German Aircraft of World
War I and the ‘Red Baron’
Manfred
Freiherr von Richoften (1892-1918) was Germany’s legendary ‘Red Baron’
scored 80 aerial victories and became the top scoring fighter pilot of
W.W.I. Richthofen was in the cavalry and the infantry before joining the
German air force during World War I. He was a German flyer and was born
in Breslau. He was from Silesia and was also a superb tactician and leader.
He began his career in 1909. When the war broke out he was a Leutnant and
he was awarded the Iron Cross, second class, the following month. In 1915
he started flying training as an observer. He requested to be transferred
for fighter pilot training and was back on the Eastern Front in 1916 flying
an Albatross two seater. Boelcke, a leading fighter pilot of the
time invited Richoften to join his new single seat squadron. It soon became
clear that he was a natural ace. Richthofen painted his plane red
to show hid bravery in the (most planes were camouflaged to avoid being
spotted) air and earned the nickname of the Red Knight of Germany or the
Red Baron. He led a unique group of fighter pilots who became known as
Richthofen's Flying Circus. He destroyed 80 Allied planes before being
shot down behind British lines in April 1918.
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