Manfred, baron von Richthofen - World War I - HISTORY.com Manfred, baron von Richthofen A+E Networks Introduction Manfred von Richthofen (1892-1918) earned widespread fame as a World War I ace fighter pilot. After starting the war as a German cavalry officer on the Eastern Front, Richthofen served in the infantry before seeking his pilot’s license. He transferred to the Imperial Air Service in 1915, and the following year began to distinguish himself in battle. The leader of a squadron known as the Flying Circus, Richthofen developed a formidable reputation in his bright red Fokker triplane. He was credited with 80 kills before being shot down, his legend as the fearsome Red Baron enduring well after his death.

Google Manfred von Richthofen began his career in World War I as a cavalry officer on the Eastern Front, but in 1915, when detailed for quartermaster duty, he rebelled: “I have not gone to war to collect cheese and eggs, but for another purpose.” After initially failing his pilot’s license, the future “ace of aces” saw action above Verdun and Kovel. In August 1916, Baron von Richthofen joined a new fighter squadron at the Somme and recorded his first “kill” on September 17; his eightieth and last came in April 1918; on April 21 he was shot down, probably by ground fire over the Somme. Richthofen’s bright red Fokker aircraft earned him the nicknames “red knight,” “red baron,” and “diable rouge,” and his habit of moving the squadron, tents, and equipment from base to base gave rise to the sobriquet “flying circus.” The war in the air became Richthofen’s blood sport.

He possessed the courage to kill or be killed, flaunting his daring with reckless abandon and dispatching his victims in a brutal, pitiless manner. Preferring not to fight alone, he remained above his squadron in a dogfight until he spied his chance to swoop down, hawklike, upon unfortunate stragglers. “Everything in the air,” he once boasted, “belongs to me.” Many of his “kills” were, in fact, joint efforts, but were credited to Richthofen to enhance his stature as a national hero. The Reader’s Companion to American History. Eric Foner and John A. Garraty, Editors. Copyright © 1991 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Tags Manfred von Richthofen - History Learning Site Manfred von Richthofen Citation: C N Trueman "Manfred von Richthofen" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 17 Apr 2015. 16 Aug 2016. Manfred von Richthofen was Germany’s most famous fighter ace of World War One.

Richthofen was nicknamed the ‘Red Baron’ and he officially shot down 80 Allied aircraft, more than any other pilot during World War One. Richthofen was born into a Prussian aristocratic family on May 2nd 1892. He was a ‘Freiherr’, a title of nobility that translates as ‘Free Lord’ but is usually translated as ‘Baron’ – hence why Richthofen was frequently referred to as Baron von Richthofen or his nickname, the ‘Red Baron’. British pilots also called him the ‘Red Knight’ in recognition of his nobility. As a child Richthofen enjoyed hunting and horse riding. He excelled at gymnastics. At the age of 11, he started cadet training. After this training had ended, Richthofen joined a cavalry regiment. When World War One was declared, Richthofen was 22 years old and he served as a cavalry reconnaissance officer. Trench warfare made the traditional use of cavalry regiments all but impossible and Richthofen was assigned to infantry duties.

Richthofen was greatly disappointed by this, as he believed that as a cavalry officer he needed to be in the action far more than the infantry was. He applied to join the Imperial German Army Air Service and was accepted. He joined his new unit in May 1915. To start with Richthofen was not a pilot and did not train to be one. His first squadron, No 69, was used on the Eastern Front. Richthofen was used on reconnaissance missions as an observer. He was transferred to the Western Front and started to train as a pilot in October 1915. Richthofen qualified as a pilot and become active in March 1916. The first aircraft he flew operationally was an Albatros C.III. Richthofen did not have a glorious start to his new career – he crashed on his first flight. In the autumn of 1916, Richthofen was transferred to the Eastern Front. Here he had a meeting with Oswald Boelcke – a German fighter ace. Boelcke was looking for men to join his new fighter squadron – ‘Jagdstaffel 2’.

He asked Richthofen to join it and he transferred back to France. Richthofen had his first official kill on September 17th 1916. However, Richthofen had claimed that he had shot down two French aircraft before joining ‘Jagdstaffel 2’- but neither were confirmed kills and they were not credited to him. For every confirmed kill, Richthofen had a silver cup made by a jeweller in Berlin. Each cup had the date of the kill on it and the aircraft shot down. Richthofen had 60 of these cups made before ending this ‘celebration’ as there was a silver shortage in Germany. While his legend may have given Richthofen the status of a daring, devil-may-care pilot, he was not. Boelcke had taught his protégé to be precise when attacking an enemy aircraft and not to take risks. Typically, Richthofen attacked by diving on an aircraft with the sun behind him. This tactic gave him both a height and a visual advantage. When he attacked, he expected other pilots in his squadron to protect his rear and sides.

While Richthofen is traditionally associated with the Fokker Dr. I, he only flew this aircraft for a short time. Only 19 of his 80 kills were made in this tri-plane. He scored most of his kills in variants of the Albatros: either an Albatros II or an Albatros III, though Richthofen also occasionally flew an Albatros V. The II gave him more speed but less agility while the III was more agile but slower than the II. The first aircraft he painted red was an Albatros III and not a Fokker Dr I In January 1917 after his 16th confirmed kill Richthofen was awarded the Pour le Mérite (nicknamed the ‘Blue Max’), the highest military honour in Germany during World War One. In the same month he was given command of Jagdstaffel 11 and he personally trained pilots who flew in it in the art of aerial combat. It was as a squadron commander that he had his Albatros III painted red. Other members of the squadron were allowed to paint their aircraft as well.

The value of Jagdstaffel 11 became apparent in April 1917 – ‘Bloody April’ for the Royal Flying Corps – when Richthofen alone shot down 22 aircraft. In June 1917, he was given his own wing that comprised of four Jagdstaffels. They became highly mobile and were expected to operate at any point on the Western Front with minimal notice. Richthofen was badly wounded during one aerial engagement on July 6th. Recovery from his injuries kept him from flying for four weeks. While convalescing, Richthofen was pressured into writing his autobiography, which the government wanted to use for propaganda purposes. The authorities heavily censored what he wrote. They wanted to maintain his hero status within Germany itself. He was offered a job on the ground once he had recovered but Richthofen refused this arguing that front line soldiers in the trench had no choice in where they fought and neither would he. Manfred von Richthofen was killed on April 21st 1918. During combat, a single .303 bullet hit Richthofen.

He managed to land his Fokker Dr 1 safely but in Allied held territory. The bullet had done fatal damage to his heart and lungs. He died soon after Australian troops found him in his aircraft. He was buried with full military honours in the cemetery of the villages of Bertangles near Amiens. His body was moved three times after this. The French created a large military cemetery for the Germans near Fricourt and moved his remains there while in 1925, his family had the body moved back to Germany where Richthofen was buried in the war heroes cemetery at the Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery, Berlin. His remains were finally moved to the family’s plot in 1975. The Red Baron: Manfred von Richthofen The Red Baron: Manfred von Richthofen SHARE: Facebook Twitter The greatest fighter ace of the First World War, Manfred von Richthofen was born on 2 May 1892. Becoming an officer cadet at the age of eleven, von Richthofen joined the cavalry in 1912. With World War One on the horizon, cavalry would soon be a thing of the past.

It was as a pilot that von Richthofen would shine. A New Sort of War Combat between fighter planes was a new phenomenon in the Great War. German pilots, under the leadership of Oswald Boelcke, led this new form of warfare. There was glamour to their work, but also a high death rate. Inspired by their heroics, von Richthofen transferred to the air service in May 1915 but was not made a fighter pilot. He did reconnaissance on the Eastern Front, joined a bombing unit, and in September came to the Western Front. Sent to the flying school at Döberitz in November 1915, his determination made up for a lack of natural skill. Having proved his worth as a pilot, he returned to the war in March 1916. He yearned to serve under his hero Boelcke, and his opportunity came later that year when his brother introduced him to the great aviator. Boelcke invited Manfred to join his new hand-picked squadron.

Jasta 2 As part of Jasta 2 squadron, von Richthofen saw his first success on 17 September 1916, shooting down a British F.E.2b. Ruthless and calculating, von Richthofen used the sun, wind and cloud cover to stalk his prey before suddenly attacking. Boelcke died in battle on 28 October, and the squadron was renamed Jasta Boelcke in his honour. Von Richthofen continued to impress. On 23 November, he killed British flying ace Lanno Hawker, his eleventh kill. On 4 January, he took down his sixteenth plane, becoming one of Germany’s top aces. He was awarded the order Pour le Mérite and given command of Jasta 11, his squadron. Bloody April April 1917 was a period of great success, known by von Richthofen’s opponents as ‘bloody April’. In only five days, the British lost 75 planes and over ninety men to the German fliers. Across the month, von Richthofen alone took out 21 British planes.

The Flying Circus From the end of Bloody April, German commanders created larger 20 plane formations. Von Richthofen was given command of the first to be made permanent – Jagdeschwader 1. This new unit was a poster child for the German war effort. Given a mobile headquarters and their motor pool, they moved around the line, appearing suddenly wherever they were most needed. The whole unit painted their planes in bright colours, and von Richthofen was nicknamed the Red Baron for his plane’s colour. This flamboyance earned them the nickname of the Flying Circus. Encouraging ruthless patience, von Richthofen trained his fliers into a deadly fighting force. He ensured only the highest of standards, and paid attention to individual strengths and weaknesses, deploying men in the positions where they would serve best. All were responsible for maintaining their guns in top condition. A Brush With Death On 6 July 1917, von Richthofen came close to death. Hit in the head by a British bullet, he was left temporarily blinded and half paralysed. Just managing to crash land behind friendly lines, he was rushed to a hospital and found to have a fractured skull.

He returned to duty on 26 July without having fully recovered. Headaches, dizziness and nausea, hampered his flying. His kill rate fell, but he was determined to be back in the war. Continues On Page 2 The Red Baron: Manfred von Richthofen The Red Baron: Manfred von Richthofen SHARE: Facebook Twitter The greatest fighter ace of the First World War, Manfred von Richthofen, was born on the 2nd of May 1892. Becoming an officer cadet at the age of eleven, von Richthofen joined the cavalry in 1912. With World War One on the horizon, cavalry would soon be a thing of the past. It was as a pilot that von Richthofen would shine. A New Sort of War Combat between fighter planes was a new phenomenon in the Great War. German pilots, under the leadership of Oswald Boelcke, led this new form of warfare. There was glamour to their work, but also a high death rate. Inspired by their heroics, von Richthofen transferred to the air service in May 1915 but was not made a fighter pilot.

He did reconnaissance on the Eastern Front, joined a bombing unit, and in September came to the Western Front. Sent to the flying school at Döberitz in November 1915, his determination made up for a lack of natural skill. Having proved his worth as a pilot, he returned to the war in March 1916. He yearned to serve under his hero Boelcke, and his opportunity came later that year when his brother introduced him to the great aviator. Boelcke invited Manfred to join his new hand-picked squadron. Jasta 2 As part of Jasta 2 squadron, von Richthofen saw his first success on the 17th of September, 1916, shooting down a British F.E.2b. Ruthless and calculating, von Richthofen used the sun, wind and cloud cover to stalk his prey before suddenly attacking. Boelcke died in battle on the 28th of October, and the squadron was renamed Jasta Boelcke in his honour. Von Richthofen continued to impress. On November 23rd, he killed British flying ace Lanno Hawker, his eleventh kill.

On the 4th of January, he took down his sixteenth plane, becoming one of Germany’s top aces. He was awarded the order Pour le Mérite and given command of Jasta 11, his squadron. Bloody April April 1917 was a period of great success for the German pilots, known by von Richthofen’s opponents as ‘bloody April’. In only five days, the British lost 75 planes and over ninety men to the German fliers. Across the month, von Richthofen alone took out 21 British planes. The Flying Circus From the end of Bloody April, German commanders created larger 20-plane formations. Von Richthofen was given command of the first one to be made permanent – Jagdeschwader 1. This new unit was a poster child for the German war effort. Given a mobile headquarters and their motor pool, they moved around the line, appearing suddenly wherever they were most needed. The whole unit painted their planes in bright colours, and von Richthofen was nicknamed the Red Baron for his plane’s colour. This flamboyance earned them the nickname of the Flying Circus.

Encouraging ruthless patience, von Richthofen trained his fliers into a deadly fighting force. He ensured only the highest of standards, and paid attention to individual strengths and weaknesses, deploying men in the positions where they would serve best. All were responsible for maintaining their guns in top condition. A Brush With Death On the 6th of July 1917, von Richthofen came close to death. Hit in the head by a British bullet, he was left temporarily blinded and half paralysed. Just managing to crash land behind friendly lines, he was rushed to a hospital and found to have a fractured skull. He returned to duty on the 26th of July without having fully recovered. Headaches, dizziness, and nausea hampered his flying. His kill rate fell, but he was determined to get back into the war.

Continues On Page 2 6/12/2006 • Aviation History , Aviation History Web Exclusives It is the most romanticized image in air combat history: a scarlet triplane, piloted by the notorious Red Baron, plucking another Allied aircraft from the burning French skies of World War 1, adding it to the long list of kills that made him the original ace of aces, with 80 confirmed air victories. The truth about Germany’s World War I hero lives up to the legend, although it took most of the war before this famed sight became a reality. Born on May 2, 1892, the eldest of his family’s three sons, Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen’s career in the military was inevitable. He was enrolled in the military school at Wahlstatt at age 11, following the wishes of his father, a Prussian nobleman whose own active military career had been cut short by deafness. There, he excelled in sports but fell behind academically, working just enough to get by in an environment he disliked. Six years later, Richthofen attended the Royal Military Academy at Lichterfelde, which he enjoyed more.

There he warmed up to the idea of life in the military and was determined to apply his riding skills to become a cavalry officer. After a short time at the Berlin War Academy, he was commissioned an officer in the 1st Regiment of Uhlans Kaiser Alexander III in April 1911. The following year he was promoted to Leutnant, and was still participating in regiment horse jumping and racing competitions when World War I broke out in August 1914. Richthofen went into battle with the Uhlans in the early months of the war, and saw action at Verdun. But as static trench warfare set in, the cavalry became obsolete. He served as a messenger during the winter of 1914-15 and saw some combat, but he felt there was no glory to be had crawling through muddy trenches and shell holes. Having had his fill of unromantic ground warfare, Richthofen wrote to his commanding general to request a transfer to the air service. Richthofen knew nothing of flying or air combat and, like many infantrymen, had held aviators in contempt. But now the air offered him a new war, one not restricted by an immobile front line.

Richthofen’s transfer was approved. Worried that the war would end before he had a chance to see action in the air, he decided to train as an observer. Pilots were required to undergo three months of training, whareas Richthofen, as an observer, was ready for the field in four weeks. Sent to Grossenhain on June 10, 1915, Richthofen was the first of his training class to be assigned. He began his flying career at Feldfiegerabtedung 69 as an observer on the Eastern Front, taking photographs of Russian troop positions. A couple of months later, he transferred to a Western Front unit in Belgium (later to become Kampfgeschwader I) as a bombardier. Richthofen had enjoyed flying from the first moment he took to the air during training. His love of flight was further enhanced by watching the bombs he dropped explode on enemy targets. His fascination with seeing the damage he was inflicting earned him his first war wound.

Frantically signaling to his pilot to bank for a clear view after dropping a load on a village near Dunkirk, he accidentally dipped his hand into one of the bomber’s whirling propellers and lost the tip of a finger. In September 1915, Richthofen had his initial tries at air-to-air combat, both times firing on Allied Farman biplanes. The first was an exchange of shots between observers without result. The second encounter ended with the French plane dropping away and crashing after being hit by a couple of bursts of machine-gun fire. Richthofen did not receive credit for the victory because the plane had fallen behind enemy lines, robbing him of any physical evidence. After June 1915, the Fokker Eindekker monoplane series became the most feared aircraft in the air. Equipped with synchronized machine guns that could fire through the propeller arc without damaging the plane, they gave German scout pilots a firm advantage in air combat. With his new assignment at Kampfgeschwader 11, Richthofen hoped to get a crack at piloting his own plane. Still flying as an observer, he prevailed upon his friend Oberleutnant Georg Zeumer for help.

Zeumer was an experienced pilot, and Richthofen had often flown as his observer ever since the two were first teamed on the Eastern Front. After only 24 hours of Zeumer’s tutoring, Richthofen took to the air on his first solo flight, and promptly destroyed his plane while trying to land. Unwounded and undeterred, Richthofen kept at it, practicing for two weeks before heading off to the flying school at Doberitz. Five months later, he returned to his squadron as a pilot, flying Albatros two-seaters near Verdun. They were not the monoplane scouts he had been hoping for, but once he had fixed a gun to the upper wing of his plane, he was able to both fly and take offensive action. April 26, 1916, saw his second kill, a French Nieuport, go down near Fort de Douaumontagain behind enemy lines, and again not officially counted. Fokker monoplanes, although successful, were rare at the time. Only Germany’s top aces like Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke were equipped with those aircraft.

When Richthofen finally got a chance to fly a single-seat scout it was on shared time, with him using it mornings and another pilot flying it afternoons. The Fokker did not give him the success he had expected, and neither pilot did well with their mount. After the second pilot crashed it in no man’s land, Richthofen was given another, only to crash that one himself. Boelcke was Germany’s top ace at the time and easily its most respected aviator. Richthofen had met him initially aboard a train while traveling to flying school. The two met again when Richthofen’s squadron was returned to the Eastern Front. Boelcke was touring the area in August, assembling pilots for his new Jagdstaffeln. Happy, but not wholly content flying bombers and attacking Russian infantry and cavalry with machinegun fire, Richthofen jumped at Boelcke’s offer to join him on the Somme to at last become a full-fledged fighter pilot. He left three days later, and reported for duty back on the Western Front on September 1, 1916. By then, the monoplanes had lost any advantage they once held.

They were now being met in the air by improved Allied scouts also capable of forward firing through the propeller arc. German factories were busy turning out better combat fighters — biplane scouts that feature two front-firing guns. While Jagdstaffel 2 awaited delivery of these aircraft for its new fighter pilots, Boelcke trained the men under him in the ways of aerial combat. By the time some Albatros D.II biplanes arrived on the 16th, the pilots were ready for action. The very next day, Richthofen scored his first confirmed kill. Diving out of the sun with the rest of Boelcke’s squadron on September 17, Richthofen chose an F E.2b two-seater as his target. His inexperience allowed the Allied observer to get off some dangerous bursts at him, but he finally managed to close in and riddle the belly of the Allied plane. He followed the crippled plane down to the ground and landed near it. He watched German soldiers lift the two mortally wounded British aviators from their cockpits. The observer, seeing Richthofen and recognizing him as the victor, acknowledged him with a smile before dying.

The pilot never regained consciousness and died on the way to the hospital. An avid collector of trophies from the hunt, Richthofen started a personal tradition by ordering a small, engraved silver cup to commemorate his victory. He would do the acme for the ones that followed soon after. By October 10, he had claimed his place among the German aces with his fifth kill. His victory tally rose at a slow but steady rate, although everything did not always go smoothly. On October 25, he was certain he had recorded his seventh confirmed kill. Much to his displeasure, this victory was contested by two other pilots who claimed the downed B.E. 12 as their own. Richthofen insisted there had been no other German planes in the vicinity until after the enemy machine had crashed south of Bapaume. Nevertheless, his claim was disallowed, despite evidence in his favor. Jasta 2, while distinguishing itself as a top fighter squadron, suffered heavy casualties. Half of its pilots and planes were lost to enemy fire, and other fliers suffered nervous collapse from the strain of battle. Its greatest setback, however, came on October 28.

Two days after his 40th victory, Boelcke took to the air with five other planes in his flight. Richthofen flew at his right wing, Boelcke’s friend Erwin Bohme at his left. Details vary as to what happened once they engaged two de Havilland Scouts. Some accounts blame Richthofen’s enthusiasm for causing a collision while diving into combat. Others suggest it was B6hme’s shaky skills, or merely the confusion of the chase, that sent one plane grinding against the other. What is known for certain is that for one reason or another the undercarriage of Bohme’s Albatros scraped across Boelcke’s upper wing, causing him to lose control of the aircraft. The damaged wing tore away as Boelcke descended, and his plane crashed, crushing his head on impact. Overwhelmed with guilt, B6hme was inconsolable. At Boelcke’s grand funeral in Cambrai on the 31st, Richthofen carried his mentor’s decorations on a black pillow in the procession. With Boelcke’s death and that of Max Immelmann before him, Germany had lost her top aces.

But as Richthofen continued to increase his number of victories, it became apparent that he might fill their shoes. Encouraging him to become Germany’s next aviation hero, officials were less strict about confirming his victories, taking him at his word for the few victims that fell behind enemy lines. One of Richthofen’s most famous air battles took place almost a month after Boelcke’s death. On November 23, 1916, he went up against Major Lanoe George Hawker, the well-respected commander of No. 24 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, who had nine air victories and a Victoria Cross to his name. Hawker was in a four-plane flight, led by Captain J.0. Andrews, that attacked five Albatroses south of Bapaume. When the four DH-2s crossed the front lines into German territory, Hawker suddenly found himself alone. Two British planes had had to turn back with engine trouble, and Andrews had quickly joined them after being hit and suffering an engine misfire. Hawker chose his target. As luck would have it, it was Richthofen’s Albatros D.II.

He dove at the Albatros from behind, getting off a five-round burst that missed when Richthofen cut sharply left. Hawker followed him into the turn. The equally matched pilots began a frantic, spinning chase as each tried to outturn the other and maneuver into position for a clear shot. Their tight circle, less than 300 feet in diameter, slowly descended from an altitude of almost 10,000 feet to nearly treetop level. Hawker was now at a disadvantage. Dangerously low on the German side of the lines, he knew he would be hit from the ground or forced to land if he did not end the battle quickly. A succession of loops, which Richthofen’s less-creative fly style could not match, placed awker in a position to get off another burst that came close, but missed the Baron’s plane. Losing his chance, Hawker turned and bolted for his side of the lines with Richthofen in pursuit. With both the Baron and the ground closing in on him, Hawker zigzagged at high speed to stay out of the line of fire. He was nearly saved when Richthofen’s first burst jammed his gun.

The jam quickly cleared, however, and with his second burst Richthofen shot Hawker through the back of the head. His DH-2 pitched up and then nosed into the ground, just 50 yards short of the German front-line trenches. Richthofen claimed Hawker’s Lewis gun from the wreck as a trophy and hung it above the door of his quarters. Hawker was confirmed as Richthofen’s 11th victory. The new year marked a series of successes for Richthofen. With his 16th victory on January 4, 1917, he became the leading living German ace. Along with this latest victory came his reassignment as leader of Jagdstaffel 11 at Douai. Two days later, notification came that he was at last to be awarded the Orden Pour le Merite, the ‘Blue Max,’ Germany’s highest military medal. To further distinguish himself from his fellow fighter pilots, Richthofen started painting sections of his aircraft red, possibly after the colors of his old Uhlan regiment.

Jasta 11, although founded around the same time as Jasta 2, held none of the prestige of Richthofen’s old squadron, which had come to be known as Jasta Boelcke. Since its formation in September 1916, his new unit had not scored a single victory, and it fell upon Richthofen to whip the 12 officers under him into shape. Command did not come easily to him, but he sought to follow in Boelcke’s footsteps. Leading by example, he shot down the squadron’s first enemy aircraft shortly after his arrival, on January 23, 1917. Richthofen’s red Albatros, now the newer D.III, was already making a name for itself among the Allies. The two-man crew of a British F.E.2b, forced to land as the Baron’s 18th victory, referred to ‘le petit rouge’ that had brought them down. It was on this same flight that one of the wings of Richthofen’s plane cracked, and he had to quickly descend 900 feet for an emergency landing.

Another F.E.2b that had fired on him claimed this as a victory, but the wing damage could have been due to structural failure rather than a lucky shot. With success came fame, and Richthofen’s good fortune in combat was milked by the German propaganda machine for all it was worth. Picture postcards and newspaper articles about him circulated widely, and correspondence arrived at his airfield from all over Germany-mostly fan letters from adoring women. The Red Baron had become Germany’s number one war hero. The brightly painted Albatros fighters of Jagdgeschwader 1, Richthofen's "Flying Circus." March and April of 1917 saw a thrust of German air power near Arras against Allied forces that outnumbered the Germans by an average of 3 to 1. Jasta 11 was in the thick of it, and those two months saw Richthofen bring down another 31 aircraft, surpassing Boelcke’s old record. Under his tutelage, the pilots of Jasta 11 were fast improving, and competition between them and the fliers of Jasta Boelcke was friendly but fierce.

Allied fliers began referring to Richthofen’s squadron as the ‘Flying Circus’ because of its brightly colored planes, highlighted in red to match their leader’s. During this period, Richthofen had two close calls. The first occurred shortly after his 25th victory, when enemy fire ruptured his fuel tanks and forced him to shut off his engine, lest it explode, and land near Henin Lietard. April 2 saw another near miss when (according to Richthofen) he was fired upon and hit from the ground by the observer of a Sopwith 1Y2 Strutter two-seater he had just brought down near Givenchy. In his first report, Richthofen claims to have returned fire and killed the observer, although later he said he held back and did not shoot again despite the dying observer’s attack. The surviving British pilot, however, insisted that his observer was in no condition to fire after their plane hit the ground. Werner Voss, Richthofen’s friend and competitor from Jasta Boelcke, saw the incident and was cited as a witness to Richthofen’s restraint from shooting.

The uncertainty of this exchange re-mains the only blemish on Richthofen’s record for chivalry in combat. By the time Richthofen went on welldeserved leave in May, he had led Jasta I I to more than 100 victories. Lothar von Richthofen, since joining the air service in his brother Manfred’s footsteps, had also done well. Within a month of j ining up with his brother’s squadron, he, too, had made a name for himself with 20 victories, He was left in charge of Jasta 11 while Manfred toured Germany, meeting with the kaiser and other dignitaries, as well as hunting animals and visiting his mother at home in Schweidnitz. Richthofen returned to the front on June 14 with new orders to organize four Jagdstaffeln into a single wing. Jastas 4, 6, 10 and 11 became Jagdgeschwader I (JG.I).

As Richthofen assumed command as Rittmeister of JG.I in the Courtrai region, he passed on his command of Jasta 11 to Leutnant Kurt Wolff. While leading Jasta 11 as its JG.I commander on July 6, Richthofen became involved in an epic dogfight with the British that quickly escalated until there were as many as 40 aircraft involved. A chance shot from an F.E.2d, 1,200 feet away, cleaved a 2-inch-long groove in Richthofen’s skull. He was temporarily paralyzed and blinded, and his Albatros fell out of control. Finally regaining the use of his limbs a few thousand feet above the ground, he cut the engine, tore his goggles off, and looked directly at the sun in an effort to clear his vision. Realizing he was behind the German lines, once he regained his sight, Richthofen restarted his engine at 150 feet and searched for a suitable place to set down. Losing his strength and blacking out, he was finally forced to make an emergency landing.

The airplane tore down some telephone wires before it came to a rest, and Richthofen tumbled out of his cockpit. He was still conscious when aid came and transported him to St. Nicholas’ Hospital in Courtrai. Despite his nearly fatal wound, Richthofen put himself back on duty at JG.I less than three weeks later, against doc-tors’ recommendations. He was plagued by headaches from the bone fragments still lodged under his scalp and by nausea during flight. But he fought on, all the while insisting that Lothar, also wounded in battle, should not return until fully recovered. The end of August 1917 saw the arrival of new Fokker F.I triplanes at Courtrai. Richthofen and Voss were among the first to take them into combat. Trading in the Albatros D.V for what would become his most famous mount, Richthofen shot down his 60th plane, an RE-8, on September 1, 1917. It was the last victory he could commemorate with a trophy cup. Silver was becoming scarce in Germany, and Richthofen was forced to discontinue this practice.

The victories he scored after his return to duty failed to inspire Richthofen. After his head wound, he lost much of his zest for combat, and his friends noticed a distinct change in his personality. Already a loner, he became even more withdrawn. Killing was no longer the sport it once had been for him. On September 6, still troubled by his head wound, Richthofen took a period of convalescence to recover more fully. In his absence, his first triplane mount was shot down on September 15, as Kurt Wolff piloted it against a squadron of Sopwith Camels. Voss also met his end in another Fokker F.I during an epic battle on the day of his 48th victory, September 23, outnumbered by a swarm of S.E.5a fighters of No. 56 Squadron led by Major James TB. McCudden. But Richthofen was back at JG.1 on October 23, after visiting home, hunting, recuperating, and finishing writing about air combat in his autobiography. The Baron prepares for a flight over British lines in his Fokker Dr. I Triplane.

He shot down a couple more planes on his return, once again flying an Albatros D.V. He then continued inspecting and testing other aircraft that might fare better than the Fokker triplane — whose safety and suitability in the face of new Allied fighters was already being questioned. Because of official noncombat duties and leave, Richthofen was not able to add to his score again until March 12, 1918, once more flying the Dr. 1, as the Fokker triplane was now designated. Between then and April 20, Richthofen downed his last 16 planes, mostly fighters. The final two victories, Sopwith Camels of No. 3 Squadron, came after the Flying Circus was moved to desolate Cappy. Richthofen led his flight of triplanes to search for British observation aircraft on the morning of Sunday, April 21, 1918. Four triplanes from Jasta 5 were fired on from the ground around 10:30 a.m., after attacking two R.E.8s from No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps.

The antiaircraft fire drew the attention of a flight of Sopwith Camels led by Canadian Royal Air Force pilot Captain Arthur Roy Brown from No. 209 Squadron. Soon after the Camels intercepted and shot down one of the Jasta 5 planes, Richthofen’s flight joined in the battle. On the fringe of the fight was Roy Brown’s friend Lieutenant Wilfred R. May, a fellow Canadian. May was a novice pilot, and this was his first offensive patrol. He had been ordered to keep out of combat, but he could not resist going after an enemy triplane that passed close by. He jammed his Vickers guns after firing them too long, and, defenseless, headed away from the battle toward the Somme Valley. Richthofen, from above, spotted the lone plane breaking off and chose it for his next victim. Brown, seeing this chase unfolding a few thousand feet below him, dove to help his fellow airman. He realized that the lone Camel stood little chance with the red triplane hot on its tail. May, panicking and losing altitude, tried every wild maneuver he could think of to stay out of the Baron’s sights.

It was only the unpredictability of the inexperienced pilot’s maneuvers that kept Richthofen from picking him off quickly with his probing bursts. ‘Richthofen was giving me burst after burst from his Spandau machine guns. The only thing that saved me was my awful flying. I didn’t know what I was doing,’ May would say later. It was then, with Brown closing from behind, that Richthofen, usually a meticulous and disciplined fighter pilot, made a mistake and broke one of his own rules by following May too long, too far and too low into enemy territory. Two miles behind the Allied lines, as Brown caught up with Richthofen and fired, the chase passed over the machine-gun nests of the 53rd Battery, Australian Field Artillery. Sergeant C.D. Popkin opened fire with his Vickers, followed by gunners William Evans and Robert Buie, plus a number of riflemen. Richthofen was hit, but the debate over who fired the shot that passed through his torso, killing him, goes on. None of the principal shooters ever said with certainty that he was the one who got him.

Those who defended the shooters’ claims were their friends and colleagues, choosing sides based more on nationality and emotion than hard evidence. Top Canadian ace Billy Bishop is one who supported his countryman, saying, ‘Nobody will ever convince anyone who flew in World War I that anyone but Roy Brown shot down Richthofen.’ He also suggested a bias against Canadian fliers, ‘Had he been in any other air force he would have been given credit and would probably have received half a dozen decorations from his own and other countries.’ Whether hit from the air or the ground, Richthofen was mortally wounded. He tore off his goggles, opened the throttle briefly, then cut off the engine and dipped down for a crash landing. His plane bounced once, breaking the propeller, and settled in a beet field alongside the Bray — Corbie road near Sailley-le-Sac. He died moments later. It was 10:50 a.m. The funeral of Manfred von Richthofen. April 22, 1918, No.3 Squadron lays to rest an old adversary, at Bertangles Cemetery, France.

Manfred von Richthofen was laid to rest late in the afternoon of April 22 in a small, unkempt cemetery in Bertangles. He was buried with full military honors after a short service by an Anglican chaplain. Twelve men from No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, each fired three rounds into the air. Other officers placed wreaths on the grave. The body was set with feet facing the marker, a four-bladed propeller trimmed to form a cross. Upset about a German being buried in their cemetery, the villagers descended on the grave that night, uprooted the marker and tried to dig up the body. That same evening, RAF pilots dropped canisters containing news of Richthofen’s death and pictures of his funeral over Jagdgeschwader I, confirming the fears of the German officers there. Oberleutnant Wilhelm Reinhard succeeded Richthofen as commander of JG.I, as per Richthofen’s wishes, but he only lasted two months; Oberleutnant Hermann Wilhelm Goring assumed command after Reinhard’s death. Richthofen’s body was moved after the war to a larger cemetery at Fricourt.

His brother Karl Bolko had his body moved again in 1925, this time to Berlin, where, in a large state funeral with thousands in the procession, he was buried at Fnvaliden Cemetery. A modest flat memorial stone was unveiled the following year by his mother. Goring added a monument in 1938. All the Red Baron’s war trophies, an impressive collection kept at his home, were lost when the Russians advanced through Schweidnitz near the end of World War II. It has been more than eight decades since Manfred von Richthofen died in battle, but the legend of the Red Baron still retains its fascination. There was much regret from both sides that he did not survive the war. But his death, as much as his life, assured his continued presence in history as one of World War I’s greatest enigmas. For more great articles subscribe to Aviation History magazine today!

First World War.com - Who's Who - Manfred von Richthofen What's New Who's Who - Manfred von Richthofen The most famous air ace of the First World War, Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen was born on 2 May 1892 in Breslau. Sponsored Links The son of Major Albrecht von Richthofen, a Prussian nobleman and his wife, Kunigunde, he enrolled at age 11 at the military school at Wahlstatt, and then attended the Royal Military Academy at Lichterfelde. He was a better athlete than he was a scholar, and applied his horseback riding skills to become a cavalry officer. He was commissioned in April 1911 in the 1st Regiment of Uhlans Kaiser Alexander III, and promoted to Lieutenant in 1912. Richthofen served briefly in the trenches before transferring to the German Air Force in May 1915. The star pupil of Oswald Boelcke, Richthofen learnt quickly and achieved immediate success.

He took his first solo flight after only 24 hours of flight training, on 10 October 1915. A month after receiving his first Albatros, Richthofen had scored six 'kills' against Allied aircraft. A cool and precise hunter, Richthofen's flamboyance was expressed mainly in his brightly painted aircraft, a Fokker DR-1 Dridecker. His success in the air led to his being named der Rote Kampfflieger by the Germans, le petit rouge by the French, and the Red Baron by the British. Richthofen was appointed commander of the Flying Circus in June 1917. Comprised of Germany's top fighter pilots, the new unit was highly mobile and could be quickly sent to any part of the Western Front where it was most needed. Richthofen and his pilots achieved immediate success during the air war over Ypres during August and September. After scoring 80 confirmed kills, Richthofen was finally shot down as he flew deep into British lines in pursuit of Wilfrid May on 21 April 1918.

Although Canadian flyer Arthur 'Roy' Brown - who was flying to May's aid - was officially credited with the victory, controversy remains over who actually shot Richthofen down; other evidence suggests he was hit by a single bullet fired by Australian gunners in the trenches. In any event, Manfred von Richthofen crashed into a field alongside the road from Corbie to Bray. He was 25. He was survived by his brother Lothar, also a noted ace. A British pilot flew over the German aerodrome at Cappy and dropped a note informing the Germans of Richthofen's death. Buried in France by the British with full military honours, Richthofen's body was later exhumed and reburied in the family cemetery at Wiesbaden. Manfred von Richthofen - World War I Ace Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen Updated August 29, 2016. Early Life & Career of Manfred von Richthofen: On May 2, 1892, Manfred von Richthofen was born into a junker family near Breslau (Wroclaw, Poland).

The son of Major Albrecht von Richthofen, a career cavalry officer, Richthofen learned to hunt in the family's private forests at an early age and soon excelled at shooting and riding. Moving to Schweidnitz at age nine, the youngster was first educated at home before attending school locally. A gifted gymnast, he won several awards before entering the Prussian cadet corps at age eleven. The Early Days of World War I: A marginal student, Richthofen completed his training in 1911, and was commissioned into the 3rd Squadron of Uhlan Regiment Number 1. Over the next three years, he enjoyed his posting as it allowed him to ride on a regular basis. With the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the regiment was dispatched to the Eastern Front for service against the Russians. Performing well, Richthofen's regiment was soon transferred to the Western Front, however the beginning of trench warfare prevented its use and the men were stationed far to the rear.

Manfred von Richthofen Takes to the Skies: Displeased with the inaction, Richthofen asked for a transfer to the Luftstreitkräfte (Aerial Combat Forces) in May 1915, after an unpleasant assignment to the quartermaster's corps. Granted, he traveled back to the East where he served as an observer with Fliegerabteilung 69 from June to August 1915. Flying long reconnaissance missions over the front, Richthofen was happier and soon was transferred back to the Western Front. Arriving at Ostend on August 21, he flew as an observer during patrols over the North Sea. Shifted south to Champagne, he succeeded in shooting down a British Farman with his observer's machine gun, but received no credit as it fell behind the Allied lines. In October 1915, Richthofen began pilot's training and passed his final exams on Christmas Day. Assigned to Kampfgeschwader 2, he began flying bombing missions in support of German troops during the Battle of Verdun .

Flying two-seater Albatros B.IIs and Albatros C.IIIs, Richthofen rigged a machine gun on the top wing of his aircraft. With this arrangement, he down a French Nieuport on April 26, but again received no credit. During this time, Richthofen had the opportunity to fly the Fokker E.III on a few occasions. Thrilled with the single-seat fighter, he began desiring a transfer to a fighter unit. In June 1916, the squadron was sent east and began conducting bombing operations against the Russians. As the Russians lacked aircraft, this was a fairly safe and enjoyable duty. Though he took pleasure in bombing, Richthofen eagerly accepted an invitation from the famed ace Oswald Boelcke to join Jasta 2 (Fighter Squadron 2) in August. A mentor to his pilots, Boelcke instructed them in his eight rules for fighting in the air (Dicta Boelcke). An avid student, Richthofen scored his first credited kill on September 17, when he downed a British FE.2b over Cambrai. To commemorate the achievement, he ordered an engraved silver cup from a jeweler in Berlin.

He continued this tradition until a lack of silver in Germany forced its halt after the sixtieth cup. Not a flashy pilot like many aces, Richthofen rigorously followed the Dicta Boelcke to ensure the highest probability of success with minimal risk. Quickly learning his trade, Richthofen scored his fifth kill on October 16 to become an ace. His most celebrated victory came the following month when he downed ace Major Lanoe Hawker VC on November 23. Around this time, he began painting his aircraft red and received the moniker "The Red Baron." Following his sixteenth kill in January 1917, he received the Pour le Mérite and was given permission to form his own unit, Jasta 11. Training his men as Boelcke had trained him, Richthofen quickly developed an elite unit. Dubbed the "Flying Circus" by journalists, the unit flew brightly colored aircraft. Leading Jasta 11 through "Bloody April" 1917, Richthofen's flyers scored 89 victories with himself claiming 21.

Recognized as Germany's leading flyer, he was given command of Jagdgeschwader 1 (comprised of Jastas 4, 6 , 10, & 11) in June 1917. Training this unit has he had his own Jasta, this enlarged "Flying Circus" caused heavy casualties among Allied flyers and saw service all along the front. Though he was fulfilling the responsibilities of a lieutenant colonel, Richthofen remained a captain (rittmeister) as German promotions were dictated by schedules rather than battlefield performance. On July 6, Richthofen was badly wounded during an encounter with British FE.2ds. During the engagement a bullet creased and partially splintered his skull, forcing the ace to land near Wervicq. Credited to Captain Donald Cunnell, the wound forced Richthofen to take several weeks of leave to recover. During this time he wrote a brief autobiography entitled Der rote Kampfflieger (The Red Fighter Pilot). Returning to the front in August, he was plagued by headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Despite this he managed to reach the 60-kill mark on September 1.

Returning home on leave during the holidays, he happily hunted with his brother Lothar, who was also an ace pilot. Understanding his propaganda value, many in the German command wished to ground Richthofen or move him to a training role. Refusing such assignments, he returned to the front. Switching to the new Fokker Dr.I triplane , he scored his first victory of 1918 on March 12. Though Richthofen is most closely identified with the Dr.I, the majority of his kills came flying the Albatros line of fighters, most notably the Albatros D.III . Flying in support of the German Spring Offensives , JG1 doggedly attacked Allied aircraft along the front. Between March 12 and April 20, Richthofen claimed 17 kills. Though successful, his wound was clearly bothering him as his kill rate fell from its 1917 pace. Taking off on April 21, Richthofen's flight attacked a group of British Sopwith Camels led by Captain Roy Brown near Morlancourt Ridge.

In the dogfight that ensued, Richthofen broke away to pursue novice pilot Lieutenant Wilfrid May. Flying low, May attempted to evade the German ace. Spotting May in trouble, Brown dove and attacked Richthofen. Firing at the red Dr.I, Brown was forced to pull up to avoid hitting the ground. Over the next minute, Richthofen's aircraft was fired on by Australian troops on the ground. While it has never been conclusively determined who hit him, Richthofen was pierced by a single bullet that caused damage to his heart and lungs. In his final act, he was able to make a relatively controlled landing before dying. Though his aircraft was scavenged for souvenirs, Richthofen's remains were taken by the British and given a full military funeral. Initially interred at Bertangles, near Amiens, Richthofen's remains were removed by his brother Bolko in 1925, and returned to Germany. World War I's top ace with 80 confirmed kills, the loss of Richthofen caused a severe blow to German morale.

Selected Sources Richthofen - Amberley Publishing Amberley Publishing The Red Baron In Old Photographs Availability: In stock Zoom Manfred, Freiherr von Richthofen, was the top ace of the First World War, with eighty confirmed victories. He is also one of the most famous fighter pilots of all time. A Prussian nobleman, he started the war as an officer in an Uhlan cavalry unit, serving on both the Eastern and Western fronts. In May 1915 he joined the flying service, initially as an observer, then as a pilot, flying two-seaters. In August 1916, ace fighter pilot, Oswald Boelcke recruited von Richthofen into a fighter squadron he was forming. He would later take command of Jasta 11, and then of Jagdgeschwader 1, the famous ‘Flying Circus’. Manfred von Richthofen would be shot down and killed on 21 April 1918. Using period images with text and captions taken from von Richthofen’s 1917 autobiography, Der Rote Kampfflieger, this book vividly illustrates his extraordinary story.

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Question: What was the nickname of Manfred von Richthofen, the top fighter ace in World War One?
Answer: The Red Baron