Bedraggled souls tangled by wire and sucked down by mud
look up to see an epic battle taking place in the heavens.
Angels and Demons are locked in mortal combat lifted up on wings of wood, wire, and cloth.
A great red beast is seen whirling and swooping in the sky.
Spitting fire, it’s heralded by all sides in equal measures of fear and awe.
His name inspires admiration and dread and it’s heard on everyone’s lips.
A name that holds as much fame and respect now as it did over a century ago.
The Red Baron.
Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen
was born on the 2nd of May, 1892 into to a noble Prussian family.
He was the eldest son.
At the age of 11 he started his military training in the Cadet corps
where he became known for his fearlessness.
He excelled at sport, was a skilled horseman, and enjoyed all the outdoor pursuits
At the age of 17 he joined the German cavalry unit as an officer
and was assigned to number 3 squadron.
As hostilities broke out in 1914 Richthofen served as a cavalry reconnaissance officer
but due to the nature of the war,
the unit was forced to abandon their horses and instead were serving as dispatch runners and telephone operators.
Bored and frustrated,
he decided his calling was in the air after seeing the German military aircraft flying overhead.
Unable to contain his eagerness and frustration he applied to Imperial German Army Air service.
In his application he wrote:
“I have not gone to war in order to collect cheese and eggs…”
He was accepted, and in May 1915 he joined the flying service.
Initially he was put in the observer’s seat of a bomber.
Together with his pilot and good friend Georg Zeumer they embarked on many sorties,
dropping thousands of pounds of ordinance into the enemy trenches with little resistance.
His first ever air battle would come though on September 1st 1915.
While flying over French lines Richthofen spotted a French Farman aircraft.
Zeumer engaged the enemy aircraft and the two charged into battle.
The pair excited for their first ever duel in the sky.
Richthofen opened fire with his machinegun,
but he could only get four rounds downrange before Zeumer made a turn and threw him off.
The maneuverability of the bomber proved a serious problem
and the more nimble Farman quickly slipped out of their grasp.
They were riddled with machinegun fire, with bullets zipping right through the aircraft’s wood and cloth frame.
Zeumer turns to evade and escapes the volley, with the enemy chasing close behind.
They turn and turn.
And turn…
The excitement fades as the men realize they aren’t catching the enemy and the enemy isn’t catching them,
both planes find themselves uselessly turning in circles above the French forest.
Eventually the Farman opted to leave, and the battle was over.
It was an embarrassment for both young men.
When the pair landed back on base
they immediately began bickering over who was to blame for their performance.
The ordeal left Richthoffen thoroughly discouraged,
even thinking he would never fulfill his dream of shooting down a hostile airplane.
But just over a week later he had a chance to amend the wrong.
Flying with another pilot they again spotted a Farman over the fields of Champagne.
This time the pilot flew alongside the oblivious opponent,
allowing Richthoffen to open up with the machinegun.
The enemy quickly lost control and spiraled into the forest below.
Richthoffen would later write “I was very proud of my success.”
On the 1st of October Richthoffen’s squadron was transferred to a new base
and while on the train he realized the man sitting across for him was none other than Oswald Boelcke,
the first pilot to ever down 4 enemies.
Richthoffen couldn’t contain his curiosity and struck up a conversation.
He asked,
"Tell me, how do you manage it?"
Boelcke laughed, before replying:
"Well it is quite simple.
I fly close to my man; aim well and then of course he falls down."
Richthoffen shook his head,
“I do much the same, but they don’t come down.”
The two men continued their talk and became good friends.
Richthoffen reasoned that their difference in success must be because
Boelcke is a pilot, and Richthoffen was an observer.
After that day he decided he would learn to fly.
He approached Zeumer, who was now flying Fokker attack planes, and asked him for training.
His good friend happily agreed and Richthoffen began his unofficial training
in an old two-seater that had been gathering dust in the airfield.
But Richthoffen showed to be far from the masterful aviator we know him as today.
He was considered below average and even crash-landed on his first solo flight.
But yet he pressed on until he was ready for the pilot exam.
And so, it was.
On the 1st of November the most famous fighter pilot in history received his test results.
He failed.
Richthoffen was quite surprised at the news,
but he wouldn’t allow it to get him down.
He redoubled his training and finally passed on Christmas eve, 1915.
His skills continued to develop,
getting better and better over time with no signs of stopping.
He became an accomplished pilot in the Kampfgeschwader 2, Number 2 Squadron,
flying a 2 seater albatross.
His incredible progress didn’t go unnoticed,
and Boelcke recruited him to the newly formed Jagdstaffel or Jasta 2.
Jasta 2 was an incubator for Germany’s top flying talent.
It was led by Boelcke himself,
who had been recognized as a genius aerial tactician
and a hero in the eyes of the German public.
He was way ahead of his time and his dictates formed the foundation of modern aviation battle tactics.
He drilled them into the entire Jagdstaffel and Richthoffen’s victories began to rack up.
Try to secure advantages before attacking.
If possible, keep the sun behind youom behind.
Always carry through an attack when you have started it.
Fire only at close range, and only when your opponent is properly in your sights.
Always keep your eye on your opponent,
and never let yourself to be deceived by ruses.
In any form of attack, it is essential to assail your enemy from behind.
If your opponent dives on you,
do not try to evade his onslaught, but fly to meet it.
When over the enemy's lines never forget your own line of retreat.
For the squadron: Attack on principle in groups of four or six.
When the fight breaks up into a series of single combats,
take care that several do not go for the same opponent.
Richthofen received the Blue Max in January 1917 after his 16th confirmed victory.
That very same month he was given command of his own squadron...
the Jasta 11
It was at this time that he was inspired to take the daring move to paint his aircraft bright red.
In his own words,
“For whatever reasons, one fine day I came upon the idea of having my crate painted glaring red.
The result was that absolutely everyone could not help but notice my red bird.
My opponents also seemed to be not entirely unaware.”
The peak of the Red Baron’s and his squadron’s success came during April 1917,
which was also known as “Bloody April,” where he claimed 22 victories including 4 in one day.
In June he was given command of JG 1
which included several squadrons including Jasta 11.
JG 1 became famously known as “The Flying Circus”
due to its bright painted planes and the supporting tents and caravans that formed the mobile camp.
On July the 6th, 1917 Richthofen was hit causing partial blindness.
His aircraft fell into a spin, and he just managed to regain control and land in friendly territory.
He underwent several operations
but against doctor's orders he returned to active service after just 3 weeks.
The injury caused him repeated issues including headaches and nausea.
He also suffered a change in mood and temperament, which became much darker.
He was forced to take convalescence due to these problems in the late summer,
during which time he wrote
"I am in wretched spirits after every aerial combat.
I believe that the war is not as the people at home imagine it, with a hurrah and a roar;
it is very serious, very grim”.
Despite his health issues he continued to rack up victories,
reaching an astonishing 80 throughout his life.
But then came April the 21st, 1918.
The Red Baron got into his famous Fokker tri-plane and took off into the morning sky.
It was the flight that would bring his life to an end.
He spotted a Sopwith Сamel and gave chase.
This time it seems
he may have not realized he was behind enemy lines while chasing the Sopwith at a very low altitude.
At the time due to wind conditions and the moving of the front lines
he uncharacteristically continued the chase too far.
Whether the shot came from a plane or from the ground is open to debate.
In the last moments of his life,
he managed to make a rough landing in a field north of the village of Vaux-sur-Somme.
Several Australian servicemen rushed up to the downed triplane to hear the Red Baron’s last words…
“Kaputt”
The Red Baron was treated with great respect
and was interred with full military honors by the personnel of No. 3 Squadron Australian Flying Corps.
Allied squadrons stationed nearby came to pay their respects.
Memorial wreaths were laid...
one of which was inscribed with the words,
"To Our Gallant and Worthy Foe".