Alfred Druschel

Alfred Druschel (4 February 1917 – 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.
He joined the Luftwaffe on 1 April 1936; he trained as pilot, observer and then as a staff officer with a Luftflotte (Air Fleet). In 1938, Druschel was posted to "Fliegergruppe 20", which was renamed II.(S)/Lehrgeschwader 2 (LG 2—2nd Demonstration Wing) in November 1938. He served with 4./LG 2 during the invasion of Poland and the battle of France, flying the Henschel Hs 123 biplane. Druschel became "Staffelkapitän" of 4.(S)/LG 2 in September 1940, leading the unit on fighter-bomber missions against targets in England and on shipping in the Channel.
In April 1941, 4.(S)/LG 2 operated over southern Yugoslavia and Greece and took part during the invasion of the Soviet Union. He operated over the Eastern Front until October 1943 with 4.(Schl)/LG 2 and from autumn 1941 as "Staffelkapitän", 2./SG 1. In early 1942 he became "Gruppenkommandeur" of I./Schlachtgeschwader 1 (SG 1) and by October 1943 was "Geschwaderkommodore" of SG 1. Hauptmann Druschel was awarded the Oakleaves in September 1942 for 600 combat missions and the Swords in February 1943 for over 700 combat missions. He was appointed commander of SG 4 based in the west in December 1944.
On 1 January 1945, Druschel participated in Unternehmen Bodenplatte, the attack on the Allied airfields in the Netherlands and Belgium. Accompanied by JG 2, SG 4, 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 109 and Fw 190 fighter-bombers.
Druschel's brother Kurt, "Oberleutnant" "Leitender Ingenieur" (chief engineer) on , was a key witness in the court martial of "Oberleutnant zur See" . Kusch was sentenced to death for "Wehrkraftzersetzung" (sedition and defeatism). Kurt was killed in the sinking of "U-154" on 3 July 1944.