Ernst-Georg Drünkler (8 July 1920 – 12 March 1997) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a night fighter ace credited with 47 aerial victories, including two by day, claimed in 102 combat missions making him the thirtieth most successful night fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Western Front in Defense of the Reich missions against the Royal Air Force's Bomber Command.
Born in Bernburg, Drünkler grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. Following flight training in 1942, he was posted to Zerstörergeschwader 2 (ZG 2—2nd Destroyer Wing) operating on the Eastern Front, flying a Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter. In October 1942, Drünkler transferred to Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1—1st Night Fighter Wing), and later to Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5—5th Night Fighter Wing), where he was trained as a night fighter pilot. Flying with NJG 1, he claimed his first nocturnal aerial victory on 13 June 1943. Following his 40th aerial victory, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 20 March 1945 as Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 1. Staffel (1st squadron) of NJG 5. Following the war, he became a teacher and died aged 76 in Sottrum.
World War II
Drünkler was born on 8 July 1920 in Bernburg, at the time in the Weimar Republic. On 16 May 1942, he was posted to the II. Gruppe (2nd group) of Zerstörergeschwader 2 (ZG 2—2nd Destroyer Wing) operating on the Eastern Front of World War II. There, he flew nine ground attack and was credited with the destruction of an armored train, five locomotives, two freight cars and five trucks. Predominately however, he was tasked with making courier flights. On 1 October 1942, Drünkler transferred to the 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5—5th Night Fighter Wing) where he was trained as a night fighter pilot.
Ruhr defence
Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, Royal Air Force (RAF) attacks shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign. By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line. It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter. Each sector named a Himmelbett (canopy bed) would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers. In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar. This airborne radar did not come into general use until early 1942.
On 12/13 June 1943 RAF Bomber Command committed 503 aircraft—323 Avro Lancasters and 167 Handley-Page Halifax bombers with support from 11 de Havilland Mosquitos to Bochum, as it continued the British Battle of the Ruhr operation. 14 Lancaster and 10 Halifax bombers were lost, 4.8 per cent of the attacking force. Drünkler claimed his first two aerial victories. In the early hours of 13 June 1943, north of Schagen, he claimed an Avro Lancaster bomber shot down at 02:20 and a further Lancaster at 02:51 approximately west of Alkmaar. German pilots claimed 19 Lancasters and 9 Halifax bombers shot down. During this mission, his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-4 (Werknummer 5427—factory number) sustained combat damage, resulting in a forced landing at Bergervaart, near Bergen op Zoom, which destroyed the aircraft.
On the night of the 21/22 June 705 RAF bombers—262 Lancasters, 209 Halifax, 117 Short Stirlings, 105 Vickers Wellingtons and—12 Mosquitos attacked Krefeld. 17 Halifax, 9 Lancasters, 9 Wellingtons and 9 Stirlings were lost on the operation. This represented 6.2 per cent of the force. The raid was carried out before the full moon period was over and the heavy casualties were mostly caused by night fighters. 12 of the aircraft lost were from the Pathfinders; No. 35 Squadron RAF lost 6 out of the 19 Halifax bombers it sent. The raid took place in good visibility and the Pathfinders produced an almost perfect marking effort, ground-markers dropped by Oboe-equipped Mosquitos were supplemented by the Pathfinder heavies. 619 aircraft bombed struck the area within 3 miles of the centre of the target. Drünkler intercepted the bomber stream west of Makkum and claimed a Short Stirling at 02:39.