Hptmn Ernst Drünkler, 13./NJG 5
 

Can anyone confirm that Hptmn Ernst Drünkler shot the Halifax bomber that crashed near Pockau, on the German/Czech border, on the night of 14/15 February 1945? Chemnitz was the target. Does anyone have a photograph of Drünkler that they are willing to share?
Bill Norman
(website: www.billnorman.co.uk|)

Re: Hptmn Ernst Drünkler, 13./NJG 5
 

Hi Bill,

I presume that you are referring to 640 Squadron Halifax NP653, which, according to RAAF documents, crashed at Pockau (some 25 km S.E. of Chemnitz) circa 21.00 hrs, following three night fighter attacks.

According to the Nonnenmacher-/Ring-compiled Nachtjagd Abschüsseliste, Hptm. Ernst-Georg Drünkler made a claim to the N.W. of Chemnitz at 21.00 hrs. Provided that this data is correct then this location would seem to preclude Drünkler's involvement in the demise of NP653. I have seen that some researchers link the two together, although I think it wise to validate the reasoning behind such assertations.

To be sure, you would need to cite the original source of information used by Nonnenmacher/Ring when compiling their listing. In this case, it was probably a flying logbook from either Drünkler himself or one of his crew.

Cheers

Rod

Re: Hptmn Ernst Drünkler, 13./NJG 5
 

Guys

First of all Ernst Georg Drünkler was St Kap of 1./NJG 5 at said date after a previous term as St Kap with 13./NJG 5.

Feb 14/15th was a rough night for Bomber Command and I think it is very difficult to even speculate who went down to whom and/or Flak.

In their book Nachtjagd war diaries, Theo Boiten and Rod Mackenzie favours Lancasters heading for Rositz as his most likely victim.

B Rgds
Stig

Re: Hptmn Ernst Drünkler, 13./NJG 5
 

Hi Stig,

yes, I wrote and researched that part of Volume 2. The possibility of the claim being against the Rositz force stems from the location of the Drünkler claim as given in the Nonnenmacher/Ring listing, although surviving crew members of the three Lancasters lost attacking that target all thought that they'd been shot down by Flak.

The timing of the attacks on both Rositz and Chemnitz means that the time of Drünkler's claim could equally apply to aircraft attacking either target.

I figure that the only way to possibly clarify the situation further would be to cite the original documentation upon which the Nonnenmacher/Ring list is based, to verify the claim location.

Against eight claims as stated in an original OKL operations summary (1 JD - 3 claims; 3 JD - 1 claim; 7 JD - 3 claims; Jafü Mittelrhein - 1 claim), only seven documented claims were discovered at the time the NJWD was published (1 JD - 3 claims; 3 JD - 1 claim; 7 JD - 3 claims; Jafü Mittelrhein - claim not discovered). Therefore, there remains a possibility that the unknown Jafü Mittelrhein crew shot down the Halifax at Pockau.

Cheers

Rod

Re: Hptmn Ernst Drünkler, 13./NJG 5
 

Rod

How silly of me:o Never made the connection...

Basically I am not very interested in the constant debate who got whom since I don't believe we ever are going to come any certain conclusions.

Your e-mail simply confirms what I have already read out of your book.
As you can see, I already use it as a basic reference tool...:D

Cheers
Stig

Re: Hptmn Ernst Drünkler, 13./NJG 5
 

Rod/Stig,
Thanks for your contributions. I think I'm back to Square 1!
Bill Norman
(www.billnorman.co.uk)

Re: Hptmn Ernst Drünkler, 13./NJG 5
 

Hello,

an interesting contribution for me. Rod know why. According to an entry of the Leistungsbuch of Hptm. Drünkler "4 mot. 21.01 Pl.Qu. NF". There is no definite proof of the claim by Hptm. Drünkler, but the details are well suitable for each other. Notwithstanding the details from the Nonnenmacher lists and the sources which be used.

Regards,

René

Re: Hptmn Ernst Drünkler, 13./NJG 5
 

Hi René,

nice to hear from you again, and a very big thank you for the details from Drünkler's LB!

I've attached a map that shows Pl.Q. NF with the crash locations of Rositz/Chemnitz raid losses overlaid (all of the crash locations as documented in captured Luftwaffe documents and RAF MRES Casualty Investigation documents).

While the time of Drünkler's claim agrees with the time of crash of NP953, the location most certainly doesn't, so there remains a number of equal but uncertain possibilities as to the victim.

Rositz:
RA517 & LL966 - surviving crew members thought that a/c had been hit by Flak. Crew of LL966 believed the time of loss was around "21.30" hours. Post-war the RAF BC ORS could not assign a cause of loss.
NN721 - surviving crew though a/c was hit by Flak near MU turret and port wing over the target. Post-war the RAF BC ORS assigned the cause of loss as "Flak?" (i.e. they knew that night fighter attacks from underneath could sometimes be misinterpreted by crew as Flak).

Chemnitz:
NP953 - surviving crew member (Hall) stated that a/c was attacked three times by a night fighter. RAF MRES Investigation documents record time of loss as derived from Luftwaffe documents as 21.00 hours.

KB741 - according to Luftwaffe records, shot down by a night fighter at 21.15 hours.

René, do you have a copy of Drünkler's LB? His brief description of the combat that should be in the LB may yield clues that can be tied into accounts from the RAF survivors. Also, if I can obtain the RAF Form Z for 6 Group from Canadian archives, this may provide details on what, where, and when other RAF crews witnessed during the raids.

Based upon the Drünkler claim location as given in the Nonnenmacher/Ring listing, here is what I wrote in Nachtjagd War Diaries Volume 2:

"At 20.30 hrs, II./NJG4 is known to have been active, but no further information is available. At 20.46 hrs, approximately ten minutes after the head of the Chemnitz stream reached the Coburg area and just before the attack on Rositz commenced, night fighters, possibly from NJG5, were ordered to fly to Dresden. At some stage, night fighters of NJG6 were ordered to FF 12, N of Nordhausen and astride the route to Rositz.

Based solely on the reports of returning RAF crews, it would appear that both single- and twin-engined night fighters, probably from 1 JD, did manage to effect a limited Zahme Sau interception against the Lancasters attacking Rositz. Among these Nachtjäger were Hptm. Ernst-Georg Drünkler of 1./NJG5 and Maj. Werner Hoffmann of Stab I./NJG5, the latter having taken off from Parchim in Ju88 C9+AB at 19.58 hrs. The first bombs went down upon Rositz at 20.48 hrs, and within minutes the first interceptions occurred over the target. At 20.50 hrs, a Lancaster reported a combat with an ‘Fw190’, while the crews of 10 different Lancasters reporting seeing night fighters in the area between 20.50 and 21.11 hrs. The German controllers reported bombs falling 17 km. S of Rositz at 20.55 hrs. At least one interception proved successful, when Hptm. Ernst-Georg Drünkler claimed his 30th Abschuss at 21.01 hrs, to the NW of Chemnitz. Only three heavies were lost attacking Rositz, and all were brought down in the target area. According to contemporary reports, 189 Squadron Lancaster RA517 and 630 Squadron Lancaster LL966 were both shot down by heavy Flak, and crashed near Lehma/Zschernitzsch, 2 km. E of Rositz. 463 Squadron Lancaster NN721 was hit twice by Flak over the target, according to surviving crew members. One burst of Flak set fire to the rear fuselage, under the mid-upper turret, and the other set fire to the port wing and two engines. Control was soon lost and five of the crew managed to bale out of the spinning bomber before it crashed near Niederarnsdorf, just SE of Rositz, and 29 km. WNW of Chemnitz. It should be noted that returning RAF crews reported seeing two bombers shot down in the Rositz target area by night fighters, so it is highly probable that Hptm. Ernst-Georg Drünkler was responsible for the loss of one of the three heavies mentioned above.

Three more engagements took place in the Rositz area – one involving a Ju88 at 20.04 hrs and the other two involving twin-engined fighters at 21.05 and 21.08. In the latter engagement, the Lancaster crew claimed the night fighter as probably destroyed. For the most part, once the Rositz stream shook off the night fighters while exiting the Rositz-Chemnitz area, their return route, via Bohemia and to the S of Stuttgart, was free from interception.

Further to the SE, the bombing of Chemnitz commenced at 20.51 hrs. The German controllers announced Chemnitz as the target eight minutes later, and ordered night fighters to the city. Nachtjäger made five attacks between 21.08 and 21.16 hrs, on bombers in the Chemnitz area. In one of these engagements, a Ju88 made four determined attacks against one Lancaster, but was in turn claimed shot down and probably destroyed by the bomber crew.

Two Lancasters were definitely shot down by night fighters to the south of Chemnitz, along the first part of the homeward route, although no Abschussmeldungen have surfaced to identify the victorious Nachtjäger. 640 Squadron Halifax NP953 was attacked three times by a night fighter before it crashed at Pockau, 24 km. SE of Chemnitz, circa 21.00 hrs. 434 Squadron Lancaster KB741 was, according to a Luftgau Abschliessende Meldung, shot down by a night fighter at 21.15 hrs, and crashed at Tannenberg, 26 km. S of Chemnitz.

Once the bombers had completed their bombing runs and swung clear of the target area, many sought the safety of a layer of 8 – 10/10ths cloud between 15,000 and 18,000 ft, and the night fighters mostly lost contact."

Cheers

Rod

Re: Hptmn Ernst Drünkler, 13./NJG 5
 

Hi Rod,

nice to hear from too. Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, I do not have a copy of Drünkler´s LB. I would like to have one together with different other one. But the information come from a competent source.

"Also, if I can obtain the RAF Form Z for 6 Group from Canadian archives, this may provide details on what, where, and when other RAF crews witnessed during the raids."

If its possible for you, I would be pleased. I have some copies of the squadron ORB´s and I will take all from the squadrons which taking part in the four Blackfin raids. This is my plan for the future.
You know, I and a friend of me, we research the raids and the night fighter opposition for some years.

I have the two vol. of NFWD. Really, very good work ! I have some problems with any details, but this can we discuss per private email.

Are you in possession of some MRES Casualty Investigation doc´s ?

Regards,

René