Manfred von Richthofen
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Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (May 2, 1892 – April 21, 1918) was a German fighter pilot. He was an air squadron leader and flying ace and the most successful fighter pilot of World War I, credited with 80 confirmed air combat victories.
Richthofen is also known as "le Baron Rouge", "le Diable Rouge" ("Red Devil") or "Le Petit Rouge" ("Little Red") in French, and the "Red Knight" or the "Red Baron" in the English-speaking world.
The German translation of Red Baron is "der rote Baron", and Richthofen is known by this title in Germany as well (although he was rarely referred to as "Baron" in Germany during his lifetime, because Freiherr is the correct title for his level of nobility. Richthofen's autobiography is titled Der Rote Kampfflieger ("The Red Battle Flier").
Piloting career
He was initially an observer on reconnaissance flights over the Eastern Front during June to August 1915, with the No. 69 Flying Squadron. On being transferred to the Champagne front, he managed to shoot down a French Farman aircraft with his observer's machine gun, but was not credited with the kill, as it fell behind Allied lines.
He then trained as a pilot in October, 1915. In March 1916, he joined Kampfgeschwader 2 flying a two-seater Albatros B.II. Over Verdun on April 26 1916, he fired on a French Nieuport downing it over Fort Douamont, although once again he gained no official credit. At this time he flew a Fokker Eindecker single-seat fighter.
After a further spell flying two seaters on the Eastern Front in August 1916 he met fighter pilot Oswald Boelcke. Boelcke, touring the East looking for candidates for his newly formed fighter unit, selected Richthofen to join the new Jagdstaffel, Jasta 2. Richthofen won his first aerial combat over Cambrai, France, on September 17, 1916.
Manfred von Richthofen's red Fokker Dr.I triplane, serial 425/17After his first victory, Richthofen ordered a silver cup engraved with the date of the fight and the type of enemy machine from a jeweller friend in Berlin. He continued this tradition until he had 60 cups, by which time the supply of silver in blockaded Germany was restricted.
Rather than engage in such risky tactics as his brother Lothar (40 air victories), Manfred von Richthofen adhered strictly to a set of flight maxims (commonly referred to as the "Dicta Boelcke") to assure the greatest chance of both squadron and individual success.
On November 23, 1916, Richthofen downed his most renowned adversary, the British ace Major Lanoe Hawker VC, described by Richthofen himself as "the British Boelcke." The victory came while Richthofen was flying an Albatros D.II and Hawker was flying a D.H.2. After this engagement, he was convinced he needed a fighter aircraft with more agility, though this implied a loss of speed. However, the Albatros fighter was the mainstay of the German Air Service at that time and throughout 1917, and so the Baron flew Albatros D.III and D.V models well into 1917. He switched to a Halberstadt D.II biplane briefly after several incidents of structural failures in the Albators' DIII lower wing spar. Richthofen himself had a scare when his own Albatros almost broke up in flight in January 1917.
By September 1917, Richthofen was flying the celebrated Fokker Dr.I triplane, the distinctive three-winged aircraft with which he is most commonly associated. Despite the popular link between Richthofen and the Fokker Dr. I, he only flew this plane in combat for the last part of his career. He made more than 60 of his kills without benefit of this now-famous triplane. In fact, it was his Albatros D.III that was first painted bright red and actually earned him his name and reputation.
He championed the development of the Fokker D.VII with suggestions to overcome the deficiencies of preceding German aircraft. However, he never had an opportunity to fly it in combat as he was killed just days before it entered service.
The Flying Circus
In January 1917, after his 16th confirmed kill, Richthofen received the Pour le Mérite, the highest military honor in Germany at the time. That same month, he assumed command of Jasta 11, which ultimately included some of the elite of Germany's pilots, many of whom he trained himself. Several in turn subsequently became leaders of their own squadrons.
As a practical aid to easy identification in the melee of air combat, Jasta 11's aircraft soon adopted red colorations with various individual markings, with some of Richthofen's own planes painted entirely red. This practice soon had its use in German propaganda, even the RFC aircrew dubbing Richthofen "Le Petit Rouge."
Richthofen led his new unit to unparalleled success, peaking during "Bloody April" of 1917. In that month alone, he downed 22 British aircraft, raising his official tally to 52. By June, he was the commander of the first of the new larger Jagdgeschwader (wing) formations, leading Jagdgeschwader 1 composed of Jastas 4, 6, 10, and 11. These were highly mobile combined tactical units that could be sent at short notice to different parts of the front as required. In this way, JG1 became "The Flying Circus" or "Richthofen's Circus", which got its name partially from the aircraft of all different colors and that they used large tents to house men and machines.
Incidentally, although he was now performing the duties of a major or a lieutenant colonel, he remained a captain, in deference to a German army tradition that a son should not hold a higher rank than his father (Richthofen's father was a reserve major in the German army).
On 6 July, in a dog fight with a formation of No. 20 Squadron's F.E.2s, Richthofen sustained a serious head wound that forced him to land near Wervicq and grounded him for several weeks. The air victory was credited to Captain Donald Cunnell of the Royal Flying Corps, who himself was killed a few days later. Richthofen later returned to combat in October 1917, but this injury is thought to have caused lasting damage, as he later often suffered from post-flight nausea and headaches, as well as a change in temperament.
Richthofen was a brilliant tactician, building on Boelcke's tactics. But unlike Boelcke, he led by example and force of will rather than by inspiration. He was often described as distant, unemotional, and rather humorless, though some colleagues contend otherwise.
In 1918, Richthofen had become such a legend that it was feared that his death would be a blow to the morale of the German people. Richthofen himself refused to accept a ground job after his wound, stating that if the average German soldier had no choice in his duties, he would therefore continue to fly in combat. Certainly he had become part of a cult of hero-worship, assiduously encouraged by official propaganda. German propaganda circulated various false rumours, including that the British had raised squadrons specially to hunt down Richthofen, and were offering large rewards and an automatic VC to any Allied pilot who shot him down.
http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/april2007/red_baron.html
Richthofen is also known as "le Baron Rouge", "le Diable Rouge" ("Red Devil") or "Le Petit Rouge" ("Little Red") in French, and the "Red Knight" or the "Red Baron" in the English-speaking world.
The German translation of Red Baron is "der rote Baron", and Richthofen is known by this title in Germany as well (although he was rarely referred to as "Baron" in Germany during his lifetime, because Freiherr is the correct title for his level of nobility. Richthofen's autobiography is titled Der Rote Kampfflieger ("The Red Battle Flier").
Piloting career
He was initially an observer on reconnaissance flights over the Eastern Front during June to August 1915, with the No. 69 Flying Squadron. On being transferred to the Champagne front, he managed to shoot down a French Farman aircraft with his observer's machine gun, but was not credited with the kill, as it fell behind Allied lines.
He then trained as a pilot in October, 1915. In March 1916, he joined Kampfgeschwader 2 flying a two-seater Albatros B.II. Over Verdun on April 26 1916, he fired on a French Nieuport downing it over Fort Douamont, although once again he gained no official credit. At this time he flew a Fokker Eindecker single-seat fighter.
After a further spell flying two seaters on the Eastern Front in August 1916 he met fighter pilot Oswald Boelcke. Boelcke, touring the East looking for candidates for his newly formed fighter unit, selected Richthofen to join the new Jagdstaffel, Jasta 2. Richthofen won his first aerial combat over Cambrai, France, on September 17, 1916.
Manfred von Richthofen's red Fokker Dr.I triplane, serial 425/17After his first victory, Richthofen ordered a silver cup engraved with the date of the fight and the type of enemy machine from a jeweller friend in Berlin. He continued this tradition until he had 60 cups, by which time the supply of silver in blockaded Germany was restricted.
Rather than engage in such risky tactics as his brother Lothar (40 air victories), Manfred von Richthofen adhered strictly to a set of flight maxims (commonly referred to as the "Dicta Boelcke") to assure the greatest chance of both squadron and individual success.
On November 23, 1916, Richthofen downed his most renowned adversary, the British ace Major Lanoe Hawker VC, described by Richthofen himself as "the British Boelcke." The victory came while Richthofen was flying an Albatros D.II and Hawker was flying a D.H.2. After this engagement, he was convinced he needed a fighter aircraft with more agility, though this implied a loss of speed. However, the Albatros fighter was the mainstay of the German Air Service at that time and throughout 1917, and so the Baron flew Albatros D.III and D.V models well into 1917. He switched to a Halberstadt D.II biplane briefly after several incidents of structural failures in the Albators' DIII lower wing spar. Richthofen himself had a scare when his own Albatros almost broke up in flight in January 1917.
By September 1917, Richthofen was flying the celebrated Fokker Dr.I triplane, the distinctive three-winged aircraft with which he is most commonly associated. Despite the popular link between Richthofen and the Fokker Dr. I, he only flew this plane in combat for the last part of his career. He made more than 60 of his kills without benefit of this now-famous triplane. In fact, it was his Albatros D.III that was first painted bright red and actually earned him his name and reputation.
He championed the development of the Fokker D.VII with suggestions to overcome the deficiencies of preceding German aircraft. However, he never had an opportunity to fly it in combat as he was killed just days before it entered service.
The Flying Circus
In January 1917, after his 16th confirmed kill, Richthofen received the Pour le Mérite, the highest military honor in Germany at the time. That same month, he assumed command of Jasta 11, which ultimately included some of the elite of Germany's pilots, many of whom he trained himself. Several in turn subsequently became leaders of their own squadrons.
As a practical aid to easy identification in the melee of air combat, Jasta 11's aircraft soon adopted red colorations with various individual markings, with some of Richthofen's own planes painted entirely red. This practice soon had its use in German propaganda, even the RFC aircrew dubbing Richthofen "Le Petit Rouge."
Richthofen led his new unit to unparalleled success, peaking during "Bloody April" of 1917. In that month alone, he downed 22 British aircraft, raising his official tally to 52. By June, he was the commander of the first of the new larger Jagdgeschwader (wing) formations, leading Jagdgeschwader 1 composed of Jastas 4, 6, 10, and 11. These were highly mobile combined tactical units that could be sent at short notice to different parts of the front as required. In this way, JG1 became "The Flying Circus" or "Richthofen's Circus", which got its name partially from the aircraft of all different colors and that they used large tents to house men and machines.
Incidentally, although he was now performing the duties of a major or a lieutenant colonel, he remained a captain, in deference to a German army tradition that a son should not hold a higher rank than his father (Richthofen's father was a reserve major in the German army).
On 6 July, in a dog fight with a formation of No. 20 Squadron's F.E.2s, Richthofen sustained a serious head wound that forced him to land near Wervicq and grounded him for several weeks. The air victory was credited to Captain Donald Cunnell of the Royal Flying Corps, who himself was killed a few days later. Richthofen later returned to combat in October 1917, but this injury is thought to have caused lasting damage, as he later often suffered from post-flight nausea and headaches, as well as a change in temperament.
Richthofen was a brilliant tactician, building on Boelcke's tactics. But unlike Boelcke, he led by example and force of will rather than by inspiration. He was often described as distant, unemotional, and rather humorless, though some colleagues contend otherwise.
In 1918, Richthofen had become such a legend that it was feared that his death would be a blow to the morale of the German people. Richthofen himself refused to accept a ground job after his wound, stating that if the average German soldier had no choice in his duties, he would therefore continue to fly in combat. Certainly he had become part of a cult of hero-worship, assiduously encouraged by official propaganda. German propaganda circulated various false rumours, including that the British had raised squadrons specially to hunt down Richthofen, and were offering large rewards and an automatic VC to any Allied pilot who shot him down.
http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/april2007/red_baron.html
