KÜBELWAGEN
The Volkswagen Kübelwagen, officially designated as the Volkswagen Type 82 and commonly known as the Kübelwagen or “bucket car,” was a light military utility vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche and mass-produced by Volkswagen from 1940 to 1945 for the German Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS during the Second World War. Developed from the civilian KdF-Wagen (the precursor to the Beetle), it featured a lightweight body of pressed steel panels with open sides, a folding canvas top, and four doors, enabling easy entry and exit while providing basic protection from the elements. Powered initially by a rear-mounted 985 cc air-cooled flat-four engine delivering 23.5 PS, the vehicle received an upgraded 1,131 cc engine producing 25 PS from March 1943 onward, paired with a four-speed manual gearbox and a reduction gear that gave it excellent low-speed torque and off-road capability. Its independent suspension used transverse torsion bars front and rear with swing axles at the back, allowing the Kübelwagen to traverse rough terrain, mud, and snow far better than many contemporary Allied jeeps despite its relatively modest power. Approximately 50,435 units were built for wartime service, with additional vehicles assembled after the war, making it one of the most numerous German light vehicles of the conflict. The Kübelwagen served in every major theater, from the deserts of North Africa to the frozen steppes of the Eastern Front and the forests of Western Europe, performing roles as a personnel carrier, reconnaissance vehicle, command car, and light transport. Its simple, rugged construction, air-cooled engine that required no radiator, and ability to float briefly when necessary contributed to its reputation for reliability under extreme conditions. Variants included ambulance versions, radio cars, and limited numbers fitted with machine-gun mounts or even small training turrets. Although never intended as a combat vehicle, the Kübelwagen’s versatility and mass production made it an indispensable asset for German mobile operations throughout the war, leaving a lasting legacy as one of the most iconic military light vehicles of the era.
Oberst Alfred Druschel (front seat with the driver) was born on 4 February 1917 in Bindsachsen in the District of Büdingen and joined the Luftwaffe on 1 April 1936, training as a pilot and observer before being posted in August 1938 to Fliegergruppe 20, which became II.(Schl)/Lehrgeschwader 2. He flew the Henschel Hs 123 with 4.(Schl)/LG 2 during the invasion of Poland and the Battle of France, later becoming Staffelkapitän of that Staffel in September 1940 and leading Bf 109E fighter-bomber missions over England and the Channel. In April 1941 his unit operated over Yugoslavia and Greece, then from 21 June participated in the invasion of the Soviet Union. On 21 August 1941, as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of 2.(Schl)/LG 2, he received the Ritterkreuz after more than 200 sorties and seven aerial victories, notably for destroying eleven tanks south of Grodno on 24 June 1941 and for saving the Ulla bridgehead on 6 July by smashing enemy forces near Lohwsa and Gubiza. When II.(Schl)/LG 2 was redesignated I./Schlachtgeschwader 1 on 13 January 1942 he became Gruppenkommandeur, later rising to Geschwaderkommodore. As Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of I./Schl.G.1 he was awarded the Eichenlaub on 3 September 1942 for over 600 combat missions and successes at Kerch, Sevastopol and in the Caucasus, including the destruction of an ammunition train on the Kharkov-Kupyansk railway on 12 June 1942. The Schwerter followed on 19 February 1943 for more than 700 sorties and the outstanding results of his Gruppe at Voronezh, Rostov, along the Don and at Stalingrad. After further service on the Eastern Front until October 1943 he left active flying to become Inspizient der Tag-Schlachtfliegerverbände, returning in December 1944 as Geschwaderkommodore of Schlachtgeschwader 4. On 1 January 1945 during Unternehmen Bodenplatte he led SG 4, accompanied by Jagdgeschwader 2, in an attack on St Trond but became separated after heavy flak and remains missing south of Aachen; he was officially credited with seven aerial victories in over 800 missions flown mainly in Hs 123, Bf 109E and Fw 190 fighter-bombers and held the final rank of Oberst.
Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2020/05/foto-mobil-bmw-era-third-reich.html
Four Ritterkreuzträger from Schlachtgeschwader 1 (SG 1) posed for a photo at the end of 1942. From left to right: Oberleutnant Georg Dörffel (Staffelkapitän 5./SG 1. Ritterkreuz on 21 August 1941 and Eichenlaub on 14 April 1943), Hauptmann Alfred Druschel (Gruppenkommandeur I./SG 1. Ritterkreuz on 21 August 1941, Eichenlaub on 3 September 1942 and Schwerter on 19 February 1943), Leutnant Josef Menapace (Staffelkapitän 7./SG 1. Ritterkreuz on 20 August 1942), and Oberleutnant Heinz Frank (Staffelkapitän 3./SG 1. Ritterkreuz on 3 September 1942 and Eichenlaub on 8 January 1943). They would all later fell in battle, starting with Menapace on 6 October 1943, followed by Dörffel on 26 May 1944, Frank on 7 October 1944, and Druschel on 1 January 1945.
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