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

WALTER SCHUCK The air battle on 15 June 1944 was celebrated by the men of JG 5 as a great victory. Not only had they warded off all Soviet air attacks against the ships, but one of them had also attained his 100th victory. But o f course, the greatest reason to celebrate was the fact that all the supplies could be brought in to the hungry and thirsty soldiers. A German war correspondent happened to be present to record the enthusiastic mood. Of course he made an interview with the fresh 100-victory ace. The interview was taped, and Schuck was amazed to hear his own voice on tape for the first time. But the Soviets gave their enemy no respite. In the evening of June 15, a high-altitude reconnaissance Spit­ fire PR.IV of the Northern Fleet’s 118 RAP mapped the destruction at Liinahamari. On 16 June, Soviet aerial reconnaissance spotted another German convoy with ten steam ships and an escort of nineteen small naval ves­ sels in the fairwaters of Hammerfest. Clearly, the Soviet attacks against the convoys were the result of an effi­ cient aerial reconnaissance - mainly by 118 RAP, which operated both Kittyhawks and photo reconnaissance Spitfire PR.IVs. That day, Schuck happened to serve at the command post, in charge of the evaluation of reports of enemy aircraft and the judging of whether any Me 109s would be scrambled or not. The radio interception post on the “Release Mountain” next to the airfield had reported that a reconnaissance Spitfire was underway, but Schuck did not give a scramble order. The Leutnant who commanded the radio intercep­ tion post was so surprised that he went down to the com­ mand post. “Why don’t you scramble against the Spitfire?” he asked, with an accusing tone. “We are not allowed,” Schuck explained. “That is due to the shortage in fuel. If we take o ff and try to pursue the Spitfire, we will expand too much fuel, and that is explicitly forbidden. You see, the Spitfire flies at an altitude of 9,000 metres, it has no arms but only a light photo equipment, and thus easily makes 600 kilo­ metres per hour. We, on the other hand, are only able to reach 400 to 450 kilometres per hour, so as you can see we simply can’t catch it.” But the Leutnant had a creative mind. He asked Schuck to sit down and listen to him. Then he explained: “Look, we have established that when a Spitfire takes off, it will fly one out of three routes: Number one is along the Kola Bay, around the Rybachiy Pen­ insula, over Kirkenes, Salmijarvi, Petsamo, and then back home again.” Schuck studied the map as the Leutnant pointed out the route. Then the Leutnant continued: “The second route is take off in Murmashi, then Salmijarvi, Kirkenes, Petsamo and back home. The third route, finally, is Petsamo, Salmijarvi, Kirkenes, and then back home over the sea.” T