, France 15 22 October 1916 1145 hours Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter No. 45 Squadron RFC Driencourt, France 16 6 April 1916 0730 hours Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b No. 100 Squadron RFC Quiéry-la-Motte, France 17 6 April 1917 0850 hours Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b No. 11 Squadron RFC Fauchy 18 6 April 1917 0855 hours Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b No. 11 Squadron RFC Arras, France 19 6 April 1917 0955 hours Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2c No. 2 Squadron RFC Douai, France 20 7 April 1917 1925 hours Nieuport 17 No. 60 Squadron RFC Southeast of Fampoux, France Background information from Above the Lines and The Aerodrome website. Supplemental information cited in individual victories and claims. Abbreviations were expanded by the editor creating this list.
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