Günther Schack
Hauptmann

Günther Schack

    Günther Schack was born on 12 November 1917 at Bartenstein in East Prussia. He attempted to join the Luftwaffe in 1937 but was refused on medical grounds. However, he was accepted when he tried again on 2 September 1939. Following fighter pilot training, Schack was posted to JG 51 on 18 March 1941. Gefreiter Schack was assigned to 7./JG 51. Unteroffizier Schack gained his first victory over the Eastern Front on 23 July. He recorded his 3rd victory on his 100th mission on 10 November. By 30 July 1942, he had flown 250 missions and had five victories to his credit. By 15 August he had increased his tally to 18. On 17 December, III./JG 51 having re-equipped with the Fw 190 A-4, he shot down five Russian Pe-2 twin-engined bombers on his first mission with the new fighter, to record his 19th through 23rd victories. On 29 January 1943, III./JG 51 was escorting a group of Stukas in the vicinity of Novosil when they intercepted a formation of Pe-2s. In the subsequent aerial combat, Feldwebel Schack claimed eight Pe-2s (24-31). He shot down a further five enemy aircraft on 23 February (33-37). He recorded his 40th victory on 8 March. Following his 48th victory, recorded on 1 April, Schack was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost for a spell of instructing. Schack returned to JG 51 on 5 July 1943. He was assigned to 8./JG 51. He claimed four enemy aircraft shot down on 15 July (49-52). He claimed 10 victories in July and 40 in August. From 20 August he was acting Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 51. On 27 August, Schack collided with Oberfeldwebel Lothar Mai (45 victories, DK-G). Mai failed to extricate himself from his damaged aircraft and crashed to his death. Schack managed to successfully bring his damaged aircraft back to his airfield. Operating from Konotop on 1 September, Schack flew four missions and was forced to belly-land after each of them! He shot down his 100th victim on 3 September. On 26 October, Leutnant Schack was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 116 victories. On 9 December 1943, Schack was appointed Staffelkapitän of 9./JG 51. He was awarded the Eichenlaub (No. 460) on 20 April 1944 for 133 victories. On 6 August, while intercepting a formation of B-17s over the Eastern Front, his Bf 109 G-6 was hit by the bombers’ defensive fire. He was then attacked by the escorting P-51 Mustangs but was able to belly-land behind the German lines. He recorded his 150th victory on 13 August. On 6 October, Schack was shot down in Bf 109 G-6 “Yellow 13” (W.Nr. 165 559). He baled out wounded. This was the fourth time that Schack had had to bale out. The previous incidents had occurred on 22 October 1941, 16 January 1944 and 17 September. Schack had 161 victories to his credit at this time. Hauptmann Schack was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 51 on 16 December 1944. By 7 April 1945, he had claimed a further 13 Russian aircraft destroyed but again had to bale out following aerial combat on 12 April. He suffered serious burns on this occasion. On 23 April 1945, I./JG 51 was disbanded and on 1 May Schack was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV./JG 3, a position he held until the end of the war.
    Günther Schack was credited with 174 victories in 780 missions. He claimed all his victories over the Eastern Front. He was shot down 15 times during his combat career.
 
No
Date
Time
A/c Type
Unit
Location / Comments
1
23.7.1941
-
 E/a 7./JG 51 -
3
10.11.1941
-
 E/a 7./JG 51 -
4
20.7.1942
8:32
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Liza-Bucht
5
30.7.1942
-
 E/a 7./JG 51 -
6
1.8.1942
14:10
 Il-2 7./JG 51 47 642
18
15.10.1942
-
 E/a 7./JG 51 -
19
17.12.1942
-
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Velikiye Luki area
20
17.12.1942
-
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Velikiye Luki area
21
17.12.1942
-
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Velikiye Luki area
22
17.12.1942
-
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Velikiye Luki area
23
17.12.1942
-
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Velikiye Luki area
24
29.1.1943
-
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Near Novosil
25
29.1.1943
-
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Near Novosil
26
29.1.1943
-
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Near Novosil
27
29.1.1943
-
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Near Novosil
28
29.1.1943
-
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Near Novosil 
29
29.1.1943
-
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Near Novosil
30
29.1.1943
-
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Near Novosil
31
29.1.1943
-
 Pe-2 7./JG 51 Near Novosil
32
11.2.1943
-
 E/a 7./JG 51 -
33
23.2.1943
-
 LaGG-3 7./JG 51 -
34
23.2.1943
-
 LaGG-3 7./JG 51 -
35
23.2.1943
-
 LaGG-3 7./JG 51 -
36
23.2.1943
-
 E/a 7./JG 51 -
37
23.2.1943
-
 E/a 7./JG 51 -
40
8.3.1943
-
 E/a 7./JG 51 -
48
1.4.1943
-
 E/a 7./JG 51 -
49
15.7.1943
-
 E/a 8./JG 51 -
50
15.7.1943
-
 E/a 8./JG 51 -
51
15.7.1943
-
 E/a 8./JG 51 -
52
15.7.1943
-
 E/a 8./JG 51 -
?
1.8.1943
10:10
 LaGG-5 8./JG 51 64 515, 2800m
?
1.8.1943
10:11
 LaGG-5 8./JG 51 64 519, 2800m
?
2.8.1943
5:36
 LaGG-5 8./JG 51 63 312, 1800m
?
2.8.1943
17:10
 Il-2 8./JG 51 54 84, 200m
?
2.8.1943
19:10
 LaGG-5 8./JG 51 53 475, 2200m
?
2.8.1943
19:13
 LaGG-5 8./JG 51 53 453, 2000m
?
7.8.1943
15:55
 LaGG-3 8./JG 51 NNW Kirov, 3000m
?
8.8.1943
11:58
 Il-2 8./JG 51 26 859, 100m
?
8.8.1943
13:05
 Yak-9 8./JG 51 26 699, 4000m
?
8.8.1943
18:15
 LaGG-3 8./JG 51 E Jelnja, 4500m
?
8.8.1943
18:17
 LaGG-5 8./JG 51 ESE Jelnja, 4000m
70
9.8.1943
-
 E/a 8./JG 51 -
71
13.8.1943
-
 E/a 8./JG 51 -
72
13.8.1943
-
 E/a 8./JG 51 -
73
13.8.1943
-
 E/a 8./JG 51 -
74
13.8.1943
-
 E/a 8./JG 51 -
75
13.8.1943
-
 E/a 8./JG 51 -
90
27.8.1943
-
 E/a 7./JG 51 -
91
27.8.1943
-
 E/a 7./JG 51 -
100
3.9.1943
-
 E/a 7./JG 51 -
?
4.10.1943
12:43
 Yak-7 7./JG 51 92 615, 3500m
?
4.10.1943
15:32
 Il-2 7./JG 51 W Chernobyl, 600m
?
5.10.1943
15:58
 Yak-7 7./JG 51 Ippernigno, 800m
116
29.10.1943
-
 E/a 8./JG 51 -
119
10.1.1944
14:19
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 03 215
120
10.1.1944
14:44
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 06 769
121
12.1.1944
11:14
 La-5FN 9./JG 51 93 611, 200m
122
12.1.1944
11:30
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 93 475, 400m
123
13.1.1944
13:02
 Pe-2 9./JG 51 93 819, 10m
124
15.1.1944
14:20
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 93 447, 1500m
125
16.1.1944
9:55
 Il-2 9./JG 51 93 626, 300m
126
6.2.1944
9:45
 La-5 9./JG 51 96 654, 2000m
127
6.2.1944
11:20
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 96 992, 2000m
128
6.2.1944
11:35
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 96 657, 2500m
129
21.2.1944
15:30
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 03 176, 500m
130
21.2.1944
15:32
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 03 149, 500m
131
21.2.1944
15:41
 Pe-2 9./JG 51 04 726, 1300m
132
23.2.1944
14:37
 La-5 9./JG 51 04 453
133
20.4.1944
10:19
 Yak-7 9./JG 51 42 841
134
30.5.1944
16:55
 Yak-7 9./JG 51 42 735
135
25.6.1944
7:38
 LaGG-5 9./JG 51 93 193
136
25.6.1944
13:35
 Pe-2 9./JG 51 93 221
137
25.6.1944
13:47
 P-39 9./JG 51 94 863
138
28.6.1944
15:11
 P-39 9./JG 51 84 829
139
4.7.1944
12:33
 Il-2 9./JG 51 62 131
140
7.7.1944
19:07
 LaGG-5 9./JG 51 54 719
142
16.7.1944
18:26
 LaGG-5 9./JG 51 50 356
143
26.7.1944
13:18
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 45 119
144
1.8.1944
11:00
 LaGG-5 9./JG 51 25 437
145
1.8.1944
11:07
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 25 491
146
2.8.1944
10:36
 Il-2 9./JG 51 34 433
147
2.8.1944
10:39
 Il-2 9./JG 51 24 434
148
12.8.1944
12:37
 Il-2 9./JG 51 24 624
149
12.8.1944
16:56
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 24 697
150
13.8.1944
14:57
 Il-2 9./JG 51 24 626
151
17.8.1944
6:55
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 36 347
152
17.8.1944
16:10
 LaGG-5 9./JG 51 26 283
153
19.8.1944
17:04
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 36 319
154
19.8.1944
17:12
 Il-2 9./JG 51 36 345
155
23.8.1944
19:05
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 27 491
156
26.8.1944
19:08
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 27 437
157
27.8.1944
18:50
 P-39 9./JG 51 37 518
158
28.8.1944
12:32
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 37 514
159
28.8.1944
16:04
 P-39 9./JG 51 37 343
160
29.8.1944
18:27
 LaGG-5 9./JG 51 37 373
161
16.9.1944
9:33
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 17 383
162
16.9.1944
9:45
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 17 628
163
16.9.1944
17:01
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 17 665
164
16.9.1944
17:07
 Yak-9 9./JG 51 27 537
165
29.9.1944
11:00
 Pe-2 9./JG 51 27 594
166
29.9.1944
11:20
 Pe-2 9./JG 51 17 628

 
Victories : 174
Awards : Ehrenpokal (16 January 1943)
                Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (26 February 1943)
                Ritterkreuz (29 October 1943)
                Eichenlaub (20 April 1944)
Units : JG 51, JG 3
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