Walter Schuck Walter Schuck ( born 20 July 1920 ) is a former German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1937 until the end of World War II . He claimed 206 enemy aircraft shot down in over 500 combat missions , eight of which while flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter . For these achievements , Schuck received the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ( ) . The Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership . Born in the " Saargebiet " ( Territory of the Saar Basin ) , Schuck volunteered for service in the Luftwaffe of the Third Reich 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 ( JG 5 — 5th Fighter Wing ) , 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 ( JG 7 — 7th Fighter Wing ) 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 . Schuck sustained minor injuries preventing him from flying further combat missions . Childhood , education and early career . Walter Schuck was born on 20 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 " ( primary school ) , 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 , the " Saargebiet " 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 fulfill his dream of flying . His father , who had experienced the trench warfare during World War I , gave him the advice to take every opportunity to avoid service in the infantry . Subsequently Schuck volunteered for service in the Luftwaffe of the Wehrmacht at the age of 16 before being conscripted into the infantry . Schuck received a letter in early 1937 that he had been accepted by the Luftwaffe . Prior to joining the military he had to complete his six month of " Reichsarbeitsdienst " ( Reich Labour Service ) which he began on 3 April 1937 . His recruit training began in November 1937 with the 2 . " Fliegerersatzabteilung " 24 ( 2nd Flier Replacement Unit 24 ) in Quakenbrück . On 1 April 1938 he was transferred to the " Flughafenbetriebskompanie " ( Airport Operation Company ) of Kampfgeschwader 254 ( KG 254 — 254th Bomber Wing ) to Gütersloh . Initially Schuck was tasked with security guard duties before he was assigned to help a fellow soldier , a truck driver , hauling material around the airbase . Though Schuck did not possess a drivers license , he was unofficially taught how to drive the 3 - tonne Mercedes truck . This impressed his commanding officer , " Hauptmann " ( Captain ) 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 " ( aeronautical technical school ) at Bonn - Hangelar . Following this course he was transferred back to Quakenbrück , this time to the A / B " Fliegerschule " ( flight school for the pilot license ) of " Fliegerausbildungsregiment " 82 ( flight training regiment ) . 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 landing s . 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 " ( fighter pilot school ) at Werneuchen . He arrived at Werneuchen on 16 June 1940 where he was assigned to the 3 . " Staffel " ( 3rd squadron ) . 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 may end his flying career Schuck followed Hobe ' s every maneuver which positively 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 stronger engine . Schuck scored more than 90 % hits during target practice , the highest score at the time at Werneuchen . After his graduation from the fighter pilot school he was transferred to the 3 . " Staffel " of " Ergänzungsjagdgruppe " Merseburg ( Supplementary Fighter Group ) on 2 September 1940 . World War II . After a spell with Jagdgeschwader 3 ( JG 3 — 3rd Fighter Wing ) in October 1940 , when I . / JG 3 was tasked to give top cover to Adolf Hitler en route to Belgium , which wasn ' t known at the time . The Arctic Front . Schuck was posted to 7 " Staffel " , Jagdgeschwader 5 ( JG 5 — 5th Fighter Wing ) in April 1942 , flying on the Arctic Front . He claimed his first victory on 15 May 1942 , a Mikoyan - Gurevich MiG - 3 . On 5 June he shot down four Russian fighters and by April 1943 he had claimed 54 victories against the Soviets . In April 1944 he was awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross for his score of 84 kills . On 15 June 1944 he claimed his 100th victory on a day when he shot down 6 aircraft . Two days later he had his most successful day , claiming 12 victories in 24 hours , a feat never surpassed in JG 5 . In August he became commander of 10 " Staffel " , JG 5 . His new responsibility of " Staffelkapitän " ( squadron leader ) did not come easily to Schuck , and discipline in 10 . / JG 5 deteriorated to the point that " Geschwaderkommodore " Heinrich Ehrler intervened with Schuck , before Schuck managed to restore the necessary military discipline . A few days after claiming his 171st aerial victory , Schuck was wounded by glass splinters that struck his cheek and nose . A splinter penetrated his jaw and got stuck in one of his teeth . To remove this splinter he required surgery . While in the hospital recovering from this operation , Schuck received notice that he had been awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves . The presentation of the Oak Leaves was made on 7 November 1944 at the " Reichsluftfahrtministerium " ( RLM — Ministry of Aviation ) in Berlin by " Reichsmarschall " Hermann Göring . Schuck received this award together with twelve other soldiers on this day , among them were the " Fallschirmjäger " " Generalmajor " Heinz Trettner , " Oberst " Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte , and the ground attack and bomber pilots " Hauptmann " Franz Kieslich and " Hauptmann " Diether Lukesch . Schuck was the only fighter pilot so honored on this day . On New Year ' s Day 1945 Theodor Weissenberger married his teenage love Cilly Vogel . Best man at his wedding was Walter Schuck . Flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 . After leaving JG 5 " Oberleutnant " Schuck was trained on the Messerschmitt Me 262 Jet fighter and in early March 1945 was asked by " Geschwaderkommodore " ( wing commander ) Theodor Weissenberger to join Jagdgeschwader 7 ( JG 7 — 7th Fighter Wing ) . His maiden flight on the Me 262 was on 20 March 1945 . After a few more familiarizing flights on the Me 262 , Schuck and another pilot took off on 24 March 1945 to familiarize themselves with the high altitude characteristics of the aircraft . Cruising at an altitude of , flight control informed them of enemy fighters in the vicinity . Schuck immediately set course for the enemy formation and spotted one P - 38 Lightning and two P - 51 Mustang fighters . In the resulting combat Schuck shot down the two P - 51 fighters but the P - 38 Lightning escaped . After Hans Waldmann was killed in a flying accident on 18 March 1945 , Weissenberger appointed Schuck " Staffelkapitän " of the 3rd " Staffel " on 26 March replacing " Oberleutnant " Walter Wagner , who had briefly led 3rd " Staffel " . On 7 April Schuck shot down a P - 38 F - 5 Recon piloted by Captain William T . Heily from the 30th Reconnaissance Squadron , Ninth Air Force . On 10 April 1945 he claimed four B - 17 Flying Fortress es shot down . One of the bombers was " Henn ' s Revenge " of the 303rd Bombardment Group , and another was " Moonlight Mission " of the 457th Bombardment Group . Shortly afterwards , his Me 262 was hit by a P - 51 Mustang of the fighter escort , piloted by Lt . Joseph Anthony Peterburs of the 55th Fighter Squadron , 20th Fighter Group Schuck having to bail out . Schuck sprained both ankles upon landing and the war ended before he recovered . In 2005 Schuck met Peterburs in person during a visit to the US .