Baron+Manfred+von+Richthofen+(The+Red+Baron)

Allison Kuhr []

Baron Manfred von Rochthofen, also known as the Red Baron, was born on May 2, 1892, in Kleinburg, Germany. The second eldest of his siblings, Rochthofen had an older sister and two younger brothers. Growing up in the German countryside, he loved hunting and horseback-riding. After beginning his education under a private in-home tutor, Manfred attended school at Schweidnitz before proceeding to enroll in a military academy at age eleven. After signing up for Germany’s growing military force, Rochthofen was deployed as a Calvary reconnaissance officer in the German army, working in the 1st Regiment of Uhlans at both the Eastern and the Western fronts during World War One. One day while Manfred was deployed behind the lines, he observed a German aircraft and was inspired. He applied for the Imperial German Army Air Service, and his request for transfer was granted shortly afterwards. He joined the German air force in May 1915, and he was assigned to work as a reconnaissance officer for the No. 69 Flying Squadron.



After being transferred to the Champagne front, Rochthofen shot down a French aircraft using only his observer’s gun. Despite his thrilling victory, his kill was unaccounted for as it fell behind enemy lines, and Manfred remained unaccredited for his kill. Later, Richthofen met with the German ace fighter pilot Oswald Boelcke, and after speaking with him he was approved to be a pilot; he began his training in October of 1915. Five months later, Richthofen joined the No. 2 Bomber Geshwader, flying a two-seater Albatross. On his first flight, he had a little trouble managing his plane, and he actually crashed. After more practice, he was able to maintain good control of his aircraft, and soon he was well on his way of becoming the stellar pilot that he is known for now. On April 26, 1916, Richthofen successfully shot down another French aircraft that was flying over Fort Douaumont, although he once again was denied any credit. []

He continued to work hard as a pilot, and by September 1917, he was officially flying the Fokker Dr. I. Triplane, which is the famous red, three-winged airplane that is so famed foe using. In reality, however, the Red Baron rarely piloted this plane; instead, he usually used his Albatros D. III. For the majority of his kills.

[] After he completed his 16th kill, on January 1917 he was awarded with the [|Pour le Mérite], or The Blue Max, which was the highest military honor available at the time. Despite all of his achievements, however, The Red Baron’s good fortune did not last for long, because on July 6, 1917, he received a serious head injury while in combat. His wound caused instant disorientation, as well as partial blindness, and he fell into a spiraling free-fall towards the ground. Miraculously, Manfred was able to regain consciousness just in time to steer his plane back into the air and he avoided crashing. After landing in friendly territory, Richtofen was immediately hospitalized, and he was unable to fly again for over a month. About a year later on April 21, 1918, after he had been able to get back into flying again, Richthofen was fatally wounded in the chest by a single .303 bullet from a French enemy aircraft. He had been in pursuit of the rival pilot when he had been shot by another enemy, just after 11 o’clock in the morning. He was downed near Somme River, where he somehow managed to veer his plane into a bumpy landing, without crashing. He was discovered there moments later my Australian allies and a medic. According to a gunner named George Ridgway, the Baron did not die immediately upon landing, but he remained alive for a few short moments. This claim is also verified by another witness by the name of Sergeant Ted Smout, who reported that Rocthofen’s last word was “kaputt”, which is German for “broken”. There is still much controversy today over who actually delivered the shot that killed the Red Baron.

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