Cpt. Manfred von Richthofen, German Air Force, April 21, 1918

[Bootie]

Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (2 May 1892 - 21 April 1918), also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I. He is considered the top ace of that war, being officially credited with 80 air combat victories, more than any other pilot.


Originally a cavalryman, Richthofen transferred to the Air Service in 1915, becoming one of the first members of Jasta 2 in 1916. He quickly distinguished himself as a fighter pilot, and during 1917 became leader of Jasta 11 and then the larger unit Jagdgeschwader 1 (better known as the "Flying Circus"). By 1918, he was regarded as a national hero in Germany, and was very well known by the other side.



Richthofen was shot down and killed near Amiens on 21 April 1918. There has been considerable discussion and debate regarding aspects of his career, especially the circumstances of his death. He remains quite possibly the most widely-known fighter pilot of all time, and has been the subject of many books and films.

 

[Sempai]

Who don´t know Richthofen. Always fair and the ideal of a soldier if there is one in this world. Salute You!

 

[Louis]

von Richthofen petting his dog on an Airfield (1916)

 

[Louis]

Examining the twin Spandau machine guns from von Richthofen's Fokker Triplane wreck, april 22, 1918.

 

[Bert Blitzkrieg]

Years ago I read a short biography of the man and according to that story he wasn't that great a pilot, but an extremely good marksman.

 

[Louis]

The wreckage of Fokker Dr.I triplane after being shot down – near Vaux-sur-Somme, France, on April 21, 1918. Photographed at the aerodrome of No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps at Bertangles.

 

[Louis]

Funerals

 

[Louis]

M. von Richtofen with the officers of the Jagdstaffel 11. From left to fight - unknown, unknown, Kurt Wolff (1895/1917), Ernst Udet (1896/1941), Werner Voss (1897/1917), unknown, Friedrich Noltenius (1894/1936), Karl Emil Schafer (1891/1917), unknown, Karl Allmenroder (1896/1917).

 

[Gnarly]

The gentleman on the far right was no slouch either....

 

[Louis]

The gentleman on the far right was no slouch either....

I was thinking of how young some of them died, Wolff (22), Voss (20), Schaffer (25), Allmenroder (21) and Red Baron himself (25).

 

[Rico]

I was thinking of how young some of them died, Wolff (22), Voss (20), Schaffer (25), Allmenroder (21) and Red Baron himself (25).

Those WW1 fighter pilots on the Western Front did not have a long life expectancy on average.

 

[Gnarly]

Those WW1 fighter pilots on the Western Front did not have a long life expectancy on average.

I think the average was 30-40 days tops.

 

[Gunner]

This is an interesting one.

While touring the Falaise Gap our guide stopped on a side road.
Next to an open field was a tree that had a stone, or stele, with a small metal badge at the base.
He said it's the only marker or memorial for a German that he knows of in all of Normandy.

"Stele in memory of Lieutenant Ruthard von Richthofen, whose Focke-Wulf aircraft was shot down on July 13, 1944, and crashed in a nearby field. He was part of Jagdgeschwader 2. He was a distant relative of the famous German WWI pilot, Manfred von Richthofen . Ruthard von Richthofen was 20 years old, he is buried in the German cemetery of Champigny-Saint-André in Eure. This is one of the rare cases of an individual stele of a German soldier; the stele bears no legible inscription and seems to have been hammered; only a small metal plate attached to the foot can identify it. Situation: coming from Aubry, at the crossroads of the D113 and the D718 turn right towards Sainte-Eugénie, the stele is 1 km on the right near a grove of trees."
(Quoted from http://www.normandie44lamemoire.com/en/2014/12/30/gouffern-en-auge-aubry-en-exmes/)

Our guide said he felt it was allowed because of the respect the French have for the Richthofen name.

 

[Louis]

 

[Nort]

I’m assuming that is his brother in the photo … second from right.

 

[Gunner]

I checked out some of the other men in the picture.

Oberleutnant Kurt Robert Wilhelm Wolff PlM (6 February 1895 – 15 September 1917) was one of Imperial Germany's highest-scoring fighter aces during World War I. The frail youthful orphan originally piloted bombers before being picked by Manfred von Richthofen to join Jagdstaffel 11 (Fighter Squadron 11) in the burgeoning Imperial German Air Service. Under the tutelage of Richthofen, Wolff would shoot down 33 enemy aircraft in four months, including 22 victims during the Royal Flying Corps' disastrous Bloody April, 1917. Wolff scored victories so rapidly he outran the Prussian awards system; although the Pour le Merite was customarily awarded after a fighter ace's 20th victory, Wolff's was not received until after his 29th.

On 6 May 1917, after this 29th victory, Wolff was transferred to command Jagdstaffel 29 and score two victories. When Richthofen moved up from Jagdstaffel 11 to become the wing commander of the Flying Circus, his replacement as Jagdstaffel 11 commander was killed. Wolff was transferred to command his old squadron; he scored his 32nd and 33rd victories with them. On 11 July, he was wounded and grounded after a crash landing. On 12 September 1917, the day after he returned to duty, he was promoted to Oberleutnant. Three days later, Wolff made his final patrol, leading a patrol of five in a prototype Fokker Triplane. In a chaotic dogfight with Sopwith Camels from No. 10 Naval Squadron, Wolff nearly collided with his assailant, Norman MacGregor. As Wolff fell out of sight, MacGregor claimed an "out of control" victory. Wolff was probably dead before the triplane's explosive impact.

Kurt Wolff (aviator) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Louis]

German soldiers guarding the grave of M. von Richthofen, in the Invalids' Cemetery in Berlin, April 5, 1938.