Walter Schuck (born July 20th, 1920) is a German fighter pilot ace who served in the German Air Force from 1937 until the end of World War II. He flew more than 500 combat missions, shooting down 206 enemy aircraft, eight of them during the flight with the Messerschmitt Me 262. For these achievements Walter Schuck was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves was awarded to honor extreme bravery on the battlefield or successful military leadership. Born in the Saar region, Schuck volunteered for service with the Third Reich Air Force in 1936 and was drafted in 1937. After training at various pilot and fighter pilot schools, he was transferred in April 1942 to Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5) at the northernmost section of the Eastern Front, the Arctic Front, in April of 1942. In April, 1944, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 84 aerial victories. After his 171st air victory, he was injured in combat and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves while convalescing. At the beginning of 1945, Schuck switched to the Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7), which was then using the revolutionary Me 262 jet fighter. Having won another eight air victories, he had to bail out when his plane was shot down by a P-51 Mustang on April 10th, 1945. Schuck suffered minor injuries, which prevented him from flying further combat missions. Walter Schuck shot down 206 aircraft during the Second World War.
