"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 . On 24 June 1943, he was awarded the German Cross 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 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.