Walter Schuck
Walter Schuck was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe from 1937 until the end of World War II. As a fighter ace, he claimed 206 enemy aircraft shot down in over 500 combat missions, eight of which while flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Schuck was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.
Born in the Saargebiet, Schuck volunteered for service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in 1936 and was accepted in 1937. After a period of training at various pilot and fighter pilot schools, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 5, operating on the most northern section of the Eastern Front, the Arctic Front, in April 1942. In April 1944 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 84 aerial victories. Following his 171st aerial victory he was injured in combat and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during his convalescence. In early 1945 Schuck transferred to Jagdgeschwader 7 which operated the then revolutionary Me 262 jet fighter. Claiming a further eight aerial victories, he was forced to bail out when his aircraft was shot down by Lieutenant Joseph Peterburs flying in his P-51 Mustang on 10 April 1945. Schuck sustained minor injuries, preventing him from flying further combat missions.
Childhood, education and early career
Schuck was born on 30 July 1920 in Frankenholz, now part of Bexbach, in the Saargebiet, at the time a region of Germany occupied and governed by the United Kingdom and France from 1920 to 1935 under a League of Nations mandate. Schuck was one of five children of Jakob Schuck, a coal miner and veteran of World War I, and his wife. After graduation from the Volksschule, he unsuccessfully applied for an apprenticeship at the coal mine in Falkenhorst. Money was tight in the family and higher education was out of reach. He then jobbed at a local brickyard. After a plebiscite on 13 January 1935, Saar was restored to Germany on 1 March 1935. The introduction of the compulsory military service on 16 March 1935 was seen by Schuck as a career opportunity and a chance to fulfil his dream of flying. His father, who had experienced the trench warfare during World War I, advised him to take every opportunity to avoid service in the infantry. Schuck volunteered for service in the Luftwaffe of the Wehrmacht at the age of 16, before he could be conscripted into the infantry.Schuck received a letter in early 1937 that he had been accepted by the Luftwaffe. Prior to enlisting he had to complete his six months of the Reich Labour Service, which he began on 3 April 1937. His recruit training began in November 1937 with the 2. Fliegerersatzabteilung 24 in Quakenbrück. On 1 April 1938 he was transferred to the Flughafenbetriebskompanie of Kampfgeschwader 254 to Gütersloh. Initially Schuck was tasked with security guard duties before he was assigned to help a fellow soldier, a truck driver, haul material around the airbase. Schuck did not possess a driver's license, but he was unofficially taught how to drive the 3-tonne Mercedes truck. This impressed his commanding officer, Hauptmann Schneiderberger, who transferred him to the glider pilot school at Schüren, near Meschede in the Sauerland, after the Sudeten Crisis. After a few weeks at Schüren, Schuck returned to Gütersloh in mid-November 1938.
In February 1939, Schuck attended a three-month course at the Luftfahrttechnische Schule at Bonn-Hangelar. Following this, he was transferred back to Quakenbrück, this time to the A/B Fliegerschule of Fliegerausbildungsregiment 82. Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations. Schuck logged his first solo flight after only 18 takeoff and landings. Normally the first solo flight was flown after 30 to 40 accompanied flights. Schuck completed his B2 flight training just prior to the start of the Battle of France on 10 May 1940. He received his A/B pilot license on 14 May 1940.
Schuck initially wanted to become an aerial reconnaissance pilot, flying the Dornier Do 17. However, due to disciplinary problems following unauthorized aerobatics on a Focke-Wulf Fw 56 "Stösser" and an open conflict with his commanding officer, Oberleutnant Brunner, Schuck ran the risk of a potential court-martial. To avoid further escalations Schuck was transferred to the Jagdfliegerschule at Werneuchen. He arrived at Werneuchen on 16 June 1940 where he was assigned to the 3. Staffel. The entire Gruppe was under the command of Oberleutnant Klaus Quaet-Faslem. Schuck's fighter pilot instructor was Oberfeldwebel Hobe, who was aware of Schuck's disciplinary history. Hobe commented "Schuck, we don't want problems here. We now go on a test flight and I am sure that you will be leaving afterwards". Fearful that this might have end his flying career, Schuck followed Hobe's every maneuver, which impressed Quaet-Faslem who had witnessed their test flight. Schuck's flying career was saved. At Werneuchen the pilots were first trained on the Messerschmitt Bf 109 B-2, later the Bf 109 E-1, which had a more powerful engine. Schuck scored more than 90% hits during target practice, the highest score then achieved at Werneuchen. After his graduation from the fighter pilot school, he was transferred to the 3. Staffel of Ergänzungsjagdgruppe Merseburg on 2 September 1940.
World War II
Schuck's first operational assignment was with Jagdgeschwader 3 in October 1940, when I. Gruppe JG 3 was tasked to give top cover to Adolf Hitler en route to Belgium, which was not known at the time. There he was assigned to the Ergänzungsjagdgruppe 3 under the command of Oberleutnant Hans-Curt Graf von Sponeck, son of Hans Graf von Sponeck. On 25 October 1940, Schuck's Bf 109 E-3 veered off the runway at Saint-Omer-Wizernes. In this accident, Schuck was injured and the aircraft destroyed. According to his own account, he suffered a concussion and was hospitalized. After his release, he was promoted to Unteroffizier on 1 December. Schuck claims that his nickname "Sohndel" was given to him by his friend Franz Dörr. Dörr, who was seven years older than Schuck, became a fatherly figure to him and the nickname stuck.Ergänzungsjagdgruppe 3 was moved to Esbjerg on 8 September 1941. On 29 December 1941, the unit received the order from the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe that it would be detached from JG 3 on 31 December and was renamed to 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 and subordinated as an autonomous Staffel to Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen. Relocation north began on 2 January 1942, at first to Stavanger-Forus and then to Bodø on 1 February. On 24 April 7. Staffel arrived in Pechenga, also referred to as Petsamo, where it was subordinated to III. Gruppe of JG 5 under the command of Hauptmann Günther Scholz.
The Arctic Front
Schuck claimed his first victory on 15 May 1942, a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3. On 5 June 1942, he claimed four Soviet fighters shot down. Schuck was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class on 14 June 1942. The presentation was made by Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff on account of his II. and III. Gruppe visit at Pechenga on 19 June. In July 1942, a new 9. Staffel was created from elements of 7. and 8. Staffel. The former 9. Staffel was renamed to 10. Staffel thus becoming a squadron of IV. Gruppe. Schuck was promoted to Feldwebel on 1 December 1942. At 06:03 and 06:05 on 19 March 1943, claimed his 27th and 28th aerial victory over two Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk fighters flying at an altitude of. By April 1943, Schuck had claimed 34 victories against the Soviets. On 24 June 1943, he was awarded the German Cross in Gold.On 3 September 1943, 9. Staffel was scrambled to fend off an inbound attack on Pechenga airfield. Parts of 9. Staffel encountered a flight of five Hawker Hurricane fighters approximately east of Murmashi. During this encountered, three Hurricanes were claimed shot down, including two by Schuck. At 14:25 on 12 September 1943, Schuck and his wingman Unteroffizier Hermann Amend encountered a flight of P-40s in the vicinity of Murmashi. In this engagement, Schuck claimed two victories. Later that day at 17:02, Schuck claimed another P-40 destroyed, taking his total to 46 aerial victories.
JG 5 flew multiple missions from Pechenga and Kirkenes in protection of a German convoy on 14 September. At 17:03, a Rotte of Bf 109 G-2s sighted and reported an enemy formation consisting of Douglas A-20 Havoc, also known as "Boston" bombers, Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft, as well as Bell P-39 Airacobra and Hurricane fighters. At 18:15, 9. Staffel was scrambled at Pechenga and 5. Staffel at Svartnes. A bit later further Bf 109s from 4., 7. and 5. Staffel took off. The Germans intercepted the Soviet formation east of Ekkerøy over the Varangerfjord. In this aerial engagement, Schuck claimed the destruction of three P-39s and one Il-2. These four claims took his number of aerial victories to 50 and earned him a congratulatory note from Generaloberst Stumpff, at the time commander-in-chief of Luftflotte 5. Schuck was promoted to Oberfeldwebel on 1 October 1943.
In 1944, III. Gruppe flew its first mission in force on 29 January. That day, all three Staffeln took off at 11:40 and encountered a number of Yakovlev Yak-7 fighters from 122 IAD PVO south of Murmashi. During this encounter, III. Gruppe pilots filed four claims including two claims by Schuck. However, Soviet records only account for the loss of one aircraft. On 17 March, III. Gruppe was again tasked with providing a fighter escort for an inbound German convoy. In the timeframe 10:49 to 11:13, III. Gruppe claimed 17 aerial victories, including four by Schuck. At 15:17 that day, III. Gruppe was scrambled again and Schuck claimed three further aerial victories, making him an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time.
At 05:40 on 7 April, Schuck and his wingman Feldwebel Josef Bößenecker take off from Pechenga, providing escort for a westbound convoy. On this mission, Schuck claimed the destruction of three P-40s and an Il-2 approximately west of the northern tip of the Rybachy Peninsula. Later that day, Schuck flew another convoy escort mission and claimed a P-39 shot down at 10:18 and another P-39 at 10:21, bringing his total to 84 aerial victories. On evening of the next day, Schuck received a phone call from General der Flieger Josef Kammhuber, successor of Generaloberst Stumpff as commander-in chief Luftflotte 5, who informed him that he had been awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Parts of III. Gruppe were ordered to relocate from Pechenga to Svartnes at 17:17 on 25 May 1944. At 21:00, 19 Bf 109s under the leadership of Gruppenkommandeur ''Major Heinrich Ehrler were scrambled from Svartnes to fend off approximately 80 Soviet aircraft attacking a German convoy. During this encounter, III. Gruppe claimed 33 aerial victories, including twenty "Boston" bombers, eight P-40s and five P-39s. However, Soviet records only account for five losses that day. The first aerial victory was credited to Schuck who claimed a "Boston" at 21:32 followed by five further claims, an "ace-in-a-day" achievement. The next day, Ehrler again led 19 Bf 109s from III. Gruppe in defense of the German convoy. This time the Germans reported combat with approximately 100 Soviet aircraft and claimed 40 aerial victories, among them four by Schuck. Again, Soviet records do not match this figure, they document the loss of nine aircraft.
On 28 May, III. Gruppe received an order to detach a fully staffed Staffel for service in Defense of the Reich. This Staffel was made up of pilots from 7. and 9. Staffel and augmented II. Gruppe of JG 5 which had already been chosen for service in Defense of the Reich. To retain the structure of III. Gruppe, a newly formed Kommandostaffel, later renamed to Eismeerstaffel, was created to which Schuck was assigned.
On 15 June 1944, he claimed his 100th victory on a day when he shot down 6 aircraft, another "ace-in-a-day" achievement. He was the 78th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. On 15 June 1944, as a German convoy is entering the Pechenga Bay, 7. Staffel was consistently tasked with providing fighter protection over the ships. At 19:10, the Germans were scrambled and had combat with twelve Il-2s, eight P-40s, ten P-39s and nine Yak-7s. Schuck reported the destruction of four P-40s, taking his total number of aerial victories to 101. According to the Soviet archives, none of the aircraft attacking Liinakhamari that evening failed to return. Two days later, he had his most successful day, claiming 12 aerial victories in 24 hours period. On 17 June 1944, III. Gruppe was still busy flying convoy escort missions. At 07:30, III. Gruppe took off to its largest aerial battle. That day, the Soviet Air Forces attacked with 227 aircraft. In two separate engagements, German pilots claimed 66 aerial victories. On the morning mission, the Germans claimed 36 Soviet aircraft shot down. That evening, they claimed 30 further aerial victories. These 66 claims are offset by twelve documented Soviet losses. The next day at 04:30, a reconnaissance aircraft was reported over the Zapadnaya Litsa River. Schuck and Leutnant Werner Gayko were scrambled and sighted a single Supermarine Spitfire taking pictures of the Kirkenes harbor. Diving down from to, Schuck closed the range to before firing five rounds with his 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon and thirty rounds from his MG 131 machine gun. This short burst shot down Senior Lieutenant I. J. Popowitsch from 3./118 RAP who managed to bail out wounded. This aerial victory was Schuck's 12th claim in a 24-hour period and his 113th in total. For these 12 claims, Schuck received a case of Champagne from General der Flieger'' Kammhuber.