Rybin, Y. Luftwaffe ace Walter Schuck researched / Christer Bergstrom, Yuriy Rybin. - Sweden : [s. l.], 2019. - 190 p. : ill.

WALTER SCHUCK Oberleutnant Horst Carganico and his 6./JG 5. 6./JG 5, the “Expertenstaffel”, was a legend both in the Luftwaffe, the Army and the German Navy in the Far North. It had been the first German fighter unit in this sector. The Staffelkapitan, Oberleutnant Horst Car­ ganico, carried the Knight’s Cross and was credited with around forty victories. The pilots of the two Staffeln sat together in the airfield’s mess barrack. The newcomers eagerly listened to the advise from the 6th Staffel vet­ erans, although Schuck got the impression that the 6th Staffel guys sometimes were exaggerating things a bit. A radio on a shelf was playing music. A couple of 6th Staffel pilots excused themselves and went into a small adjacent room. “You know,” said one of the remaining 6th Staffel pilots. “We know ‘Ivan’ quite well here. He is using very strong transmitters on a mountain near the Kola Bay, and often by the time news is on German radio, Ivan interrupts it with his propaganda.” He had hardly stopped speaking before the music in the radio stopped. Then the radio crackled. All talking in the room died down. “Listen!” said one of the 6th Staffel men. Everyone cocked up their ears. Even Hauptmann Graf von Sponeck, who sat slightly aside together with Oberleutnant Carganico, was concentrated on the radio. Then a strident male voice was heard from the radio’s loudspeaker, bringing forward a message in German but with a Russian accent: “Here is a message to our enemies: We have had enough of one of you filthy Messerschmitt pilots!” The whole room froze. The men looked at each other. It was both fascinating and scary. They were being almost personally addressed by the Soviets! Then the radio voice continued, this time in a lower, more threat­ ening tone: “I am talking about Oberleutnant Horst Carganico!” All eyes were immediately directed towards Ober­ leutnant Carganico. Schuck could see how the famous fighter ace grew pale as the radio message was contin­ ued: “This Carganico... Just wait until we lay our hands on him! We will not forgive him for what he has done! We will cut him to pieces, we will shred him alive!” Completely startled, Oberleutnant Carganico bolted out of his chair. “Herr Graf von Sponeck, did you hear that, did you hear that?” he stuttered. “That’s outrageous! I won’t fly over enemy territory any more! I won’t do it!” The confusion was further increased when half the 6th Staffel men suddenly burst out into a roaring laugh­ ter. At first, Schuck could not understand anything. Then it was revealed: The two men who previously had left the room, had talked into the loudspeaker via a microphone from outside the building. The whole thing was a prank, and the man with the “Russian” voice entered the room, with tears running from laughter.