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Manfred von Richthofen Facts

Manfred von Richthofen Facts
Manfred von Richthofen, better known by his moniker the "Red Baron," was a famous German World War I flying ace. Although he was the first recognized combat "ace," which is a pilot who scores three or more aerial combat victories, he was credited with eighty victories. Richthoven, who was descended from German nobility, made the new style of combat somewhat glamorous by wearing long flowing scarfs when he flew missions and by painting his plane bright red, which combined with his lineage earned him the nickname the "Red Baron." Richthofen was born on May 2, 1892 in the town of Kleinburg, Prussia in what is today Poland. His father Albrecht and his mother Kunigunde were both descended from Prussian nobility. Like many young Prussian boys, Richthofen began his military training at the age of eleven and joined the cavalry when he entered the army.
Interesting Manfred von Richthofen Facts:
Richthofen was eager to see combat once World War I began, but there was little need for cavalry due to the nature of trench warfare.
Richthofen was assigned to the flying corps in 1915.
He got off to a bit of a rough start flying a two seat bomber plane.
Richthofen scored his first confirmed victory over the skies of France on September 17, 1917.
In January 1917, after he earned his sixteenth victory, Richthofen was awarded the medal of merit, known colloquially at the time as the "Blue Max." He would later earn several other medals, including the Iron Cross.
Manfred flew an Albatross C. III.
Lothar Richthofen, Manfred's brother, joined him and several other young German aces to form the group informally known as the "Flying Circus," but officially known as Jasta 11.
He was shot in the head in the skies over Belgium on July 6, 1917, but quickly recovered and was back in the air within a couple of weeks.
After every victory, Richthofen would buy a silver cup and have it inscribed with his victim's name.
Due to his head injury, Richthofen was grounded in the fall of 1917, which gave him time to write an autobiography.
Richthofen was killed on April 21, 1918 while flying over the Somme River. He was pursing Canadian pilot Arthur Brown. It is not certain if Brown or someone on the ground killed the Red Baron.
The Red Baron was able to land his aircraft and supposedly said "kaput" before dying.
The Red Baron was buried and reburied several times. During one of his body's reburials, the Nazis gave it an elaborate ceremony.
In the decades after World War I, the Red Baron's fame rapidly increased, making him the most recognized fighter from that war in the world.


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