page_title: Rudolf Frank
section_title: Night fighter pilot
hierarchical_section_title: Rudolf Frank / World War II / Night fighter pilot
context_page_description: Rudolf Frank was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a night fighter ace credited with 45 enemy aircraft shot down in 183 combat missions. All of his victories were claimed over the Western Front in nocturnal Defense of the Reich missions against the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command.
  Born in Karlsruhe-Grünwinkel, Frank volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in 1939 after finishing school. Following flight training, he was posted to Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 in 1941. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 April 1944 following his 42nd aerial victory. Three weeks later, on 27 April 1944, he and his crew attacked an Avro Lancaster, which exploded and fatally damaged their own aircraft. Frank ordered his crew to bail out but was unable to save himself. He received posthumous promotion to Leutnant and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.
context_section_description: Frank and Schierholz flew Bf 110 C-4 "L1+GH" on their first operational combat mission on 9 May 1941, without success. They flew their second mission on 12 May and another nine missions before claiming their first aerial victory during the night of 3/4 July. The mission started at 22:45 from Oldenburg and intercepted a Royal Air Force (RAF) Vickers Wellington at 00:54, which crashed 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) north of Grafeld/Oldenburg. For this achievement, Frank and Schierholz were awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse). On 15 July, they claimed their second victory, a Handley Page Halifax that they shot down at 01:05 northwest of Meppen. The victory was, however, credited to the anti-aircraft artillery. 
  By 13 August 1941, Frank had flown 20 night fighter missions. For this achievement, he was awarded the Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Night Fighters in Bronze (Frontflugspange für Nachtjäger in Bronze) and was promoted to Unteroffizier (sergeant). He was credited with his second victory on 15 September 1941, a Wellington shot down at 23:30 northwest of Meppen. This was also his last claim in 1941. He achieved his third victory, a Handley Page Hampden he shot down at 21:03 on 21 January 1942 near Berge in northeast Lingen. Five days later he claimed an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk V, shot down at 20:36 west of Quakenbrück. 
  Frank was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse) on 15 April 1942 and two months later, on 18 June 1942, the Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Night Fighters in Silver (Frontflugspange für Nachtjäger in Silber). On 30 June 1942 at 01:29, he and Schierholz took off from Vechta on their 64th combat mission. While attacking a British bomber, either a Wellington or Halifax, their aircraft was hit by the defensive fire from the tail gun position at 02:40. With both radiators destroyed, they bailed out from their aircraft.
  Frank's Gruppe (group) relocated to Rheine in Westphalia on 28 July 1942, when he flew further missions with Dornier Do 217 J "D5+G5", a night fighter variant of the Do 217. He claimed a Wellington shot down at 02:05 on 14 September 1942; it crashed in the vicinity of Osnabrück, and was his only victory while flying a Do 217. On this mission, the Dornier suffered engine problems and Frank made a forced landing at Bad Zwischenahn, damaging the aircraft. He ended the year 1942 with seven confirmed victories to his credit.
  The first victory Frank claimed in 1943 occurred on 3 March. Again flying a Bf 110, he shot down a Short Stirling south of Delmenhorst. Contact with three other enemy bombers did not lead to any victories. Frank flew further missions in Do 217 "D5+LK" on a target practice mission on 9 April 1943. The right landing gear collapsed during the landing, causing 10% damage to the aircraft. Three days later he made an error during the landing approach, crashing Do 217 "D5+IK" and causing 30% damage. Frank avoided an official reprimand for either crash.
  On 1 April 1943, Frank and Schierholz were transferred to the 2. Staffel of NJG 3, which was located at Wittmundhafen. Here they underwent conversion training to the Junkers Ju 88 C-6, which was designed for long-distance night fighter operations. While Frank was training, his old unit was relocated to Gilze-Rijen in the Netherlands. His unit also received the newer G-version of the Bf 110; these were equipped with SN-2 Lichtenstein radar. When Frank and Schierholz returned from conversion training, they were assigned Bf 110 G-4 "D5+CH" to fly as their personal aircraft. They claimed a Lancaster(ED810) near Antwerp on 15 June 1943. Two days later, on 17 June, they intercepted and shot down three more Lancasters from a force returning from a mission against Cologne. The three Lancasters came down within 41 minutes of each other over the Scheldt Estuary.
  Frank claimed his 13th victory, a Wellington, on 22 June. While attempting another attack, both radiators were shot out and the crew was again forced to bail out. On 4 July they shot down a Halifax bomber north of Antwerp; t
caption: Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 of NJG 3 similar to those flown by Frank.
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