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Baron Manfred Albrecht von Richthofen ( May 2, 1892– April 21, 1918) was a German pilot and is still regarded today as the "ace of aces". He was a very successful fighter pilot, military leader and flying ace who won 80 air combats during World War I.
Richthofen was known as der rote Kampfflieger (Red Battle-Flyer) by the Germans, petit rouge (little Red) or le Diable Rouge (Red Devil) by the French, and the Red Knight or the Red Baron by the British.
Inspired by a chance meeting with the great air fighter Oswald Boelcke, he decided to become a pilot himself. Later, Boelcke selected von Richthofen to join his elite fighter Jagdstaffel (hunting group), JASTA 2 . Von Richthofen won his first aerial combat over Cambrai, France on September 17, 1916.
After his 18th kill, von Richthofen received the Pour le Mérite, the highest military honor in Germany at the time. Earlier, on November 23, 1916 he had downed the British ace Lanoe Hawker, sometimes referred as "the British Boelcke", of course not yet aware of that. It happened when von Richthofen was still flying an AlbatrosAlbatros-Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturer that supplied the German airforces during World War I. The company was based in Johannisthal, Berlin, where it was founded in 1910. It produced some of the most capable fighter aircraft of World Wa D.II. However, after this engagement, he was convinced that he needed a fighter airplane with more agility, although this implied a loss of speed. Unfortunately, the Albatros fighter was the mainstay aircraft of the German air service throughout 1917Events January 2 The Royal Bank of Canada takes over Quebec Bank. January 22 World War I: President Woodrow Wilson calls for "peace without victory" in Europe. January 25 The Danish West Indies is sold to the United States for $25 million January 25 Anti-, and the Baron flew Albatros D.III and D.V models well into 1917. That September von Richthofen was flying the celebrated Fokker Dr.II Single-seat fighter and reconnaissance plane Powerplant One Oberursel Ur. II rotary piston engine Dimensions Length5. 77 m Wingspan7. 20 m Height2. 95 m Wing area18. 70 m˛ Weights Empty406 kg Maximum take-off585 kg Performance Maximum speed165 km/h Oper triplaneA triplane is a fixed-wing aircraft equipped with three sets of wings, each rougly the same size and mounted one above the other. Typically, the lower set of wings would be level with the underside of the aircraft's fuselage, the middle set level with the, the distinctive three-winged aircraft he is most commonly associated with.
In January of 1917 von Richthofen assumed command of Jasta 11 , which ultimately included some of the elite of Germany's pilots, many of whom the Red Baron trained himself.
Jasta 11's aircraft featured red markings, and some of Richthofen's planes were entirely red. The squadron was usually quartered in tents, in order to get closer to the front and gain mobility to avoid Allied bombing. This way, the Jasta became "The Flying CircusMonty Python's Flying Circus is a famous British comedy TV show. Manfred von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron led an elite German air corps called the Flying Circus during World War I. Joe Foss led an American air corps, also called the Flying Circus during" or " Richthofen's Circus ".
Von Richthofen led his new unit to unparalleled success, peaking during " Bloody AprilDuring the First World War, the month of April 1917 was known as Bloody April by the Allied air forces. The Royal Flying Corps suffered losses so severe it came close to being annihilated. In April the Allies launched a joint offensive with the British at" of 1917. In that month alone, he downed 20 British aircraft, raising his tally to 52. However, in July he sustained a head wound that grounded him for several weeks. Nevertheless, he returned to combat, leading Jagdgeschwader I composed of Jastas 4, 6, 10, and 11. This head wound is thought to have caused lasting damage, as after the injury he suffered from post-flight nausea and headaches, a change in temperament, and his single minded pursuit that led to his death was uncharacteristic of his standard method of not becoming fixated on a single target to the exclusion of others.
Some say that, 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. So, his superiors asked him to retire, but he refused considering there were still many troops in the trenches.
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