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

WALTER SCHUCK Walter Schuck s pilot license. 9lr. 3 . ^ Ser fjaf Me (Ectoubnis juin Jiibten oon Jlugjeugcn bet Cuffmoffe in bem aue Seife 3 ff. crfitfjtllcfjctn Umfange. , ben 1 9 ^ 0 ф . /Я * В я в Ь . « К е д і . 82 V • - U 'J J ® ObfHt. u. ftta , v , , y A He 72 Kcidett trainer. flying which he would have such great use of four years later. Having graduated from the sailplane school, he returned to Giitersloh. In the spring of 1939, the promis­ ing young pilot student was posted to his next step on the road to becoming a full-fledged pilot - the Air Technical School at Bonn-Hangelar. During a quarter of a year, Schuck learned the basics of aircraft engine technics - but not any more advanced than fitting in spark plugs and changing ignition cables. Back again at Giitersloh, with another graduation, he received another posting. This time Schuck felt that he stood on the threshold of a dream coming true: His next assignment, received when he just turned 18 years old, brought him back to Quakenbriick - however not to the loathed basic military training with Flieger-Ersatz Abteilung 24, but to A/В pilot training with Fliegeraus- bildungs-Regiment 82. The Luftwaffe flight training was divided into Al, A2, Bl, and B2 courses, each involving different aircraft classes. It opened with basic flight training at Al, fol­ lowed by A2 with long-distance cross-country flights, formation flying, dead-stick landings, and four outside landings. Bl and B2 included more advanced flight training such as high-altitude flights, precision land­ ings, cross-country mileage, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in dangerous situations. Walter Schuck’s pilot trainer, who went by the name of Brewes, was a quite humane civilian who knew how to bring the best out of his men. Brewes soon discov­ ered Schuck’s above-average talents. This was partly the result of Schuck’s previous sailplane course, but he also proved to have a born gift for handling an aircraft. After only eighteen take-offs, Brewes felt that Schuck was ready for his first solo flight. This caused some envy among others in the Fliegerausbildungs-Regiment, since the normal case was that a pilot student was allowed to make his first solo flight after thirty to forty take-offs with a teacher. But Brewes supported Schuck, and little Walter Schuck soon flew in the sky as the unit’s young­ est solo flier. Meanwhile, war broke out. On 1 September 1939, Hitler set his fury loose against Poland. The Fuhrer (Leader) - or “Verfiihrer” (Seductor) in Walter Schuck’s words - had managed to turn a war weary Germany into an aggressive military power. Poland was crushed in a matter of weeks. Schuck was worried for his family in the Saar, close to the French border. On 3 Septem­ ber, France and Great Britain had declared war against Germany. A few days later, French troops broke into the Saar, occupying some villages. But then nothing more happened. In October 1939 the French withdrew again, and the western border remained curiously calm. The winter of 1939/1940 was unusually cold, but Schuck flew as often as he was allowed. He advanced V