Red Baron- The German Ace Of World War I
By: Karthick Nambi
Tags: Culture, Aviation, Society, War, History

Red Baron- The German Ace Of World War I

Respected by friends and foes, Manfred Von Richthofen made an impact in the early days of the German air force.

Manfred Von Richthofen.Source-Wikipedia

It was a battlefield over Arras. A bright red aircraft ran havoc on enemies. The plane’s pilot was a German and the most feared person of the great war, Manfred Von Richthofen. Though his enemies shot him, he received a full military honor funeral by his enemies. His friends and foes called him the Red Baron.

The Dawn Of Air Force:

The Jasta squadron.Source-Wikipedia

Richthofen was born in Kleinburg to an aristocratic family. He joined the military school at the age of 11 and was a German cavalry in charge at 18. As European superpowers pushed the world into World War I, Richthofen fought in trenches of Verdun. His boredom soon kicked in, and he wanted something exciting. Richthofen enrolled in the newly formed German air corps. After his training, he joined the Jasta 2 division.

Air Corps opened a new area of combat in World War I. The Italians were the first to use aircraft to attack their enemies in Africa. Soon nations around the world took lessons from it and started to develop their air crops. Germany had an air corps and even a Zeppelin division for aerial attacks. The advancement in technology brought new challenges to the field of warfare. Richthofen registered his first kill on September 17, 1916, and his kill count rose every month. Richthofen took on the British ace Major Lanoe Hawker in November that year.

The Red Baron:

His aircraft.Source-Wikipedia

As a rising star in the German air force, Richthofen became the leader of Jasta 11 in January 1917. Only after this, he painted his plane in red color and earned the name the Red Baron. His team proved vital during the Battle of Arras. His squadron was soon called the Flying circus. His unit had some of the best aces of the German air-force, including Hermann Göring. Hermann Göring will rise to prominence in the Nazi regime after World War I. He and his team became a propaganda material for German war efforts. They went on tour across Germany, dined with the Kaiser to boost the German people’s morale.

In July, in one of the dogfights over France, Richthofen was hit by a bullet. He crashed his aircraft and fractured his skull. He received medical attention, and the doctors advised him not to fly again. Richthofen brushed aside the doctor’s recommendations and started his combat spree. In April 1918, his tally rose to 80. But he ran out of luck soon.

Death And Honor:

Funeral.Source-Wikipedia

On April 21, 1918, while fighting inside enemy lines, Richthofen aircraft was shot by an Australian or British pilot. His plane crashed into a nearby field, and he died on the spot. His loss was a massive blow to the morale of the German air force. Richthofen developed such a reputation that many British pilots wanted him to be captured alive rather than dead. Due to this respect, Britain cremated Richthofen with full military honor. He was buried in Britain, probably the only German pilot to receive such recognition. His gravestone read

“To Our Gallant and Worthy Foe.”

After the war, his family reburied him in their family villa.

In 1933 as the Nazi party came to power, it criticized the Jews in Germany as the reason for the defeat in World War I. Many ex veterans from World War I joined the Nazi party and boosted its propaganda. Richthofen was given prominence in this propaganda, and his body was removed from his family plot and moved to Berlin. Praised even by his foe Richthofen was probably the most respected German ace of both World Wars.

YouTube Link: