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Manfred RichthofenGerman military ace pilot
Date of Birth: 02.05.1890
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- The Red Baron: Manfred von Richthofen
- Joining the Aerial Forces
- Superstitions and Victories
- Command of Jasta 11 and the "Flying Circus"
- Return to Duty and Fatal Consequences
- Tragic End
The Red Baron: Manfred von Richthofen
Early Life and Military CareerManfred von Richthofen was born into a noble family in Breslau, Silesia (present-day Wrocław, Poland). At the age of 9, his family moved to Schweidnitz (now Świdnica, Poland). From a young age, he developed a passion for hunting and horse riding, which influenced his decision to join the military. He enlisted as an officer in the 1st Uhlan Regiment of Emperor Alexander III.
With the outbreak of World War I, Richthofen initially fought on the Eastern and Western Fronts as a cavalry officer. However, he soon grew tired of this role and requested a transfer to the aviation service in May 1915. He became an observer pilot, but after a chance encounter with the famous ace Oswald Bölcke, he resolved to become a pilot himself.
Joining the Aerial Forces
Richthofen joined Bölcke's squadron, Jasta 2, and chalked up his first aerial victory on September 17, 1916, near Cambrai. As a memento of each victory, he commissioned a silversmith friend to create a silver cup engraved with the date and type of aircraft shot down. By the time silver became scarce in blockaded Germany, Richthofen had amassed 60 such cups.
Superstitions and Victories
Like many other pilots, von Richthofen was notoriously superstitious and would refuse to fly without first receiving a kiss from his beloved. This practice soon became a popular superstition among military aviators. After shooting down his 18th opponent, Manfred von Richthofen was awarded the Pour le Mérite, Prussia's highest military decoration. Shortly before, he had downed British ace Lanoe Hawker, then known as the "British Bölcke." Despite this victory, Richthofen felt that his Albatros D.II fighter was inadequate and yearned for an aircraft with better maneuverability. Unfortunately, Albatroses would remain the backbone of the German Air Force for some time to come.
Richthofen flew models D.III and D.V throughout much of 1917 until he acquired a Fokker Dr.I triplane in September. This aircraft, painted in bright red, became his trademark.
Command of Jasta 11 and the "Flying Circus"
In February 1917, Richthofen was given command of Jasta 11, which included several German aces, including Ernst Udet. The squadron's aircraft were all painted with red markings, some completely red, including Richthofen's own fighter. Jasta 11's personnel often lived in tents, allowing them to remain close to the front lines and providing the mobility necessary to evade Allied bombing. As a result, the squadron became known as the "Flying Circus."
Under Richthofen's leadership, the squadron achieved incredible success. During the particularly bloody April 1917, Manfred alone shot down 20 enemy aircraft. In June, he was wounded and taken out of action for several weeks.
Return to Duty and Fatal Consequences
Upon his return, Richthofen was entrusted with command of the 1st Fighter Wing (Jagdgeschwader I), comprising Jastas 4, 6, 10, and 11. The head wound he had sustained had severe consequences, causing him headaches, nausea, and a change in personality. It is believed that before his injury, Richthofen had not been prone to single-mindedly pursuing one target to the neglect of others. This trait would later contribute to his demise.
By early 1918, Richthofen had become so legendary that the command feared a blow to German morale if he were to be killed. He was offered retirement, but he refused.
Tragic End
On April 21, 1918, Manfred von Richthofen was mortally wounded in combat over the Morlancourt Ridge near the Somme River while pursuing a Sopwith Camel flown by Canadian lieutenant Wilfrid May. In turn, the Red Baron was being chased by British Captain Arthur Roy Brown. Richthofen was hit by a .303 caliber bullet, standard issue for British Empire small arms, which entered his chest from below and exited through his upper back. He crash-landed on a hillside near the Bray-Corbie road, north of the village of Vaux-sur-Somme. His Fokker sustained no damage upon landing.
Some sources report that Richthofen died seconds after Australian soldiers reached him, uttering only the words "kaputt" before succumbing. However, most researchers believe he must have been unconscious or dead by that time.
It is now widely accepted that Richthofen was killed by anti-aircraft fire, possibly from Sergeant Cedric Popkin of the 24th Machine Gun Company. Popkin was the only machine gunner firing at the Red Baron before he landed. However, several Australian infantrymen also fired at Richthofen, and one of them may have fired the fatal shot.
The Royal Air Force officially claimed (allegedly for propaganda purposes) that Brown had shot down the Red Baron. However, with Richthofen's injuries, he could not have survived more than 20 seconds, and Brown did not fire during that time leading up to the crash landing. Furthermore, the exit wound causing the bullet to become lodged in his uniform is consistent with ground-based fire.
On April 22, 1918, Richthofen was buried with military honors by the No. 3 Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps in the village cemetery of Bertangles near Amiens. After the war, the Red Baron's remains were reinterred in the family cemetery in Wiesbaden.
