Walter Schuck
| Walter Schuck | |
|---|---|
 Walter Schuck |
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| Nickname | Sohndel |
| Born | 20 July 1920 Frankenholz, Saarland |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |  Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1937 – 1945 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | JG 5, JG 7 |
| Commands held | 10./JG 5, 3./JG 7 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves |
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 on 8 May 1945. He was born in Frankenholz, Saarland. Serving with Jagdgeschwader 5 on the Arctic front and Jagdgeschwader 7 in North Western Europe, he claimed 206 enemy aircraft shot down in over 500 combat missions plus up to another 30 unconfirmed victories.[1] He claimed eight confirmed victories with the Me 262.[Notes 1]
Schuck's father, a coal miner and veteran of World War I, gave his son the advice to take every opportunity to avoid service in the infantry. Subsequently Schuck voluntarily joined the Luftwaffe at the age of 16.[2]
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[edit] The Arctic Front
After a spell with Jagdgeschwader 3 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.[3] Schuck was posted to 7 Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 5 in April 1942, flying on the Arctic Front. He claimed his first victory on 15 May 1942, a 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 Ritterkreuz[4] 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 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.[5]
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 with Oak Leaves.[4][6]
On New Year's Day 1945 Theodor Weissenberger married his teenage love Cilly Vogel. Best man at his wedding was Walter Schuck.[7]
[edit] 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 Theodor Weissenberger to join JG 7. 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 10,000 metres (33,000 ft), 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, Weissenberger appointed Schuck Staffelkapitän of the 3 Staffel on 26 March.[8] On 10 April 1945 he claimed four B-17 Flying Fortresses 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. [9] 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.[10]
In 2005 Schuck met Peterburs in person during a visit to the US.[11]
[edit] Awards
- Wound Badge in Black
- Order of the Cross of Liberty
- Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd class (19 May 1942)
- 1st class (14 June 1942)
- Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 23 March 1943 after 28 aerial victories[12][13]
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "500"
- German Cross in Gold on 24 June 1943 as Feldwebel in the 9./JG 5[15][16]
- Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 8 April 1944 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 7./JG 5[17]
- 616th Oak Leaves on 30 September 1944 as Leutnant and pilot in the 9./JG 5[17]
[edit] Notes
- ^ For a list of Luftwaffe Jet aces see List of German World War II jet aces
[edit] References
- Citations
- ^ Toliver and Constable 1998, p. 373.
- ^ Schuck 2007, p. 11.
- ^ Schuck 2007, p. 23.
- ^ a b Fellgiebel
- ^ Schuck 2007, pp. 164, 165.
- ^ Schuck 2007, pp. 174, 175.
- ^ Schuck 2007, p. 184.
- ^ Schuck 2007, p. 204.
- ^ Schuck 2007, pp. 212, 213.
- ^ Schuck 2007, p. 214.
- ^ Weaponology TV series, Fighter episode
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 69.
- ^ Schuck 2007, p. 93.
- ^ Schuck 2007, p. 89.
- ^ Schuck 2007, p. 114.
- ^ Patzwall and Scherzer 2001, p. 427.
- ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 686.
- Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
- Morgan, Hugh and Weal, John (1998). German Jet Aces of World War 2. Orsprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-85532-634-5.
- Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
- Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939-1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-065-6.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Schuck, Walter (2007). Abschuss! Von der Me 109 zur Me 262 Erinnerungen an die Luftkämpfe beim Jagdgeschwader 5 und 7. Helios Verlags- und Buchvertriebsgesellschaft. ISBN 978-3-938208-44-1.
- Toliver, Raymond F. and Constable, Trevor J. (1998). Das waren die Deutschen Jagdflieger-Asse 1939–1945. Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-193-0.
[edit] External links
- Walter Schuck in the German National Library catalogue (German)
- "Robert Bailey ASAA". Walter Schuck. http://www.baileyprints.com/prints/northern-knight.html. Retrieved 25 March 2007.
- "Lexikon der Wehrmacht". Walter Schuck. http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/S/SchuckW.htm. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
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German World War II jet aces
