Karaya Quartet

The Karaya Quartet was a special high-altitude fighter unit that specialized in confronting British De Havilland Mosquito light bombers, during World War II. The group was initiated by Luftwaffe Commander Herman Goering and lead by Geschwaderkommodore Hermann Graf of the Luftwaffe.

Graff was allowed to pick any pilots he wished for the new group and chose Alfred Grislawski, Ernst Süss, and Heinrich Füllgrabe. The Karaya Quartet became notorious for their lack of discipline and in his biography Alfred Grislawski wrote "In 1941 - 1943, the Karayastaffel was probably the most non-militaristic unit in the entire Wehrmacht." Once Grislawski was even threatened with a court-martial, but it was dropped when later a group of U.S. bombers approached and they realized that Grislawski must lead, because no one else was capable. In the end only two of the Karaya Quartet survived. Ernst Süss was shot dead by U.S. Fighters while parachuting, and Heinrich Füllgrabe was killed in action on the Eastern Front during the last days of the war.