Known the world over as the Red Baron, Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen is one of the greatest symbols of World War I. He was born on May 2, 1892, in Silesia to Prussian nobility. His father was an officer of the Imperial German army.
To escape the monotony of guard duty in the trenches, von Richthofen looked to the skies, where the first reconnaissance planes flew. He successfully applied for the air service in June 1915 and began his work as an observer in a two-seater on the Eastern Front, photographing Russian troops. He was then transferred to Belgium.
Aeroplanes evolved rapidly during the war. By late 1915, the days of unarmed reconnaissance planes were over and the single seater fighter appeared over the battlefields, as did the first German flying aces. By early 1916, men like Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke made names for themselves as the “knights in the skies'' and were the first airmen to be awarded the Pour le Merite, Germany’s highest military honour. They were huge stars; the public loved them and the enemy feared them. And of course, their image made an impression on young men such as von Richthofen, who wanted to be just like them.
Jasta II, or Jasta Boelcke as it became known, fought in Northern France near the Somme. The pilots could usually choose their own planes at the time, either Fokker D.III, Albatros D1 or the new D2. On September 17, the Jasta was operational and Richthofen got his first official aerial victory. Boelcke had 8 principles to guide his pilots entitled the Dicta Boelcke, and he had a huge impact on German air strategy, but he met his fate October 28.
Boelcke would personally lead and train Jasta II, and he handpicked his pupils, one of which was Manfred von Richthofen, though it is unclear what Boelcke saw in von Richthofen, who had an unremarkable flying career and who crashed the first time he had flown a fighter plane.
Nearly a month after that, Richthofen’s legend began when he shot down British ace, Major Lanoe Hawker. Richthofen had embraced Boelcke’s teachings and raked in victory after victory by diving, whirling and accelerating – it all came naturally to him.
Following his 17th victory, von Richthofen was awarded the Pour le Merite on January 12, 1917, and given command of his own Jasta, Jasta 11. He brought in the Dicta Boelcke and would lead the Jasta by personal example.
As spring arrived, they were equipped with the new Albatros D.III, and what was known as ‘Bloody April’ began. Over the skies of Arras, the Jasta went to work like predators stalking prey, fighting aggressively and systematically. It was truly a Bloody April, as Jasta 11 scored 89 confirmed victories alone. Richthofen shot down 21 planes that month and had, by that point, surpassed Boelcke.
The German press was ecstatic and Von Richthofen’s fame rose to unprecedented levels. The newly promoted “Rittmeister” got world-wide attention. He was the “Red-Baron”, the “Petit-Rouge”, the “Rote Kampfflieger”, because of the bright red of his planes. In the skies, there is no need for camouflage and in battle it paid to be recognised. Richtofen himself said: “I make sure that my squadron sees me wherever I am.”
Like their commander, the men of Jasta 11 painted their planes in bright colours and distinct patterns. One was yellow with a black tail, another green and dark brown. One had blue stripes, another a chequered pattern on the tail. Standing next to each other they looked like brightly coloured birds. To friend and foe alike, the Jasta became known as Richthofen’s Travelling Circus, as it was always sent to where the fighting was heaviest.
They wanted to be seen by their enemies, by their comrades and by the men on the ground. They would strike fear in their enemies’ hearts. The famous red plane emerging from the clouds was terrifying for a new allied pilot. Friendly fire also happened a lot, especially during the bigger engagements, and the bright colours distinguished the Jasta from their enemies. Also, the men on the ground, who watched cheering from their trenches, could make out who made a kill. A victory in the sky had to always be confirmed in the German aviation service. If no-one witnessed it, then it didn’t count towards the tally. And since there was natural competition between the young men, this was considered important.
Richthofen was a caring mentor to his “pups”, and as the pilots returned after each mission, he would meet them with both praise and lessons on how they could further hone their craft. He was beloved by many and highly respected by all. However, the pilots under Richthofen’s command were not invincible. The allies had experienced veterans and aces of their own, and many German aces fell prey to allied machines.
In Flanders during the build-up for the Battle of Passchendaele in the summer of 1917, British artillery was giving the German infantry hell. It was directed by reconnaissance planes, accompanied by bombers and fighters, who were strafing the Germans on every run. Jagdgeschwader 1 was sent to try to gain local air superiority. On July 6, von Richthofen led the mission and they encountered an enemy bomber squadron. As the Red Baron positioned himself behind a British bomber, something hit his plane, ricocheted off the frame and hit the Baron in the back of his head.
Nearly unconscious and with blood pouring from the wound, he broke off the attack but the hit temporarily blinded him. He didn’t panic and calmly turned off his engine. There was nothing he could do until the shock wore off and his sight returned. His plane had lost altitude by then, but two other pilots had guarded their commander from the enemy. Richthofen turned his engine back on and made his way back to the airfield. Who or what hit the Red Baron that day remains a mystery to this day. Richthofen did not return to his men until mid-August, his head still bandaged.
In April 1918, von Richthofen pushed his machine to its limits, scoring 12 victories in just 2 weeks. It was Bloody April all over again, but the fighting and the head wound took their toll. Richthofen became exhausted and isolated himself more and more from his peers. On the 21st, one day after he had scored his 80th victory, von Richthofen flew out again.
At 10:30 his men engaged the Australian Flying Corps over Cappy. Richthofen was seen chasing a Camel Scout. Uncharacteristically, against his own teachings, he pursued the fleeing Scout along the Somme valley, deep into enemy territory. Canadian ace Captain Arthur Roy Brown spotted Richthofen and dove behind him, firing a burst at the Baron’s tail.
Richtofen went down in a beet field and the red triplane came to a stop. The Red Baron was dead, killed by a single bullet through the heart. Captain Brown is officially credited for bringing down Richthofen’s plane, but it is more likely that the Baron was hit by fire from the ground, as he was flying fairly low. But to this day, there is a lot of speculation about the exact circumstances of his death. The news reached the Jasta after they had already begun searching for him and German high command even sent out an official request to the allied high command, inquiring about the fate of the Red Baron.
Manfred von Richthofen was buried by the Allies with full military honours, accompanied by an honour guard of officers from the Australian Flying Corps. His aircraft was taken apart for souvenirs, and even small pieces of the bright red canvas were considered valuable. Some are still on display in museums in Britain, Australia and Canada. |
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Originally Posted by DelRey
