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

WALTER SCHUCK Schuck and Norz. Petsamo, late March or early April Schuck in his Me 109 G-2, “Yellow 9 ”. 1944. one of the best pilots in 255 IAP, had been assigned as Chertov’s wingman, but there was nothing he could do to save his leader - particularly not as he was attacked himself by another Me 109. Four more Airacobras arrived to attack Norz and his two companions. These were led by Kapitan Petr Rassadkin, another of 255 IAP’s aces. They dived against Norz and Berger, while Unteroffizier Fritz Hain got onto the tail of the Airacobra which flew in the rear. Mladshiy Leytenant Tsibezov’s Airacobra was shot to pieces and fell vertically to the sea from just 100 metres altitude. By this time, all of the Me 109s had become entan­ gled in bitter fighting with the escort fighters, of which Schuck claimed two shot down. However, the Soviet fighter pilots succeeded in their task to tie the Me 109s into combat while seven 46 ShAP Il-2s slipped through to attack the ships. The confused air battle ebbed out after about half an hour. The German pilots landed to have their Messer­ schmitts refuelled and reloaded, and then took off again. A new Soviet attack could be expected any time. The ships slowly crept southward along the Varanger Penin­ sula’s eastern coast, and at twenty past three, the Soviets were lucky to carry out their next strike in another lapse between returning and arriving German escort fighters. Four Il-2s of 46 ShAP attacked, and reported the sinking of a patrol ship. At that moment, Schuck was part of the formation of eight Me 109s, which, commanded by Hauptmann Ehrler, were in turn to assume the escort duty. Now Ehrler led his pilots after the withdrawing enemy air­ craft, thirsting for revenge. Over the Rybachiy Peninsula they caught up with not only the withdrawing Soviet air­ craft, but also eight Airacobras of 255 IAP which were part of the fighter escort for the next Soviet raid against the ships. While the Me 109s clashed with the Soviet fighters, six 11-4 torpedo bombers from 9 GMTAP were able to conduct a high-altitude torpedo attack against the convoy. Schuck and Ehrler returned from the fighter com­ bat with three claims each, and Norz and Berger were credited with two apiece. Among the Soviet losses in the air over the Rybachiy Peninsula was Kapitan Vasiliy Adonkin. In action in the Far North since the outbreak of the war in 1941, Adonkin was one of the most experienced Soviet fighter pilots of the entire war. In his logbook were noted 370 combat missions and 42 air combats, leading to 16 aerial victories. Since Janu­ ary 1944, Adonkin carried the honorary title of a Hero of the Soviet Union. Quite ironically, he had just been appointed 255 IAP’s commander, as Mayor Chertov’s successor. According to the Soviet report, icing caused Adonkin’s Airacobra to crash, but it is possible that it was shot down by the Me 109s which unexpectedly appeared in the same area by that time. If that would T