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

WALTER SCHUCK Ж Rudi Muller’s shot down Me 109 G-2, 19 April 1943. A Fw 190fighter-bomber o f 14./JG 5 at Petsamo. the spring of 1943 and onward, very even dogfights with really dangerous enemy pilots became more and more common. Of course the German pilots were not aware of it, but a major factor to the improved Soviet resistance in the air was the introduction of radar. On 7 April 1943, two RUS-2 radar stations had been employed for the first time in the Murmansk area - Station No. 71 in Iokanka and No. 72 on the Salzhvyd Mountain. On 19 April, Me 109s from both II. and III./JG 5 took off to cover a mission by Fw 190 Jabos from 14./ JG 5 against the airfield at Varlamovo II. The Ger­ man venture started badly, with three of III./JG 5’s Me 109s crashing at Petsamo during take-off. Then, as the German aircraft approached, they were spotted by the Soviet radar stations. The Soviet fighters lay waiting for the Germans. In the ensuing combat, two Hurricanes, an Airacobra, and two Me 109s were shot down. Two more Me 109s crashed at Petsamo. One of the shot down German pilots bailed out and made it back to base, and one was lost. The latter was the star of the “Expertenstaffel”, 6./JG 5, Oberleutnant Rudi Muller, credited with 94 victories. On 29 April 1943 the men at Petsamo Aerodrome were caught by surprise by a totally unexpected Soviet air attack against the airfield at half past three in the morning. The bombs dropped by the Il-2s struck a hangar, which burned down to the ground. A few hours later, 9./JG 5 was assigned to escort Ju 88s against Mur­ mansk. Meanwhile the “Expertenstaffel” was out on a free hunting mission, eager to avenge the loss of Rudi Miiller. Once again, the Soviet fighters were alerted in advance by the RUS-2 radar. The Airacobras of 2 GIAP/ VVS SF and 255 IAP/VVS SF, and Hurricanes of 768 IAP carried out well coordinated attacks. One Me 109 was shot down over Murmansk, with the pilot bailing out into captivity. It proved to be Feldwebel Erwin Fahl- dieck - Rudi Mtiller’s wingman! Three other Me 109s crashed at Petsamo, two from III./JG 5 and one from l.(F)/124. On 7 May, II. and III./JG 5 sent its Me 109s into the air in intervals from 0325 hours to escort various groups of Ju 88s, Me 110s and Fw 190 fighter-bombers in a series of dawn raids against Murmansk. Schuck and Heinfried Wiegand, who was assigned as his wingman on this mission, were among the last to take off. Their task was to accompany Hauptmann Strakeljahn’s Fw 190 fighter-bombers towards the target. While they were climbing to 5,000 metres on the approach flight, a group of Me 109 G-2s from 6./JG 5 were returning from a free hunting sweep over the target area. As usual, the“£x- pertenstaffel" was provided with the best opportunities to achieve aerial victories. On this mission, another of 6./JG 5’s great aces, Oberfeldwebel Albert Brunner, bagged his 53rd kill. Brunner was one of th q “Expertenstaffel’s ” most daring pilots. Although he had been in action only a T