Alfred Franke was born on 20 September 1918 at Jena in Thüringen. Unteroffizier Franke served with 2./JG 53 from 1940. He participated in the invasion of the Low Countries and the French campaign during which he recorded his first two victories. He gained a single victory over England during the Battle of Britain. It was over the Eastern front that Franke was to be particularly successful. Feldwebel Franke was shot down behind enemy lines on 1 July 1941 in Bf 109 F-2 (W.Nr. 12 621) “Black 10+” but successfully evaded capture and returned to his unit. He was shot down again on 10 July in Bf 109 F-2 (W.Nr. 5412) “Black 6” behind Russian lines and again managed to return to his unit. Franke claimed his 10th victory on 24 July, when he shot down a Russian DB-3 twin-engine bomber. By the end of 1941, Franke had 12 victories to his credit. He recorded his 20th victory on 27 June 1942, when he shot down a Russian MiG-1 fighter near Schlochigrz. In the summer of 1942, Franke claimed 26 victories in August, including four victories on 12 August (29-32), three on 13 August (33-35), three on 18 August (36-38) and three Russian Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft shot down on 20 August (40-42). He also performed numerous successful ground attack missions in support of the army. In the first eight days of September, Franke claimed nine victories, including three Il-2 Sturmoviks shot down on 1 September (45-47) and a further three Il-2 Sturmoviks shot down on 8 September (58-60). On 9 September 1942, a Russian Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft north of Stalingrad bounced Franke. His Bf 109 G-2 (W.Nr. 13 442) “Black 10” turned then dived vertically and crashed, killing Franke. Franke was posthumously awarded the Ritterkreuz and promoted to the rank of Leutnant on 29 October.
    Alfred Franke was credited with 60 victories. He recorded four victories over the Western front. Of his 56 victories recorded over the Eastern front, 17 were Il-2 Sturmoviks.
 

No	Date	Time	A/c Type	Unit	Location / Comments
1	14.5.1940	11:20	Bloch 151	2./JG 53	S Sedan
2	14.5.1940	16:20	Battle	2./JG 53	SW Sedan
3	31.5.1940	20:12	DB-7	2./JG 53	St Quentin area
4	18.8.1940	15:32	Hurricane	2./JG 53	-
5	22.6.1941	17:37	Douglas	2./JG 53	WSW Brest Litovsk
6	24.6.1941	9:32	SB-3	2./JG 53	-
7	24.6.1941	9:34	SB-3	2./JG 53	-
8	6.7.1941	6:37	DB-3	2./JG 53	-
9	10.7.1941	12:17	DB-3	2./JG 53	-
10	24.7.1941	14:16	DB-3	2./JG 53	-
11	26.7.1941	10:45	DB-3	2./JG 53	-
12	26.7.1941	11:00	Il-2	2./JG 53	-
13	10.6.1942	15:37	I-61	2./JG 53	-
14	10.6.1942	-	I-61	2./JG 53	-
15	15.6.1942	-	E/a	2./JG 53	-
16	18.6.1942	-	E/a	2./JG 53	-
17	20.6.1942	-	E/a	2./JG 53	-
18	21.6.1942	-	E/a	2./JG 53	-
19	24.6.1942	3:41	R-10	2./JG 53	-
20	27.6.1942	9:16	MiG-1	2./JG 53	8-10km NNE Schlochigrz
21	28.6.1942	4:06	MiG-1	2./JG 53	-
22	1.7.1942	12:01	P-39	2./JG 53	-
23	1.7.1942	12:08	P-39	2./JG 53	-
24	26.7.1942	13:43	LaGG-3	2./JG 53	-
25	31.7.1942	13:59	MiG-1	2./JG 53	39 194
26	2.8.1942	12:29	Il-2	2./JG 53	29 163
27	2.8.1942	12:38	MiG-1	2./JG 53	39 281
28	4.8.1942	11:30	MiG-1	2./JG 53	49 753
29	12.8.1942	4:27	Il-2	2./JG 53	29 894
30	12.8.1942	4:33	Il-2	2./JG 53	39 773
31	12.8.1942	4:39	LaGG-3	2./JG 53	39 772
32	12.8.1942	10:48	MiG-3	2./JG 53	49 882
33	13.8.1942	17:41	Il-2	2./JG 53	39 333
34	13.8.1942	17:44	MiG-1	2./JG 53	39 193
35	13.8.1942	17:51	Il-2	2./JG 53	NE Kalatsch
36	18.8.1942	5:33	MiG-3	2./JG 53	49 164
37	18.8.1942	12:48	Il-2	2./JG 53	40 771
38	18.8.1942	12:53	MiG-3	2./JG 53	40 773
39	19.8.1942	15:42	Er-2	2./JG 53	40 774
40	20.8.1942	4:36	Il-2	2./JG 53	40 780
41	20.8.1942	10:56	Il-2	2./JG 53	30 894
42	20.8.1942	10:59	Il-2	2./JG 53	40 773
43	21.8.1942	12:39	U-2	2./JG 53	49 881
44	22.8.1942	9:40	Il-2	2./JG 53	30 894
45	23.8.1942	5:43	I-180	2./JG 53	49 153
46	24.8.1942	13:02	U-2	2./JG 53	49 244
47	28.8.1942	14:35	MiG-1	2./JG 53	40 891
48	28.8.1942	14:44	LaGG-3	2./JG 53	50 781
49	29.8.1942	12:49	P-40	2./JG 53	49 251
50	29.8.1942	12:56	MiG-1	2./JG 53	49 243
51	30.8.1942	16:10	I-180	2./JG 53	49 562
52	1.9.1942	10:40	Il-2	2./JG 53	49 353
53	1.9.1942	10:46	Il-2	2./JG 53	49 324
54	1.9.1942	15:48	P-2	2./JG 53	49 132
55	3.9.1942	13:46	Yak-1	2./JG 53	40 873
56	5.9.1942	5:53	MiG-3	2./JG 53	49 451
57	7.9.1942	13:24	Il-2	2./JG 53	49 281
58	8.9.1942	6:44	Il-2	2./JG 53	49 191
59	8.9.1942	6:46	Il-2	2./JG 53	49 412
60	8.9.1942	6:49	Il-2	2./JG 53	49 332

Victories : 60
Awards : Ehrenpokal (13 September 1942)
                Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (25 September 1942)
                Ritterkreuz (29 October 1942)
Units : JG 53