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

WALTER SCHUCK Christmas celebration in Esbjerg, 25 December 1941. Unteroffizier Walter Schuck is sitting in the middle. On Schuck’s right hand side is Unteroffizier Kurt Philipp. Standing behind Schuck is Hauptmann Hans-Curt Graf von Sponeck. The Staffel was assigned with two major tasks: To provide the iron ore shipping from Narvik with air cover, and to protect ”an industrial plant in the region” against air attacks. The latter was a particular riddle to the pilots. They were not informed that the industrial plant in ques­ tion was the so-called “Hermann Goring Works” where top secret atomic research was carried out. The Staffel had to be maintained in full readiness in order to fulfil these tasks. Throughout the days, one Schwarm was held in five-minute readiness, and one Schwarm in fifteen-minute readiness, with the remain­ der of the Staffel in reserve. One great relief to Hauptmann Graf von Sponeck was that on 22 February 1942 Hitler changed Goring’s verdict against his father to six years in prison. But it was obvious that his father’s fate was a heavy burden on the Staffelkapitan. On 7 March, the whole 7./JG 5 was sent into the air, with each aircraft equipped with a drop tank, for a long-range “special mission” over the sea. As they were flying over the endless waves below, they sud­ denly caught sight of a smoke pile on the horizon. As they came closer, they could see that the smoke originated from a huge warship, accompanied by three smaller vessels. Graf von Sponeck led the Me 109s in a wide turn to avoid provoking the nervous antiaircraft gunners of the ships, although they were German. What they had seen was the Tirpitz, with the destroyers Hermann Schoemann, Friedrich Ihn and Z 25 in company. This naval force had set out on the first German combat action against the Allied convoys which regularly sailed to the northern Soviet port of Mur­ mansk. The operation was dubbed Sportpalast. The Tirpitz failed to locate the convoy. Instead, she became the subject to the attention of aircraft from the British carrier Victorious. Shortly after 0800 hours on 9 March, a Fairey Albacore was spotted near the Tir­ pitz. The German ship called for air assistance, and at Bodo Hauptmann G raf von Sponeck sent his men into the air. But in spite o f their drop tanks, it was an impossible mission; the battleship was too far away. The Messerschmitts were not even in the vicinity when a force of twelve torpedo-carrying Albacores led by Lieutenant-Commander W. J. Lucas attacked at 0917 hours. Due to the ship’s antiaircraft guns, the attack failed and two Albacores were shot down. The Tirpitz continued at full speed for the shelter of Vestfjord/ Bogen. Meanwhile the red lamps on the dashboards on the Me 109s - indicating that they were low on fuel - were flickering. Unteroffizier Helmut Klante per­ formed a desperate force-landing on the surface of the frozen sea close to the coast, and made it to land on feet. His aircraft sank through the ice and still lies on the bottom of the sea. Luckily, that was the only serious incident during that hazardous mission. This would not T