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

WALTER SCHUCK Ѳ MURMANSK IS BURNING Between the missions, Schuck found some time to reflect on how amazingly fast the nature changed here in the North. The snow melting revealed a vegetation predom­ inantly constituted of reindeer moss, lichens and juniper bushes, and lots of blueberry and cranberry. Taking a few strolls outside the airfield perimeter, Schuck discov­ ered that this was a paradise for mushrooming. Huge mushrooms - Schuck recognised them as quite tasty - had shot up everywhere. He persuaded Hauptmann Graf von Sponeck to lend him a Kiibelwagen, and off he went on mushrooming expeditions. In the trackless, desolate wilderness, deepest soli­ tude and deathly silence reigned supreme. A bit south of Petsamo, wild birch forests grew, with their short trunks often branching out like bushes. But in that area it was almost impossible to stay. When there was no wind, bil­ lions o f gnats and mosquitoes went on the warpath. Far­ ther north, in the area around Petsamo, a nice and mild wind swept in from the sea. After each mushrooming expedition, Schuck returned with the Kiibelwagen filled with delicious mushrooms. Most of them were hung to dry to the winter. In early June, the wind turned and brought in damp air from the sea. For several days, thick fog prevented any flying. When the skies cleared, Generaloberst Stumpff decided to make an effort to destroy the port installa­ tions at Murmansk once and for all. In the afternoon on Sunday 13 June 1942, Schuck watched as 5., 6. and 8./ JG 5 took off from Petsamo when Ju 87s and Me 110s flew past. Their target: Murmansk. When the Messer- schmitts returned, 6./JG 5’s new “star”, Feldwebel Rudi Miiller, had shot down three Hurricanes and Leutnant Ehrler one. But Schuck’s greatest concern was that one man, his friend Unteroffizier Josef “Baby” Kaiser, was missing. However, it turned out that he had belly-landed due to engine trouble a few miles from Petsamo. Kaiser returned shortly afterward, unhurt. Two hours later, 7./JG 5 was instructed to receive the next bomber formation as it returned from the next attack against Murmansk. Again, the Soviets sent their obsolete Lend Lease fighters into the air. This time Schuck made no mistakes. In a scrap with 122 IAD, he and Schumacher shot down one Hurri­ cane apiece. Air reconnaissance photos showed only limited destruction of the port installations in Murmansk. This captures the situation in a nutshell - while the Me 109s of JG 5 were the masters of the sky, the strong AAA defending the port of Murmansk prevented any concen­ trated large-scale bombing attack. This compelled Generaloberst Stumpff to shift tac­ tic. He now instructed his bomber and Stuka crews to aim at wiping out Murmansk’s housing. The intention was to deprive the port of its work force. Leaflets were dropped, urging the inhabitants to leave Murmansk, lest they be subjected to an annihilating fire raid. In the T