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

WALTER SCHUCK 11-2 approaching Petsamo. was the Naval ace Kapitan Pavel Orlov, credited with twelve victories. While the fighters clashed, the remain­ ing Fi 156 was able to land and pick up the pilot and the observer of the Ju 88, who were flown into safety. For the Fi 156’s next mission later on 14 March - aimed at bringing home the two remaining Ju 88 crew- members - Feldwebel Walter Schuck provided escort. When they arrived, they found that the Soviets had already snatched the downed Germans. Instead Schuck spotted a lonely U-2 biplane which circled above the area. He immediately sent the brittle biplane burning to the ground. The Soviet pilot, from 197 IAP, was lucky to survive. In the evening of 25 March, Schuck and Obergef- reiter Eugen Britz were in cockpit alert at Petsamo and were scrambled at the spotting of Soviet aircraft which crossed the frontline. But since no hostile aircraft mate­ rialised, they returned to base. The two Messerschmitts were parked in the revetments, where the ground crew immediately started refuelling them. Shortly after­ ward, a whole bunch of 11-2 Shturmoviks suddenly and totally unexpected dived down on the airfield. Schuck and his wingman dashed to their aircraft and immedi­ ately scrambled. As Schuck’s Me 109 heaved from the ground, he could see a Ju 88 of I./KG 30 go up in flames on the airfield below. Obergefreiter Britz closed up on Schuck’s side as the two German fighter pilots started pursuing the Il-2s which withdrew at low altitude. Since Britz was a new­ comer, Schuck wanted to introduce him to his first vic­ tory, so he ordered Britz to attack the closest 11-2. It took the inexperienced Britz an eternity to place himself in a firing position, and when he at last opened fire, he did so from the Il-2’s side. Schuck saw the bullets bounce off the heavily armoured Shturmovik. Britz kept spraying tracer bullets all around the 11-2, without causing it much harm. Finally, Schuck decided that Britz would never make it. “Move aside,” he radioed, “I will show you how to do it!” Schuck directed his Me 109 straight behind and slightly below the 11-2, which was now flying at only 30 metres altitude. Although he had never shot down an 11-2 before, he knew that the weak spot of the aircraft was the radiator beneath its belly. The radiator could be entered into the fuselage for protection, but not for more than two to three minutes. When the radiator came down, Schuck had it in his gunsight. He saved his cannon ammuni­ tion and opened fire only with his two 7.92mm machine guns. The whole burst tore the radiator apart. With the engine overheating, the 11-2 emitted smoke which grew thicker and thicker. Then it disappeared. By this time, the hunt had brought Schuck and his wingman close to 258 SAD’s base at Murmashi. It was growing dark, and Schuck decided to search for landing T