Kurt Franke

Kurt Franke
Born	13 June 1915 Wurzen, Germany
Died	19 January 1945 (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

Wilhelm Hermann Kurt Franke (13 June 1915 – 19 January 1945) was an officer in the Waffen-SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He was also one of only 631 men to be awarded the very rare Close Combat Clasp in Gold.^[1]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (22 June 1940)^[2]
  • 1st Class (7 May 1943)^[2]
• Wound Badge
  • in Black (27 May 1940)^[2]
• Infantry Assault Badge in Bronze (1 October 1941)^[2]
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Bronze (9 November 1943)^[2]
  • in Silver (20 December 1943)^[2]
  • in Gold (6 March 1945)^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 October 1943 as SS-Hauptscharführer and shock troops leader in the 11./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 6 "Theodor Eicke"^[3][4]
• German Cross in Gold on 18 December 1944 as SS-Untersturmführer in the 11./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 6^[5]

References

Citations

1. Berger 2004, p. 6.
2. 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.
• 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.