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

WALTER SCHUCK О THE MOUNTING PRESSURE The new Soviet air offensive was directed against Ger­ man coastal convoys off the Norwegian northern coast. As we have seen, the lack of good roads and railroads in the Far North, made these shippings a key to the German supply in the Far North. 29 BAP’s Kapitan Semyon Lapshenkov, who had attacked Liinahamari on New Years’s Eve, was out against German shipping again on 8 January 1943. This time his six Pe-2s sank the Olsa with 6,200 BRT in the port of Kirkenes. On 10 January, Lapshenkov’s six Pe-2s, escorted by four Airacobras and two Kittyhawks from 2 GIAP/VVS SF led by Kapitan Pavel Orlov, went out against Kirkenes again. They found the target cov­ ered by thick fog and instead attacked three transport ships in the port of Liinahamari. Schuck, who had been scrambled with his wingman and Oberleutnant Wulf-Dieter Widowitz’s Rotte, discov­ ered the Pe-2s at an altitude of 3,000 metres as they were approaching Liinahamari. He saw the bombers strung out in a long line astern. In fact, the distance from the first to the last of the six Pe-2s had increased to around five miles, the result of a sudden turn performed by the leading bomber. Above the bombers, two Soviet fight­ ers could be seen. These were the Airacobras of Kapitan Pavel Orlov and his wingman. Schuck and his wingman, Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel Anton Schoppler, remained above as top cover. When the Pe-2s commenced their dive, Oberleutnant Widowitz and Unteroffizier Walter Goscht put the noses of their Me 109s down and disappeared into the fog to destroy them. Schuck and Schoppler engaged the two Airaco­ bras which tried to intercept the diving 109s. Pavel Ivanovich Orlov was one of the most able Soviet fighter pilots in the Far North. He was a disciple of the legendary Boris Safonov, and had claimed about ten aerial victories on around 250 missions since the autumn of 1941. A classic dogfight commenced in the winter haze. Schuck had to use all his skills to match his enemy. But by this time, the long years of training had made Schuck a virtuoso on the Messerschmitt 109. Earlier when Schuck had been attacked from the astern, he used to give full rudder and climb, taking advantage of the Me 109’s superior rate of climb. But with the Me 109 F-4 he developed a method to evade an enemy which attacked from astern which no one else could imitate: He pulled up and simultaneously made a half barrel-roll. Then he gave full rudder and used the ailerons to complete the barrel roll while his aircraft slid around 180 degrees. His surprised pursuer would then find that the Me 109 came flying in the opposite direc­ tion, somewhat higher above. Other pilots, such as the 6th Staffel’s Oberleutnant Ehrler, could use their strong physics to perform tight turns in fighter combat. But Walter Schuck was a small guy without the required strength in his arms. When the rudders got stiff due to the strong G forces of a sharp T