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

WALTER SCHUCK Petsamo aerodrome, late winter 1942. Petsamo aerodrome, spring 1942: 7./JG 5 ’s pilots and ground personnel are lined up infront o f one o f the Staffel's Me 109s. Walter Schuck is standing infront o f the aircraft’s wing, the second man to the right o f the man who carries the dog. aircraft almost to perfection. After all, nearly two years had gone since he obtained his Flugzeugfiihrerschein in May 1940. There were only few encounters with the Soviet enemy during 7./JG 5’s first weeks at Petsamo. Haupt­ mann Graf von Sponeck selected Unteroffizier Werner Schumacher - the cocky Berliner who had shot down a Spitfire in August 1941 - as his wingman, and they per­ formed a number of free hunting missions. This resulted in 7./JG 5’s two first victories, against Hurricanes - one each by Sponeck and Schumacher - on 23 April. Five days later, Schumacher added another two Hurricanes to his tally, also as the result of a free hunting mission. It was evident that Hauptmann Graf von Sponeck gave certain priorities to Schumacher. The other Me 109 E pilots of 7th Staffel were mainly assigned to less aggressive fighter missions - such as reception over the frontline of bombers or Stukas return­ ing from their attacks against Murmansk, or escort in Rotte size of each an Hs 126 reconnaissance plane. Schuck’s first escort mission to Murmansk gave him a shock. As the Stukas approached the target, the whole sky in front of them became totally mottled in black from exploding AAA shells. To the inexperienced Ger­ man fighter pilot it seemed impossible for any aircraft to survive that inferno. But while the escorting Me 109s performed a wide turn to avoid the antiaircraft fire, the Stukas managed to dive below the black clouds. Obvi­ ously the Soviet aimers lacked the sufficient experience to adjust the fire to the diving attack. However, as far as Schuck was able to judge, the Flak barrage sufficed to block the Stukas from hitting their target with any precision. Towards the end of April and in early May 1942, Schuck flew a number of missions to receive Ju 87s which were in action against a small Soviet amphibious landing at Motovskiy Bay. Still he saw no Soviet air­ craft. On 9 May his friend Unteroffizier Kurt Philipp returned from a mission over the frontline and reported his first air victory. Walter Schuck’s turn would come six days later. T