Horst Carganico

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Horst Carganico
Oberleutnant Horst Carganico.JPG
Nickname Niko
Birth date 27 September 1917
Place of birth Breslau, Lower Silesia, Province of Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date ⚔ 27 May 1944 (aged 26)
Place of death Chevry near Taintrux, French State
Resting place Forest Cemetery (Waldfriedhof) Berlin-Zehlendorf-Dahlem
Allegiance  National Socialist Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe eagle.jpg Luftwaffe
Years of service 1937–1944
Rank Major
Unit JG 136
JG 333
JG 1
JG 77
JG 5
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Iron Cross
German Cross in Gold
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Relations Eva Stärke (fiancée)

Horst Carganico (27 September 1917 – 27 May 1944) was a German officer of the Wehrmacht and fighter pilot (Jagdflieger) of the Luftwaffe during World War II. The successful fighter ace flew over 600 combat missions (Feindflüge) and was credited with shooting down a total of 60 Allied aircraft: 54 Soviet and six over the Western Front (USAAF and RAF).

Life

Messerschmitt Bf 109
Horst Carganico, Traueranzeige und Grabbilder.jpg

Carganico was the son of Major General Victor Carganico (murdered by Russians on 27 May 1945 at the vast estate Gut Neugrimnitz near Angermünde). He was involved in aviation from an early age, as his father was also a pilot. The secret training on an old LVG C.VI from the First World War in Berlin-Johannisthal was followed in 1937 by his entry into a pilot school (Flugzeugfügrerschule; FFS A/B in Berlin-Johannisthal) of the new German Air Force. After his training, he was transferred to the 1st Group/Jagdgeschwader 136 under Major Carl Schumacher. In May 1938, the group had been equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 B.

In October 1938, in the wake of the Sudetenland crisis, the group moved to Fürth and then to Weiden in the Upper Palatinate. The transfer to Eger followed in the same month. In October 1938, the group was subordinated to Luftwaffe Group Command 3 and Luftgaukommando XIII. On 1 November 1938, the group was renamed II. Gruppe/Jagdgeschwader 333. Both groups of the new JG 333 were equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109 D-1. In March 1939, the 2nd Group started receiving the new Messerschmitt Bf 109 E. On 1 May 1939, Group I/JG 333 was incorporated into Fighter Wing 54 (JG 54) and Group II/JG 333 with Carganico into Fighter Wing 77 (JG 77).

WWII

In September 1939, it seems, he was transferred to the staff of the Fighter Wing 1 as Technical Officer (Technischer Offizier). In April 1940, at the latest, he returned to the Fighter Wing 77, serving as adjutant to Hauptmann Karl Hentschel, the commanding officer of II. Gruppe. As such, he took part in the Operation Weserübung. He served in Norway with this unit arriving there on 11 April 1940. He gained his first victory on 21 June 1940. when he claimed a RAF Hereford near Bergen. He had, in fact, shot down a RAF Beaufort attempting to bomb the German battlecruiser "Scharnhorst" near Bergen.

Several victories followed before II./JG 77 was transferred to the Channel Coast on 9 November 1940. He claimed his fifth victory on 30 November 1940, when he shot down a RAF Blenheim bomber. A promotion to 1st Lieutenant occurred around this time. Carganico was appointed commander of the 1. Squadron/JG 77 on 1 January 1941 and joined the unit operating from Sola, Norway. He transferred with the unit to Kirkenes in May 1941. He then served as squadron commander with Jagdgeschwader z.b.V. which was formed from 1., 14. and 15. Squadron/JG 77. On 25 July 1941, he shot a Russian flying boat down, but his Bf 109 E-7, he crash-landed at Petsamo airfield (Finland).

Carganico was awarded the Knight's Cross on 25 September for achieving 27 victories: only the second fighter pilot in the north to do so, first was Hugo Dahmer (1918–2006). In January 1942, I. Group/JG z.b.V. was incorporated into JG 5 as I. Group/JG 5. 1. Squadron/JG 5 was renamed 6. Squadron/JG 5 in March 1942. Carganico retained leadership of the squadron through these changes. In spring 1942, he claimed 23 victories in the six weeks to the end of June. Captain Carganico was appointed commander of the II. Group/JG 5 in April 1942.

On 22 July 1942, he lost his Bf 109 F-4 trop in forced-landing vic Murovskiy due to engine failure. He returned to his unit the next day. On 12 August 1942, Carganico was part of a Schwarm escorting a reconnaisance Fw 189 over the Liza front and Murmansk. The formation was intercepted by Russian fighters and in the ensuing combat Carganico’s aircraft received hits. The damage was sufficient to force an emergency landing in Bf 109 F-4 (W.Nr. 10,132) near Motovsk. He evaded capture and returned safely to his unit the next day. On 26 March 1944, after group commander (I. Gruppe) Erich Gerlitz had fallen, Captain Carganico was appointed commander of the 1st Group/JG 5 participating in the aerial defense of the Reich.

Mickey Mouse

Carganico was known for adding his personal ‘Mickey Mouse’ (Micky Maus) emblem to the majority of the Messerschmitt fighters he flew (in 1941, his emblem was a black Terrier, like the one he owned, inside a yellow diamond shaped background). In the six weeks from the beginning of April 1942, he would go on a scoring run which would see him claiming a further 23 victories, but as Soviet fighter effectiveness began to improve steadily during the year, he would not have everything his own way. On two separate occasions, he would be brought down over Soviet territory following combat with the VVS (Soviet Air Force), luckily managing to evade capture and return to his unit both times. Having lost his fur boots, he fought his way back through the tundra to his own lines wearing only his socks. That was the reason why his Mickey Mouse no longer had any shoes on his feet. He changed the emblem so that Mickey Mouse was dragging two shoes behind him, both with the date of one of his emergency landings.

Death

Major Carganico was ⚔ on 27 May 1944 when his Bf 109 G-5/U2 (Black <o+), after aerial combat with a terror bomber formation of the USAAF (B-17 four-engined bombers) over France on their way to Germany, crashed into the ground after hitting high tension cables while he was attempting to make a forced landing near Chevry, in area of Taintrux, 5 km south-west of St. Dié (Saint-Dizier).

Promotions

  • 1937 Fahnenjunker (Officer Candidate)
  • 1938 Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
  • c. November 1940 Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) with Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1 September 1940
  • 1942 Hauptmann (Captain)
  • 1 May 1944 Major

Awards and decorations

External links

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