Alfred Druschel

{{Infobox military person

|name = Alfred Druschel

|birth_date = {{birth date|1917|2|4|df=y}}

|death_date = {{death date and age|1945|1|1|1917|2|4|df=y}} {{MIA}}

|image = Druschel.jpg

|birth_place = Bindsachsen, District Büdingen

|death_place = disappeared south of Aachen

|allegiance = Nazi Germany

|branch = Luftwaffe

|serviceyears = 1936–45

|rank = Oberst

|commands = 4.(Schl)/LG 2, 1./Schl.G. 1, I./Schl.G. 1, Schl.G. 1, SG 4

|unit = LG 2, Schl.G. 1, SG 4

|battles = World War II

|awards = Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

|laterwork = }}

Alfred Druschel (4 February 1917 – missing in action 1 January 1945) was a German Luftwaffe combat pilot during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords of Nazi Germany.

Military career

Alfred Druschel joined the Luftwaffe on 1 April 1936. He trained as pilot, observer and then as Luftflotte staff officer. In August 1938, Druschel was posted to Fliegergruppe 20, which, after combination with Fliegergruppe 40 was renamed II.(Schl)/Lehrgeschwader 2 (LG 2) on 1 November 1938.

Druschel served with 4.(Schl)/LG 2 during the invasion of Poland and the battle of France, flying the Henschel Hs 123 biplane. During the battle of Britain, he became Staffelkapitän of 4.(Schl)/LG 2 in September 1940, and, flying the Bf 109E, led the unit on fighter-bomber missions against targets in England and shipping in the Channel.

In April 1941, 4.(Schl)/LG 2 operated over southern Yugoslavia and Greece, and from 21 June 1941 the unit took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union.

When on 13 January 1942 II.(Schl)/LG 2 was renamed to I./Schlachtgeschwader 1 (Schl.G.1), Druschel was promoted to Gruppenkommandeur and in June 1943 to Geschwaderkommodore of Schl.G.1. Hauptmann Druschel was awarded the Oakleaves in September 1942 for 600 combat missions and the Swords in February 1943 for over 800 combat missions. He operated over the Eastern Front until October 1943.

On 18 October 1943 I./Sch.G.1 was disbanded and reformed as II./Schlachtgeschwader 77 (II./SG 77). At this moment Druschel left active flying service and was appointed Inspizient der Tag-Schlachtfliegerverbände (supervisor of the day-ground attack air units).

In December 1944 he reentered combat service and was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Schlachtgeschwader 4 (SG 4) based in the west.

On 1 January 1945, Druschel participated in Unternehmen Bodenplatte, the attack on the Allied airfields in the Netherlands and Belgium. Accompanied by Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2), SG 4 commanded by Druschel led an attack on St Trond in Belgium. He became separated from his formation following a heavy flak attack and remains missing to this day in the area south of Aachen.

Alfred Druschel was officially credited with seven aerial victories claimed in over 800 combat missions. He mainly flew ground support missions in Henschel Hs 123, Bf 109E and Fw 190 fighter-bombers.

Druschel's brother Kurt, Oberleutnant Leitender Ingenieur (chief engineer) on {{GS|U-154|1941|2}}, was a key witness in the court martial of Oberleutnant zur See Oskar Kusch. Kusch was sentenced to death for Wehrkraftzersetzung (sedition and defeatism). Kurt was killed in the sinking of U-154 on 3 July 1944.{{sfn|Walle|1995|pp=46–53}}

Awards

Wound Badge (1939) in Black{{sfn|Berger|1999|p=64}}
Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "800"{{sfn|Berger|1999|p=64}}
Combined Pilots-Observation Badge{{sfn|Berger|1999|p=64}}
Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe
Iron Cross (1939)
2nd Class (27 September 1939){{sfn|MacLean|2007|p=112}}{{refn|According to Thomas on 17 September 1939.{{sfn|Thomas|1997|p=134}}|group="Note"}}
1st Class (21 May 1940){{sfn|MacLean|2007|p=112}}{{refn|According to Thomas on 20 May 1940.{{sfn|Thomas|1997|p=134}}|group="Note"}}
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Knight's Cross on 21 August 1941 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 2.(Schl)/LG 2{{sfn|Fellgiebel|2000|p=166}}{{sfn|Von Seemen|1976|p=114}}{{refn|According to Scherzer as Staffelkapitän of 4.(Schl)/Lehrgeschwader 2.{{sfn|Scherzer|2007|p=282}}|group="Note"}}
118th Oak Leaves on 3 September 1942 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of I./Schl.G.1{{sfn|Fellgiebel|2000|p=61}}{{sfn|Von Seemen|1976|p=30}}{{refn|According to Scherzer as Oberleutnant.{{sfn|Scherzer|2007|p=282}}|group="Note"}}
24th Swords on 19 February 1943 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of I./Schl.G.1{{sfn|Scherzer|2007|p=282}}{{sfn|Fellgiebel|2000|p=40}}{{sfn|Von Seemen|1976|p=15}}

Notes

References

=Citations=

=Bibliography=

{{Cite book

|last=Berger

|first=Florian

|year=1999

|title=Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges

|trans-title=With Oak Leaves and Swords. The Highest Decorated Soldiers of the Second World War

|language=de

|location=Vienna, Austria

|publisher=Selbstverlag Florian Berger

|isbn=978-3-9501307-0-6

}}

{{Cite book

|last=Bergström

|first=Christer

|year=2007b

|title=Stalingrad – The Air Battle: 1942 through January 1943

|location=Hinkley

|publisher=Midland Puplishing

|isbn=978-1-85780-276-4

|ref=none

}}

{{Cite book

|last=Bergström

|first=Christer

|year=2007c

|title=Kursk – The Air Battle: July 1943

|location=Hinkley

|publisher=Midland Puplishing

|isbn=978-1-903223-88-8

|ref=none

}}

{{Cite book

|last1=de Zeng IV

|first1=Henry L.

|last2=Stankey

|first2=Douglas G.

|year=2009

|title=Dive-Bomber and Ground-Attack Units of the Luftwaffe, 1933–1945: A Reference Source, Vol. 1

|publisher=Ian Allan Publishing

|isbn=978-1-9065-3708-1

|ref=none

}}

{{Cite book

|last1=de Zeng IV

|first1=Henry L.

|last2=Stankey

|first2=Douglas G.

|year=2013

|title=Dive-Bomber and Ground-Attack Units of the Luftwaffe, 1933–1945: A Reference Source, Vol. 2

|publisher=Ian Allan Publishing

|isbn=978-1-9065-3709-8

|ref=none

}}

{{Cite book

|last=Fellgiebel

|first=Walther-Peer

|author-link=:de:Walther-Peer Fellgiebel

|year=2000

|orig-year=1986

|title=Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile

|trans-title=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

|language=de

|location=Friedberg, Germany

|publisher=Podzun-Pallas

|isbn=978-3-7909-0284-6

}}

{{Cite book

|last=MacLean

|first=French L

|year=2007

|title=Luftwaffe Efficiency & Promotion Reports: For the Knight's Cross Winners

|location=Atglen, Pennsylvania

|publisher=Schiffer Military History

|isbn=978-0-7643-2657-8

}}

{{Cite book

|last=Obermaier

|first=Ernst

|year=1976

|title=Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger

|trans-title=The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft

|language=de

|location=Mainz, Germany

|publisher=Verlag Dieter Hoffmann

|isbn=978-3-87341-021-3

|ref=none

}}

{{Cite book

|last=Scherzer

|first=Veit

|year=2007

|title=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

|trans-title=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

|language=de

|location=Jena, Germany

|publisher=Scherzers Militaer-Verlag

|isbn=978-3-938845-17-2

}}

{{Cite book

|last=Thomas

|first=Franz

|year=1997

|title=Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K

|trans-title=The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K

|language=de

|location=Osnabrück, Germany

|publisher=Biblio-Verlag

|isbn=978-3-7648-2299-6

}}

{{Cite book

|last=Von Seemen

|first=Gerhard

|year=1976

|title=Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 : die Ritterkreuzträger sämtlicher Wehrmachtteile, Brillanten-, Schwerter- und Eichenlaubträger in der Reihenfolge der Verleihung : Anhang mit Verleihungsbestimmungen und weiteren Angaben

|trans-title=The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 : The Knight's Cross Bearers of All the Armed Services, Diamonds, Swords and Oak Leaves Bearers in the Order of Presentation: Appendix with Further Information and Presentation Requirements

|language=de

|location=Friedberg, Germany

|publisher=Podzun-Verlag

|isbn=978-3-7909-0051-4

}}