page_title: Walter Schuck
section_title: The Arctic Front
hierarchical_section_title: Walter Schuck / World War II / The Arctic Front
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of Petsamo area in northern Finland/Soviet Union/Russia. The green area is the Finnish part of the Rybachi peninsula (Kalastajasaarento) which was ceded to the Soviet Union after the Winter War. The Red area is the Jäniskoski-Niskakoski area ceded to the Soviet Union in 1947.
context_page_description: 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 jet fighter Me 262. Claiming a further eight aerial victories, he was forced to bail out when his aircraft was shot down by a P-51 Mustang on 10 April 1945.
context_section_description: 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 (Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse) on 14 June 1940. The presentation was made by Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff on account of his II. and III. Gruppe visit at Pechenga on 19 June. By April 1943, Schuck had claimed 34 victories against the Soviets. 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 (staff sergeant) 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 6,000 meters (20,000 ft). On 24 June 1943, he was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz 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 18 kilometres (11 miles) 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 Messerschmitt 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 congratulation note from Generaloberst (Colonel General) Hans-Jürgen Stumpff, at the time commander-in-chief of Luftflotte 5. Schuck was promoted to Oberfeldwebel (senior staff sergeant) 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 (Istrebitel'naya Aviatsionnaya Diviziya Protivo-Vozdushnaya Oborona—Fighter Aviation Division of the Home Air Defense) 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 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) 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 (General of the Aviators) 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 (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes).
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caption: Area of operations.
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