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

WALTER SCHUCK Kapitan Petr Sgibnev, the Soviet ace who nearly shot Unteroffizier August Liibking (left) and Walter Schuck down Oberleutnant WulfDietrich Widowitz on 26 Feb- in the mess barrack, between the missions, ruary 1943. Sgibnev was credited withl9 victories until he was shot down and killed by JG 5 on 3 May 1943. Ju 88s on the 25th, resulting in bomb hits on a 7,000- ton freighter. With the whole convoy entering the port of Murmansk, III./JG 5 was called upon to attack the ships with bombs. Early in the morning of 26 February, Hauptmann Wengel ordered Schuck to carry out a fighter-bomber mission against the Soviet ships with his wingman, led by Oberleutnant Widowitz. Each of their Me 109s were loaded with an SC 250 bomb. They took off shortly before eight o’clock in the morning. Schuck and his wingman followed Oberleutnant Widowitz and his wingman, Unteroffizier August Liibking. About half an hour later, they spotted a warship just off the Rybachiy Peninsula’s western coast. This was Escort ship 11, Toros. Widowitz led the attack. They dropped their bombs - none of which hit the target - and followed up by strafing the ship. When Widowitz ordered the pilots to return to base, Schuck simply refused. Return to base without having caused any harm to the enemy was not what he could accept. Without a word, he gave his wingman a sign and turned southward, towards the network of Soviet near Murmansk. Meanwhile, Widowitz and Liibking followed the coast towards the west. They did not notice the absence of Schuck’s Rotte until they suddenly were attacked by six Soviet fighters. The Soviet ace Kapitan Petr Sgibnev of 78 IAP/VVS SF led two Airacobras and four Hurri­ canes into an attack, and the two Messershmitt pilots were fighting for their lives. Only by diving away at full speed were they able to escape, but not before Sgibnev had placed some hits in Widowitz’s Messerschmitt. (Sgibnev actually reported one Me 109 destroyed, which thus was an exaggeration.) Farther southeast, Schuck crossed the coast near the lighthouse Set Navolok on the Kola Bay’s western mouth at an altitude of 2,000 meters. In that moment he spotted a lonely Pe-3. This aircraft was piloted by 28 ORAE’s Mladshiy Leytenant B. G. Antonov. He was returning home after a reconnaissance mission over the Norwe­ gian fiords, where he had spotted twelve German trans­ port ships. Schuck made one devastating attack, and the twin-engined Petlyakov went down in flames. Antonov managed to save his life by bailing out, but his navigator, Leytenant D. I. Gusev was killed. When Schuck landed a little later, he noticed his mechanic’s worried face. Wevers told him that Widow­ itz had landed just recently, and he had gone straight to the Staffelkapitan with severe complaints about Schuck. When Schuck entered the command post to file his report, he saw that Widowitz was there, together with Hauptmann Wengel, waiting for him. Widowitz could not control himself. His face bright red, he burst out: “Schuck! Do you have any idea of the situation you set me in? I could have got shot down! We were attacked by Russian fighters. What were you thinking of? You T