Rybin, Y. Luftwaffe ace Walter Schuck researched / Christer Bergstrom, Yuriy Rybin. - Sweden : [s. l.], 2019. - 190 p. : ill.

WALTER SCHUCK Walter Schuck took this photograph when aB V 222flew A group o f Me 109 G-2s o fIII./JG 5. him to Germany on his secondfurlough in 1943. which hung in a chain from their neck - collected every­ one’s paybooks, furlough papers and march orders for control. He immediately discovered the difference of two days in Schuck’s papers, and Schuck knew that he was caught. That definitely meant that Schuck was in deep trouble. But luck was on his side. The “Chain Dog” had ordered Schuck to step aside on the platform and wait while the papers were handed back to all the soldiers who had their papers in order. However, it was a large station, and there were hundreds and hundreds of soldiers boarding the train. They hung in droves out of the train windows, yelling to the “Chain Dog” to hurry up. The “Chain Dog” was sweating as he walked along the train, loudly reading out the names on the papers so he could hand them back to the right per­ son. The soldiers in the train grew increasingly impa­ tient and started cursing at the “Chain Dog”. The some of them jumped out of the train and surrounded the “Chain Dog” and started to threaten him if they would not have back their papers immediately. Attempting to save his “bait”, the “Chain Dog” held his hand with all the papers high up, hoping that no one would be able to reach it. In the mounting chaos, one of the soldiers slapped the “Chain Dog’s” hand, so that he dropped all the papers on the ground. Next, the soldier who had slapped the “Chain Dog’s” hand, grabbed the MP and flung him down from the platform. Everyone - includ­ ing Schuck - threw themselves onto the platform, searching for their own papers. In an incredible stroke o f luck, Schuck found all his papers and immediately jumped onto the train. Schuck rushed past a few compartments, and then bolted into a compartment where a group of soldiers sat and slept in the seats. Schuck placed himself among them, lay his tunic above his face and pretended to sleep. He heard the “Chain Dogs” shouting about the escaped “furlough exceeder”. Then they entered the train, search­ ing for him. But in the next moment, the train started to depart from the station. A “Chain Dog” hastily opened the door to Schuck’s compartment, but after only one or two seconds he closed it again and disappeared. Nevertheless, even though the “Chain Dogs” had not had time to note Schuck’s name, they obviously had sent a report to the next stop that there was a “furlough exceeder” who should be arrested. That afternoon, when the train halted in Konigsberg, the Feldgendarmerie boarded the train and started to check everyone’s papers. But again, luck was with Schuck. When the train left again, the “Chain Dogs” had not yet reached Schuck’s compartment. Schuck knew that at the next stop, Tallinn, the Feldgendarmerie would make another try. During the night, the train passed through the Baltic states. In the forenoon on the second day it entered Tallinn’s station. As Schuck had expected, the “Chain Dogs” were there, executing their control. But this time Schuck was pre- T