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

WALTER SCHUCK ■ : j : ' т л - • An Me 109 over the snow covered tundra. of the Murmansk region, had an air force of between 80 and 90 fighter planes at its disposal. Finally, Mur­ mansk itself was assigned with an air defence Diviziya, 122 IAD. However, the Soviet aircraft were considerably infe­ rior to the German Me 109s. Since Murmansk was the harbour where British and American Lend Lease war material was unloaded, a large percentage of the fighter planes delivered by the Western Allies were assigned to the air units around Murmansk. The old and worn Hawker Hurricanes and Curtiss P-40s were no match to the Me 109s, particularly not the Me 109 F. The Lend Lease fighters were further hampered in Soviet service because only 80-0ctane fuel was available for engines designed for 100-0ctane fuel. In addition, the Soviet Air Force suffered negatively from a pilot training which was considerably shorter than the German flight train­ ing. There were a number of highly skilful Soviet pilot veterans in the Far North - as we shall soon see - but the majority was inadequately trained rookies. In con­ sequence, most aerial engagements between German fighters and Soviet aircraft ended to the former’s advan­ tage. Although he arrived at Petsamo without any other combat experience than his brief encounter with the British Halifax bomber eight months previously, Walter Schuck felt that the long period of peaceful and methodic training on the Me 109 had made him able to master that Petsamo’s airfield. The photo was taken from the Ice Road which runs from the north to the south. T