| Dr. rer. pol. Friedrich "Fritz" Franek | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | "Fritz" |
| Born | July 16, 1891 |
| Died | 8 April 1976 (aged 84) |
| Place of birth | Vienna |
| Place of death | Vienna |
| Allegiance |
 Austria–Hungary (to 1918) First Austrian Republic (to 1938) Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Heer |
| Years of service | 1910–1945 |
| Rank | Generalleutnant |
| Commands held |
196. Infanterie-Division 44. Reichs-Grenadier-Division Hoch und Deutschmeister 73. Infanterie-Division |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Dr. rer. pol. Friedrich "Fritz" Franek[Notes 1] (16 July 1891 – 8 April 1976) was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II.
Career[]
He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He was one of only two officers in the German Wehrmacht who held the Military Order of Maria Theresa, the highest Austro-Hungarian decoration for bravery as well as the Knight's Cross.
In the summer of 1944 Franek was commanding the German 73rd Infantry Division as the Red Army was advancing through Poland. At the end of July, during the Lublin–Brest Offensive, he joined battle at Garwolin with the Soviet 2nd Guards Tank Army under the command of Alexei Radzievsky, when the German forces were routed and Franek himself was captured.[1] He was held prisoner until 1948.
Awards and decorations[]
- Iron Cross
- 2nd Class
- Military Merit Cross III. Class
- Order of the Iron Crown III. Class
- Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Maria Theresa (10 June 1921)
- Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
- Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Wound Badge (1939)
- in Black
- Eastern Front Medal
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 4 November 1941 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 405[2]
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 8 February 1944
Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht[]
| Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
|---|---|---|
| 8 February 1944 | In den harten mehrtägigen Abwehrkämpfen nordwestlich Cassino hat sich die 44. Reichs-Grenadierdivision "Hoch- und Deutschmeister" unter Führung des Generalleutnants Franek mit einem unterstellten Bataillon des Grenadier-Regiments (mot.) 8 und einer Kampfgruppe unter Führung des Oberst Baade besonders ausgezeichnet.[3] | Northwest in the tough multi-day defensive battles at Cassino, the 44th Reichs-Grenadier Division "Hoch- und Deutschmeister" under the leadership of Lieutenant General Franek with a subordinate battalion of the Grenadier Regiment (mot) 8 and a battle group under the leadership of Colonel Baade particularly distinguished themselves. |
Notes[]
- ↑ In German a Doctorate of political economy is abbreviated as Dr. rer. pol. (Doctor rerum politicarum).
References[]
- Citations
- ↑ Robert Forczyk, Warsaw 1944: Poland's bid for freedom (2009, ISBN 1846033527), p. 13
- ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 154.
- ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 30.
- Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [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]. Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). 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]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- (in German) Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945]. München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.
External links[]
- "Dr. rer. pol. Friedrich Franek" (in German). Ritterkreuzträger 1939–45. http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.de/Infanterie/F/Fr/Franek-Friedrich.htm. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
- "Friedrich Franek". Austro-Hungarian Army - Biographies. http://www.austro-hungarian-army.co.uk/biog/franek.htm. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
- Friedrich Franek @ Axis Biographical Research
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