The Red Baron Is Shot Down
The Red Baron, known as Baron Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, was a prominent German fighter pilot during World War I, renowned for his extraordinary aerial combat skills. He was born on May 2, 1892, in Breslau, Germany, and began his military career in the cavalry before transitioning to aviation as the war progressed. Richthofen's prowess in the air led him to become the greatest flying ace in history, credited with shooting down 80 Allied planes before his death on April 21, 1918, in Vaux-sur-Somme, France. His distinctive red-painted aircraft and leadership of a talented squadron known as "Richthofen's Circus" contributed to his legendary status. Despite the emergence of other notable aces, such as France's René Fonck and America's Eddie Rickenbacker, Richthofen remains the most iconic figure in World War I aviation. His ability to tactically outmaneuver opponents and instill fear in them solidified his reputation, making him a subject of fascination and admiration even today. The circumstances of his demise marked a significant moment in aerial warfare history.
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The Red Baron Is Shot Down
The Red Baron Is Shot Down
Toward the end of World War I, on April 21, 1918, Baron Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, otherwise known as the Red Baron, was shot down and killed at Vaux-sur-Somme, France, while flying behind British lines. Just a few weeks short of his 26th birthday, Richthofen had brought down 80 Allied planes by the time of his death and is still regarded as the greatest flying ace of all time.
Richthofen was born on May 2, 1892, in Breslau, Germany, now the city of Wroclaw in modern-day Poland. A member of the Prussian aristocracy, he began his military education and training at the age of 11, attending the Royal Military Academy at Lichterfelde and then receiving his first commission in 1911 with the German cavalry. Cavalry was rapidly becoming obsolete in this age of modern warfare, however, and so, after World War I broke out in August 1914, Richthofen joined the young German Fliegertruppe (air corps). At first he served strictly as an air observer; he did not score his first confirmed combat victory shooting down an enemy aircraft until September 17, 1916. Richthofen proved to be a remarkable fighter pilot, however, and quickly accumulated an impressive number of kills. A lifetime score of 20 was enough to earn a pilot the coveted title of ace; yet in 1917 Richthofen shot down 21 Allied planes in the month of April alone. Relentless and quick-thinking, he learned how to frighten his enemies into making fatal mistakes. “When one has shot down one's first, second, or third opponent, then one begins to find out how the trick is done,” he remarked. He painted his own plane red so that he would be conspicuous in the air, earning the nickname Red Baron (or Red Devil, to the French), and led a band of other exceptional fighter pilots who came to be known as “Richthofen's Circus.” (Hermann Göring, the future leader of the Luftwaffe or German air force under the Nazis during World War II, was a member of Richthofen's Circus and actually took over as squadron leader after Richthofen was killed.)
There were other great flying aces during World War I, notably the French pilot René Fonck, who with 75 combat victories was the highest-scoring ace to survive the war. (By way of comparison, America's leading ace, Eddie Rickenbacker, scored only 25 victories, although the United States was in the war for a much shorter period.) Of all the aces, however, the Red Baron is the most widely remembered.