[markjsheppard]

Additional information on Horst Carganico and his father.
Victor Carganico was born in Weenzen on July 15, 1887. He enlisted army in 1907 and year later was commissioned. He has been a Adjutant of Flieger Bataillon 4 from 1913 to March 1916 and became field combat flier (Feldpilot) with German and Austrian badge. With Oberleutnant rank served from March 1916 on Western front as a pilot of Roland Walfisch aircraft of Kagohl 1. His usual observer used to be Oblt. Oskar Knofe. Carganico was awarded with Prussian crown order 4th class without swords. Even during spring 1916 he took over command of Kapfstaffel 8 of Kagohl 2 using Walfisch as well as LVG C.II aircraft. One of his pilots was future legendary fighter Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen born, like Carganico´s son, in Silesia. The Kasta 8 was involved in fights on western as well as Eastern front. From June 1918 until December of same year Carganico served in Flieger Abteilung 34, 11 and Abteilung 203. Retired in December 1919.
His son Horst was born on September 27, 1917 in old German Silesian city Breslau (today Wroclaw) and entered the Luftwaffe in 1937 as a ‘Fahnenjunker’. In 1939 he was assigned to Stab JG1 as a technical officer and in the following year became Adjutant of II./JG 77 in Norway. During the summer of 1940 he opened his score sheet with five RAF coastal command aircraft.
In early 1941 he became Staffelkapitän of 1./JG77 just prior to the invasion of Russia and scored one other RAF aircraft victory. After the invasion of Russia, together with Hugo Dahmer (45 v., RK) he became the most successful fighter against Russians so far North during 1941. Carganico was the second pilot in this area to be awarded with Ritterkreuz (first came to Dahmer). Carganico received the award two days before his 24th birthday and after his 27th victory (with rank of Oberleutnant).
In early 1942 he became first Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 5 (renamed from 1./JG 77) and during spring of 1942 had achieved another 23 kills over six weeks. He was awarded the ‘Deutsches Kreuz’ in Gold on May 25, 1942.
On the 1st June 1942 until April 1944 he became the Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 5, then appointed with rank of Major as a CO of I./JG 5 in Reich Defence.
Carganico was killed on May 27, 1944 after combat with B-17’s. His Bf 109 G-5 (W. Nr. 110 087) had been hit and badly damaged. Coming into land at Chevry airfield, southwest of St. Die. France he hit High Voltage cables, crashed and was killed. Horst Carganico had over 600 combat sorties and 60 victories including 6 in West.
Victor Carganico was later executed by Russian soldiers on May 27, 1945 in Neugrimnitz farm near Angermünde, exactly one year after his son death and three weeks after the ‘official’ end of WWII!