On 10 April 1945 the Group was escorting 450+ b-17s to targets in Oranienburg an area near Berlin. Just as the bombers were unloading, a swarm of Me 262 turbojets hit the formation. Lt. Peterburs was flying high cover and saw a 262 slicing through the B-17s. Before he could latch on to the 262 he had blown 4 B-17s out of the sky, 2 of which Peterburs saw him destroy. Peterburs had considerable altitude advantage and pulled into the 262s 6 0’clock with his six .50 calibers blazing. Peterburs saw hits and smoke on the 262s left wing and engine but broke off the chase when the 262 entered a cloud bank. 60 years later Peterburs found out that the damage he inflicted on the Me 262 resulted in the engine disintegrating and the pilot bailing out. The pilot of the Me 262 was Oberleunant Walter Schuck, a top German Ace with 206 confirmed air victories. Shortly after breaking off the 262 Peterburs started strafing an airfield and after a couple too many passes his aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire and he headed for friendly territory. Before pulling off from his attack on the airfield he damaged several hangers and destroyed 5 enemy aircraft on the ground. Unfortunately he was unable to make it back to friendly lines and had to bail out over Burg, Germany, immediately captured and became a POW. He escaped joined the Russians and fought with them to the battle of Wittenberg on the Elbe.
From 1945 until 1950 he held command and administrative non-flying jobs. However, he continued to fly B-25s and C-47s to maintain proficiency. In June 1947 at 22 years old he was promoted to Captain. In late 1947 he resigned his commission to accept the permanent rating of Master Sergeant. He served as Chief of the Military Pay Division of the Finance Office at Sheppard AFB, Texas until November 1950 when he was recalled to commissioned status. He was appointed Director of the Commercial Accounts Division at the Accounting and Disbursing Office, Chanute AFB, Illinois. In December 1951 he was assigned to the 12th Squadron of the 18th Fighter Bomber Group flying F-51Ds out of its forward operating base at Hoengsong (K-46), Korea. Captain Peterburs had not flown a P-51 since the day he was shot down over Germany. After about 5 hours of re-familiarization he was flying combat. He flew 76 close air support and interdiction missions over North Korea sustaining battle damage on several including a .50 caliber through the prop and small arms fire in the cockpit and face. While assigned to the 18th he was Squadron flight leader, Assistant Group operations officer and Group training officer.
After his tour in Korea he was assigned to Tyndal AFB, Fl. where he was Operations Officer for a flying support unit flying F-51Hs and later F-80 A & Bs and the T-33. In 1954 he participated in an Atomic bomb test at Camp Desert Rock, Nevada where he sat in a trench under a 20 kiloton bomb blast. In January 1955 he ejected from a T-33 with a fire in the plenum chamber. In the 1950s Major Peterburs served a tour in Newfoundland, in the early 1960s a tour at NORAD Headquarters and from 1965 to 1967 a tour with RAF Fighter Command Headquarters at Bushy Heath, England.
In the fall of 1967 Lt. Colonel Peterburs was assigned to 7th Air Force Headquarters, Viet Nam as staff operations officer for command and control in the war zone. During Tet the Viet Cong were able to lob a 122 mm rocket into his barracks; blowing up his room while he slept. From 1968 until 1972 he was director of the 31st NORAD Region Combat Operations Center; promoted to Colonel in 1969 he assumed the position of Director of Operations for the 507th Tactical Air Control Group.
From 1972 to 1978 he was assigned to Germany and held positions as the Air Liaison Officer to the US Army’s 7th Corps Commander, simultaneous Commander of the 600th and 601st Tactical Air Control Groups and then Deputy Commander for Tactical Control of the 601st Tactical Control Wing.
In 1979 Colonel Peterburs retired after over 36 years and 5 months of active military service. He is a Command Pilot with over 2000 hours conventional and 2000 hours jet time, 125 Combat Missions, 407 Combat Hours; a Master Air Weapons Controller and an inductee into the USAF Air Weapons Controller Hall of Fame. His military decorations include: The Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross w/1olc, Bronze Star w/1olc, Purple Heart w/1olc, Air Medal w/7olc, POW Medal and 32 other medals and decorations.
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