Manfred von Richthofen

Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, commonly called the Red Baron or Baron von Richthofen in English, was a German fighter pilot in World War I. He is regarded as the war’s top ace, with 80 confirmed aerial victories.

Richthofen started his military career as a cavalryman. After being discovered by Oswald Boelcke, he moved to the Air Service in 1915. He joined the fighter squadron Jagdstaffel 2 in 1916, where he quickly proved his skill. By 1917, he was leading Jasta 11. Later, he took command of the larger fighter wing Jagdgeschwader I, nicknamed “the Flying Circus” or “Richthofen’s Circus.” This name came from the bright colors of the unit’s aircraft and from its practice of moving rapidly between areas of Allied air activity—like a traveling circus, transporting planes on railroad flatcars and setting up tents on makeshift airfields. A skilled tactician and leader, Richthofen became famous for his red-painted planes, was seen as a national hero in Germany, and inspired both fear and respect among his enemies.

Richthofen was shot down and killed over France near Vaux-sur-Somme on 21 April 1918. Much debate has surrounded his career, especially the details of his death. He remains one of the most famous fighter pilots ever, often depicted with his Red Baron nickname and his signature red Fokker Dr.I in books, films, and other media.

The title “Freiherr” (literally “Free Lord”) is often translated as “baron.” It is not a given name or strictly hereditary, as all male members of the family could use it, even during their father’s lifetime. Richthofen painted his aircraft red, and this, combined with his title, led to the nickname “Red Baron” both in and outside Germany. In his own time, he was more often called *der Rote Kampfflieger* in German, meaning “the Red Battle Flyer” or “the Red Fighter Pilot,” which became the title of his 1917 autobiography.

Richthofen was born on 2 May 1892 in Kleinburg, near Breslau, Lower Silesia (now part of Wrocław, Poland), into a prominent Prussian aristocratic family. His father was Major Albrecht Philipp Karl Julius Freiherr von Richthofen, and his mother was Kunigunde von Schickfuss und Neudorff. He had an older sister, Ilse, and two younger brothers. One brother, Lothar von Richthofen, also became a flying ace; the other, Bolko von Richthofen, later married and named his son after Manfred.

When Manfred was four, his family moved to nearby Schweidnitz (now Świdnica, Poland). He enjoyed horseback riding and hunting, as well as gymnastics, excelling on the parallel bars and winning school awards. With his brothers Lothar and Bolko, he hunted wild boar, elk, birds, and deer. After home schooling, he attended a school in Schweidnitz for a year. In 1903, at age 11, he began cadet training at the Wahlstatt military school (now Legnickie Pole, Poland). After finishing there in 1909, he spent two years at the Groß-Lichterfelde Preußische Hauptkadettenanstalt. On 27 April 1911, he joined an Uhlan cavalry unit, the Ulanen-Regiment Kaiser Alexander der III. von Russland (1. Westpreußisches) Nr. 1, as an officer candidate in Militsch. Commissioned in November 1912, he was assigned to the regiment’s No. 3 Squadron in Ostrowo.

When World War I began, Richthofen served as a cavalry reconnaissance officer on the Eastern and Western Fronts, seeing action in Russia, France, and Belgium. Trench warfare made traditional cavalry obsolete, so his regiment was dismounted and used as dispatch runners and field telephone operators. Frustrated and bored by his lack of direct combat, he was especially upset by an order to transfer to the army’s supply branch. His interest in flying had grown after he examined a German military aircraft behind the lines, so he applied to join the Imperial German Army Air Service. He was widely reported to have written in his application, “I have not gone to war in order to collect cheese and eggs, but for another purpose.” His request was approved, and he began training as an aerial observer at Großenhain in late May 1915.

From June to August 1915, Richthofen flew as an observer on reconnaissance missions over the Eastern Front with Feldflieger Abteilung 69. In August, he was transferred to a flying unit in Ostend, Belgium. There, he flew with friend and fellow pilot Georg Zeumer, who later taught him to fly solo. In September 1915, while with Brieftauben Abteilung Ostende on the Champagne Front and assigned to pilot Henning von Osterroth, he is believed to have shot down an attacking French Farman aircraft from an Albatros C.I using his observer’s machine gun. The kill was not credited because it fell behind French lines and could not be confirmed.

A chance meeting with German ace Oswald Boelcke led Richthofen to begin pilot training in October 1915.