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90-399: The Dicta Boelcke is a list of fundamental aerial maneuvers of aerial combat formulated by First World War German flying ace Oswald Boelcke . Equipped with one of the first fighter aircraft, Boelcke became Germany's foremost flying ace during 1915 and 1916. Because of his success in aerial combat and analytic mind, he was tasked by Colonel Hermann von der Lieth-Thomsen with writing

180-500: A cavalryman , Richthofen transferred to the Air Service in 1915, becoming one of the first members of fighter squadron Jagdstaffel 2 in 1916. He quickly distinguished himself as a fighter pilot, and during 1917 became the leader of Jasta 11 . Later he led the larger fighter wing Jagdgeschwader I , better known as "The Flying Circus" or "Richthofen's Circus" because of the bright colours of its aircraft, and perhaps also because of

270-538: A rocket (although these too can also be guided ). Missiles have four system components: targeting and/or missile guidance , flight system, engine, and warhead. Missiles come in types adapted for different purposes: surface-to-surface and air-to-surface missiles ( ballistic , cruise , anti-ship , anti-tank , etc.), surface-to-air missiles (and anti-ballistic ), air-to-air missiles , and anti-satellite weapons . All known existing missiles are designed to be propelled during powered flight by chemical reactions inside

360-575: A rocket engine , jet engine , or other type of engine. Non-self-propelled airborne explosive devices are generally referred to as shells and usually have a shorter range than missiles. In ordinary British-English usage predating guided weapons, a missile is " any thrown object ", such as objects thrown at players by rowdy spectators at a sporting event. The advent of the unmanned aerial vehicle has dramatically revolutionised aerial warfare with multiple nations developing and/or purchasing UAV fleets. Several benchmarks have already occurred, including

450-493: A French Nieuport , shooting it down over Fort Douaumont —although he received no official credit. A week later, he decided to ignore more experienced pilots' advice against flying through a thunderstorm. He later noted that he had been "lucky to get through the weather" and vowed never again to fly in such conditions unless ordered to do so. Richthofen met Oswald Boelcke again in August 1916, after another spell flying two-seaters on

540-480: A UAV-fighter jet dogfight , probes of adversary air defense with UAVs, replacement of an operational flight wing's aircraft with UAVs, control of UAVs qualifying the operator for 'combat' status, UAV-control from the other side of the world, jamming and/or data-hijacking of UAVs in flight, as well as proposals to transfer fire authority to AI aboard a UAV. UAVs have quickly evolved from surveillance to combat roles. The growing capability of UAVs has thrown into question

630-758: A blow to the morale of the German people. He refused to accept a ground job after his wound, stating that "every poor fellow in the trenches must do his duty" and that he would therefore continue to fly in combat. Certainly he had become part of a cult of officially encouraged hero-worship. German propaganda circulated various false rumours, including that the British had raised squadrons specially to hunt Richthofen and had offered large rewards and an automatic Victoria Cross to any Entente pilot who shot him down. Passages from his correspondence indicate he may have at least half-believed some of these stories himself. Richthofen received

720-433: A brochure entitled "Experiences of Air Fighting", giving tips for attacking any one of three types of opposing aircraft. This was not unique; a few other fliers in the war were sharing such combat tips with one another on a personal level. After Immelmann's death, Boelcke was withdrawn from combat on 27 June 1916, while he was the war's leading ace, and assigned to Fliegertruppe (Flying Troops) headquarters. His reassignment

810-484: A fatal wound just after 11:00 am on 21 April 1918 while flying over Morlancourt Ridge near the Somme River , 49°56′0.60″N 2°32′43.71″E  /  49.9335000°N 2.5454750°E  / 49.9335000; 2.5454750 . At the time, he had been pursuing, at very low altitude, a Sopwith Camel piloted by Canadian novice Wilfrid Reid "Wop" May of No. 209 Squadron , Royal Air Force. May had just fired on

900-567: A field on a hill near the Bray-Corbie road, just north of the village of Vaux-sur-Somme , in a sector defended by the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). The aircraft bounced heavily upon hitting the ground: the undercarriage collapsed and the fuel tank was smashed before the aircraft skidded to a stop. Several witnesses, including Gunner George Ridgway, reached the crashed plane and found Richthofen already dead, and his face slammed into

990-472: A friend and fellow pilot Georg Zeumer , who would later teach him to fly solo. In September 1915 on being transferred to Brieftauben Abteilung Ostende (B.A.O) on the Champagne front and assigned to Pilot Henning von Osterroth, he is believed to have shot down an attacking French Farman aircraft aboard an Albatros C.I with his observer's machine gun in a tense battle over French lines; he was not credited with

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1080-871: A further grandiose memorial ceremony at the site of the grave, erecting a massive new tombstone engraved with the single word: Richthofen. During the Cold War , the Invalidenfriedhof was on the boundary of the Soviet zone in Berlin , and the tombstone became damaged by bullets fired at attempted escapees from East Germany . In 1975, the body was moved to a Richthofen family grave plot at the Südfriedhof in Wiesbaden . For decades after World War I, some authors questioned whether Richthofen had achieved 80 victories, insisting that his record

1170-428: A hurrah and a roar; it is very serious, very grim." An English translation by J. Ellis Barker was published in 1918 as The Red Battle Flyer . Although Richthofen died before a revised version could be prepared, he is on record as repudiating the book, stating that it was "too insolent" and that he was no longer that kind of person. By 1918, Richthofen had become such a legend that it was feared that his death would be

1260-725: A pamphlet on aerial tactics. Completed in June 1916, it was distributed throughout the German Army's Air Service (Die Fliegertruppen des Deutschen Reiches) , some two years before the French and British militaries followed suit with their own tactical guides. Air combat tactical manuals based on the Dicta Boelcke have become more elaborate over time, and have become a mainstay for NATO 's air combat training of American, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Turkish, Italian, and Greek fighter pilots. Oswald Boelcke

1350-494: A plaque near his former home in Brooklyn . Buie died in 1964 and has never been officially recognised in any other way. Richthofen was a highly experienced and skilled fighter pilot—fully aware of the risk from ground fire. Further, he concurred with the rules of air fighting created by his late mentor Boelcke, who specifically advised pilots not to take unnecessary risks. In this context, Richthofen's judgement during his last combat

1440-486: A position from which an attack can be made on another aircraft. It relies on offensive and defensive basic fighter manoeuvring (BFM) to gain an advantage over an aerial opponent. Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry , set up to be moved by aircraft and "dropped" into battle, typically by parachute . Thus, they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have the capability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning. The formations are limited only by

1530-418: A serious head wound on 6 July 1917, during combat near Wervik , Belgium against a formation of F.E.2d two-seat fighters of No. 20 Squadron RFC , causing instant disorientation and temporary partial blindness. He regained his vision in time to ease the aircraft out of a spin and execute a forced landing in a field in friendly territory. The injury required multiple operations to remove bone splinters from

1620-399: A squadron commander. His autobiography states: "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. In fact, my opponents also seemed to be not entirely unaware [of it]". Thereafter he usually flew in red-painted aircraft, although not all of them were entirely red, nor was

1710-400: A temporary basis, even if he had not been formally promoted. In the German army, it was not unusual for a wartime officer to hold a lower rank than his duties implied; German officers were promoted according to a schedule and not by battlefield promotion. It was also the custom for a son not to hold a higher rank than his father, and Richthofen's father was a reserve major. Richthofen sustained

1800-517: A victory in the Albatros D.II on 9 March, but his Albatros D.III was grounded for the rest of the month so he switched again to a Halberstadt D.II. He returned to his Albatros D.III on 2 April 1917 and scored 22 victories in it before switching to the Albatros D.V in late June. Richthofen flew the celebrated Fokker Dr.I triplane from late August 1917, the distinctive three-winged aircraft with which he

1890-420: Is reconnaissance for a military or strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft . This role can fulfil a variety of requirements, including the collection of imagery intelligence , observation of enemy maneuvers and artillery spotting . Air combat manoeuvring (also known as ACM or dogfighting ) is the tactical art of moving, turning and situating a fighter aircraft in order to attain

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1980-440: Is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating the enemy by destroying their morale or their economic ability to produce and transport materiel to the theatres of military operations , or both. It is a systematically organized and executed attack from the air which can utilize strategic bombers , long- or medium-range missiles , or nuclear-armed fighter-bomber aircraft to attack targets deemed vital to

2070-436: Is a suggestion that on the day of Richthofen's death, the prevailing wind was about 40 km/h (25 mph) easterly, rather than the usual 40 km/h (25 mph) westerly. This meant that Richthofen, heading generally westward at an airspeed of about 160 km/h (99 mph), was travelling over the ground at up to 200 km/h (120 mph) rather than the more typical ground speed of 120 km/h (75 mph). This

2160-546: Is most commonly associated—although he did not use the type exclusively until after it was reissued with strengthened wings in November. Only 19 of his 80 kills were made in this type of aircraft, despite the popular link between Richthofen and the Fokker Dr.I. It was his Albatros D.III Serial No. 789/16 that was first painted bright red, in late January 1917, and in which he first earned his name and reputation. Richthofen championed

2250-547: Is no point in me commenting, as the evidence is already out there." Many sources have suggested that Sergeant Cedric Popkin was the person most likely to have killed Richthofen, including a 1998 article by Geoffrey Miller, a physician, and historian of military medicine, and a 2002 edition of the British Channel 4 Secret History series. Popkin was an AA machine gunner with the Australian 24th Machine Gun Company, and he

2340-418: Is satisfied for a quarter of an hour. Therefore I do not succeed in shooting down two Englishmen in succession. If one of them comes down, I have the feeling of complete satisfaction. Only much later have I overcome my instinct and have become a butcher". In another passage, Richthofen 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

2430-615: The Luftstreitkräfte . The German high command permitted this practice (in spite of obvious drawbacks from the point of view of intelligence ), and German propaganda made much of it by referring to Richthofen as Der Rote Kampfflieger —"the Red Fighter Pilot". During a visit to her home, the Baron's mother asked him why he risked his life every day, and he said: "For the man in the trenches. I want to ease his hard lot in life by keeping

2520-548: The use of planes and zeppelins for strategic bombing also emerged . The rise of fighter aircraft and of air-to-air combat led to a realisation of the desirability of achieving air superiority . Closer integration of attacking aircraft with ground operations ("battlefield support") also developed during World War I . During World War II (1939-1945), the use of strategic bombing increased, while airborne forces , missiles, and early precision-guided munitions were introduced. Aircraft carriers gained particular importance in

2610-460: The Fliegertruppe . The next month, Manfred joined Kampfgeschwader 2 ("No. 2 Fighter Squadron") flying a two-seater Albatros C.III . Initially, he appeared to be a below-average pilot. He struggled to control his aircraft, and he crashed during his first flight at the controls. Despite this poor start, he rapidly became attuned to his aircraft. He was over Verdun on 26 April 1916 and fired on

2700-513: The Secret History documentary dismiss this theory because of the angle from which Evans fired at Richthofen. Other sources have suggested that Gunner Robert Buie (also of the 53rd Battery) may have fired the fatal shot. There is little support for this theory. In 2007, Hornsby Shire Council , a municipal authority in Sydney, Australia, recognised Buie as the man who shot down Richthofen, placing

2790-471: The University of Texas . Richthofen's behaviour after his injury was noted as consistent with brain-injured patients, and such an injury could account for his perceived lack of judgment on his final flight: flying too low over enemy territory and suffering target fixation . Richthofen may have been suffering from cumulative combat stress , which made him fail to observe some of his usual precautions. One of

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2880-626: The " Dicta Boelcke " to assure success for both the squadron and its pilots. He was not a spectacular or aerobatic pilot like his brother or Werner Voss , he was a noted tactician and squadron leader and a fine marksman. Typically, he would dive from above to attack with the advantage of the sun behind him, with other pilots of his squadron covering his rear and flanks. On 23 November 1916, Richthofen shot down his most famous adversary, British ace Major Lanoe Hawker VC, described by Richthofen as "the British Boelcke". The victory came while Richthofen

2970-455: The "red" necessarily the brilliant scarlet beloved of model- and replica-builders. Other members of Jasta 11 soon took to painting parts of their aircraft red. Their official reason seems to have been to make their leader less conspicuous, to avoid having him singled out in a fight. In practice, red colouration became a unit identification. Other units soon adopted their own squadron colours, and decoration of fighters became general throughout

3060-528: The British Royal Flying Corps air effort could be summed up by "Attack everything". The French Aeronautique Militaire was concentrating its efforts on building up its bomber force. Boelcke tried to interest Immelmann in devising a tactical doctrine for fighters, to no avail. In mid-1916, Boelcke codified his tactics in the Dicta Boelcke , which was the world's first tactical aerial combat manual for an air force. During early 1916, Boelcke wrote

3150-496: The Dicta. One version that differs somewhat from the above: Still another version can be found online. If followed assiduously, the Dicta tactics often led to an unseen approach for a surprise attack. As historical study has shown, thus getting in the first shot in an engagement guarantees a successful attack over 80% of the time. After writing the Dicta , Boelcke's tactics were taught in

3240-504: The Eastern Front. Boelcke was visiting the east in search of candidates for his newly formed Jasta 2 , and he selected Richthofen to join this unit, one of the first German fighter squadrons. Boelcke was killed during a midair collision with a friendly aircraft on 28 October 1916, and Richthofen witnessed the event. Richthofen scored his first confirmed victory when he engaged Second Lieutenant Lionel Morris and his observer Tom Rees in

3330-613: The Red Baron's cousin, Lieutenant Wolfram von Richthofen . On seeing his cousin being attacked, Richthofen flew to his rescue and fired on May, causing him to pull away. Richthofen pursued May across the Somme. The Baron was spotted and briefly attacked by a Camel piloted by May's school friend and flight commander, Canadian Captain Arthur "Roy" Brown . Brown had to dive steeply at very high speed to intervene, and then had to climb steeply to avoid hitting

3420-648: The Red Baron, but it is now generally agreed by historians, doctors, and ballistics experts that Richthofen was actually killed by an anti-aircraft (AA) machine gunner firing from the ground. A post mortem examination of the body showed the bullet that killed Richthofen penetrated from the right underarm and exited next to the left nipple. Brown's attack was probably from behind and above Richthofen's left. Even more conclusively, Richthofen could not have continued his pursuit of May for as long as he did (up to two minutes) had his wound come from Brown. Brown himself never spoke much about what happened that day, claiming, "There

3510-621: The Wahlstatt (now Legnickie Pole , Poland) military school when he was 11. After completing cadet training at the Groß-Lichterfelde Preußische Hauptkadettenanstalt in 1909, he joined an Uhlan cavalry unit, the Ulanen-Regiment Kaiser Alexander der III. von Russland (1. Westpreußisches) Nr. 1 ("1st Emperor Alexander III of Russia Uhlan Regiment (1st West Prussian)") and was assigned to

3600-623: The attack" could have been borrowed from the Dicta . Malan's Rules were distributed throughout the Royal Air Force . The simple Dicta Boelcke manual has, over time, evolved into widespread use of tactics, techniques, and procedures manuals for air forces worldwide. The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the United States Navy (USN), and the United States Air Force (USAF) each have their own air tactics manuals. Under

3690-1008: The auspices of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the USAF trains German, Dutch, Norwegian, Turkish, Italian, and Greek fighter pilots at Sheppard Air Force Base , using air tactics manuals descended from the Dicta Boelcke . Aerial combat Historically, military aircraft have included lighter-than-air balloons carrying artillery observers ; lighter-than-air airships for bombing cities; various sorts of reconnaissance , surveillance , and early warning aircraft carrying observers, cameras, and radar equipment; torpedo bombers to attack enemy vessels; and military air-sea rescue aircraft for saving downed airmen . Modern aerial warfare includes missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles . Surface forces are likely to respond to enemy air activity with anti-aircraft warfare . The history of aerial warfare began in ancient times, with

Dicta Boelcke - Misplaced Pages Continue

3780-586: The butts of his machine guns, breaking his nose, fracturing his jaw and creating contusions on his face. No. 3 Squadron , Australian Flying Corps was the nearest Entente air unit and assumed responsibility for the Baron's remains. His Fokker Dr.I 425/17 was soon taken apart by souvenir hunters. In 2009, Richthofen's death certificate was found in the archives in Ostrów Wielkopolski , Poland. He had briefly been stationed in Ostrów before going to war, as it

3870-411: The circumstances of his death. He remains one of the most widely known fighter pilots of all time, and has been the subject of many books, films, and other media . Richthofen never married and had no known children. Richthofen was a Freiherr (literally "Free Lord"), a title of nobility often translated as " baron ." That is not a given name or strictly a hereditary title since all male members of

3960-693: The development of the Fokker D.VII with suggestions to overcome the deficiencies of the then current German fighter aircraft. He never had an opportunity to fly the new type in combat, as he was killed before it entered service. Richthofen received the Pour le Mérite in January 1917 after his 16th confirmed kill, the highest military honour in Germany at the time and informally known as "The Blue Max". That same month, he assumed command of Jasta 11 , which ultimately included some of

4050-440: The elite German pilots, many of whom he trained himself, and several of whom later became leaders of their own squadrons. Ernst Udet belonged to Richthofen's group and later became Generaloberst Udet. When Lothar joined, the German high command appreciated the propaganda value of two Richthofens fighting together to defeat the enemy in the air. Richthofen took the flamboyant step of having his Albatros painted red when he became

4140-448: The enemy flyers away from him." Richthofen led his new unit to unparallelled success, peaking during " Bloody April " 1917. In that month alone, he shot down 22 British aircraft, including four in a single day, raising his official tally to 52. By June, he had become the commander of the first of the new larger "fighter wing" formations; these were highly mobile, combined tactical units that could move at short notice to different parts of

4230-457: The enemy's war-making capability. Anti-aircraft warfare or counter-air defence is defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air-based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures (e.g. barrage balloons ). It may be used to protect naval, ground, and air forces in any location. However, for most countries

4320-427: The family were entitled to it, even during the lifetime of their father. Richthofen painted his aircraft red, which, combined with his title, led to him being called the "Red Baron" ( "der Rote Baron" ), both inside and outside Germany. During his lifetime, he was more frequently described in German as Der Rote Kampfflieger . That was variously translated as "The Red Battle Flyer" or "The Red Fighter Pilot" and

4410-416: The fatal shot as Richthofen flew straight at his position. In this respect, Popkin was incorrect; the bullet which caused the Baron's death came from the side (see above). A 2002 Discovery Channel documentary suggests that Gunner W. J. "Snowy" Evans, a Lewis machine gunner with the 53rd Battery, 14th Field Artillery Brigade, Royal Australian Artillery is likely to have killed von Richthofen. Miller and

4500-414: The fighter school he had suggested founding. He suggested that fighter planes be organized into squadrons. He also organized and led one of these original German fighter squadrons, Jagdstaffel 2 . By the time he died in action after his 40th victory, he had thoroughly schooled his squadron in his tactics. Jasta 2 went on to be one of the two most successful German fighter squadrons during the remainder of

4590-484: The front as required. Richthofen's new command, Jagdgeschwader 1 , was composed of fighter squadrons No. 4, 6, 10, and 11. J.G. 1 became widely known as "The Flying Circus" due to the unit's brightly coloured aircraft and its mobility, including the use of tents, trains, and caravans, where appropriate. Richthofen was a brilliant tactician, building on Boelcke's tactics. Unlike Boelcke, however, he led by example and force of will rather than by inspiration. He

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4680-520: The graves of his father and his brother Lothar von Richthofen, who had been killed in a post-war air crash in 1922. The German Government requested that the body should instead be interred at the Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery in Berlin, where many German military heroes and past leaders were buried, and the family agreed. Richthofen's body received a state funeral . Later the Third Reich held

4770-513: The ground. Richthofen turned to avoid this attack, and then resumed his pursuit of May. It was almost certainly during this final stage in his pursuit of May that a single .303 bullet hit Richthofen through the chest, severely damaging his heart and lungs; it would have killed Richthofen in less than a minute. His aircraft stalled and went into a steep dive, hitting the ground at 49°55′56″N 2°32′16″E  /  49.9321076°N 2.5376701°E  / 49.9321076; 2.5376701 in

4860-532: The impact area. The Red Baron returned to active service against doctor's orders on 25 July, but took convalescent leave from 5 September to 23 October. His wound is thought to have caused lasting damage; he later often suffered from post-flight nausea and headaches, as well as a change in temperament. There is a theory (see below) linking this injury with his eventual death. During his convalescent leave, Richthofen completed an autobiographic sketch, Der rote Kampfflieger ( The Red Battle Flyer , 1917). Written on

4950-491: The instructions of the "Press and Intelligence" ( propaganda ) section of the Luftstreitkräfte (Air Force), it shows evidence of having been heavily censored and edited. There are, however, passages that are most unlikely to have been inserted by an official editor. Richthofen wrote: "My father discriminates between a sportsman and a butcher. The latter shoots for fun. When I have shot down an Englishman, my hunting passion

5040-412: The kill, since it fell behind Entente lines and therefore could not be confirmed. "I had been told the name of the place to which we were to fly and I was to direct the pilot. At first we flew straight ahead, then the pilot turned to the right, then left. I had lost all sense of direction over our own aerodrome! ... I didn't care a bit where I was, and when the pilot thought it was time to go down, I

5130-595: The last straw for Richthofen was an order to transfer to the army's supply branch. His interest in the Air Service had been aroused by his examination of a German military aircraft behind the lines, and he applied for a transfer to Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches (Imperial German Army Air Service), later to be known as the Luftstreitkräfte . He was widely reported to have written in his application for transfer, "I have not gone to war in order to collect cheese and eggs, but for another purpose." His request

5220-407: The leading British air aces, Major Edward "Mick" Mannock , was killed by ground fire on 26 July 1918 while crossing the lines at low level, an action he had always cautioned his younger pilots against. One of the most popular of the French air aces, Georges Guynemer , went missing on 11 September 1917, probably while attacking a two-seater without realizing several Fokkers were escorting it. There

5310-447: The main effort has tended to be 'homeland defence'. NATO refers to airborne air defence as counter-air and naval air defence as anti-aircraft warfare . Missile defence is an extension of air defence as are initiatives to adapt air defence to the task of intercepting any projectile in flight. In modern usage, a missile is a self-propelled precision-guided munition system, as opposed to an unguided self-propelled munition, referred to as

5400-545: The number and size of their aircraft, so given enough capacity a huge force can appear "out of nowhere" in minutes, an action referred to as vertical envelopment . Conversely, airborne forces typically lack the supplies and equipment for prolonged combat operations, and are therefore more suited for airhead operations than for long-term occupation; furthermore, parachute operations are particularly sensitive to adverse weather conditions. Advances in helicopter technology since World War II have brought increased flexibility to

5490-447: The observer first; until you have silenced the gun, don't bother about the pilot." Although Richthofen was now performing the duties of a lieutenant colonel (a wing commander in modern Royal Air Force terms), he was never promoted past the relatively junior rank of Rittmeister , equivalent to captain in the British army. The system in the British army was for an officer to hold the rank appropriate to his level of command, if only on

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5580-600: The regiment's 3. Eskadron ("No. 3 Squadron "). When World War I began, Richthofen served as a cavalry reconnaissance officer on both the Eastern and Western Fronts , seeing action in Russia, France, and Belgium; with the advent of trench warfare , which made traditional cavalry operations outdated and inefficient, Richthofen's regiment was dismounted, serving as dispatch runners and field telephone operators. Disappointed and bored at not being able to directly participate in combat,

5670-496: The scope of airborne operations, and air assaults have largely replaced large-scale parachute operations, and (almost) completely replaced combat glider operations. An airstrike or air strike is an offensive operation carried out by attack aircraft . Air strikes are mostly delivered from aircraft such as fighters , bombers , ground attack aircraft , and attack helicopters . The official definition includes all sorts of targets, including enemy air targets, but in popular use

5760-679: The skies over Cambrai , France, on 17 September 1916. His autobiography states, "I honoured the fallen enemy by placing a stone on his beautiful grave." He contacted a jeweller in Berlin and ordered a silver cup engraved with the date and the type of enemy aircraft. He continued to celebrate each of his victories in the same manner until he had 60 cups, by which time the dwindling supply of silver in blockaded Germany meant that silver cups could no longer be supplied. Richthofen discontinued his orders at this stage, rather than accept cups made from base metal. His brother Lothar (40 victories) used risky, aggressive tactics but Manfred observed maxims known as

5850-519: The spar of the aircraft's lower wing on 24 January, and he reverted to the Albatros D.II or Halberstadt D.II for the next five weeks. Richthofen was flying his Halberstadt on 6 March in combat with F.E.8s of 40 Squadron RFC when his aircraft was shot through the fuel tank, by Edwin Benbow , who was credited with a victory from this fight. Richthofen was able to make a forced landing near Hénin-Liétard without his aircraft catching fire. He then scored

5940-636: The survivability and capability of manned fighter jets. Manfred von Richthofen Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen ( German: [ˈmanfreːt fɔn ˈʁɪçthoːfn̩] ; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron , was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I . He is considered the ace-of-aces of the war, being officially credited with 80 air combat victories. Originally

6030-457: The term is usually narrowed to a tactical (small-scale) attack on a ground or naval objective. Weapons used in an airstrike can range from machine gun bullets and missiles to various types of bombs . It is also commonly referred to as an air raid . In close air support , air strikes are usually controlled by trained observers for coordination with friendly ground troops in a manner derived from artillery tactics. Strategic bombing

6120-628: The trans-oceanic projection of air power . Ballistic missiles became of key importance during the Cold War , were armed with nuclear warheads , and were stockpiled by the United States and the Soviet Union to deter each other from using them . Drone warfare using relatively cheap unmanned equipment proliferated in the 21st century, particularly after the start of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020. Aerial reconnaissance

6210-594: The use of man-carrying kites in Ancient China . In the third century it progressed to balloon warfare . Airships (notably zeppelins ) served in military use in the early years of the 20th century. Heavier-than-air airplanes first went to war in the Italo-Turkish War in 1911, initially for aerial reconnaissance , and then for aerial combat to shoot down enemy reconnaissance planes. Aircraft continued to carry out these roles during World War I (1914-1918), where

6300-402: The utility of having a wingman, of massing fighter planes for increased fighting power, and of flying loose formations allowing individual pilots tactical independence. Based on his successful combat experiences, he used his training as a professional soldier and his powers as an analytic thinker to design tactics for the use of aircraft in battle. During this period of pioneering aerial warfare,

6390-548: The war and assigned to command the most successful German squadron, Jasta 11 . As a result of Boelcke's tactical concepts, the Imperial German Air Service exacted an ever greater toll on Allied aircraft right up until war's end. For instance, Jasta 2 was credited with 46 victories for September 1918. When the next logical step was taken by the Germans in organizing fighter squadrons into a wing in June 1917, Richthofen

6480-471: The war, scoring 336 victories, and achieving a victory ratio that ran as high as 12 to one. Eight of Jasta 2 original members became aces. 25 aces served in Jasta 2 , scoring 90% of its victories. Four of its members served as generals during World War II. There was a steady rotation of Jasta 2's aces into commands of other squadrons. The most prominent example of this was Manfred von Richthofen , leading ace of

6570-459: The way the unit was transferred from one area of Entente air activity to another – moving like a travelling circus, and frequently setting up in tents on improvised airfields. By 1918, Richthofen was regarded as a national hero in Germany, and respected by his enemies. Richthofen was shot down and killed over France near Vaux-sur-Somme on 21 April 1918. There has been considerable discussion and debate regarding aspects of his career, especially

6660-458: Was clearly unsound in several respects. Several theories have been proposed to account for his behaviour. In 1999, a German medical researcher, Henning Allmers, published an article in the British medical journal The Lancet , suggesting it was likely that brain damage from the head wound Richthofen suffered in July 1917 played a part in his death. This was supported by a 2004 paper by researchers at

6750-732: Was considerably faster than normal and he could easily have strayed over enemy lines without realizing it. At the time of Richthofen's death, the front was in a highly fluid state, following the initial success of the German offensive of March–April 1918 . This was part of Germany's last opportunity to win the war. In the face of Entente air superiority, the German air service was having difficulty acquiring vital reconnaissance information, and could do little to prevent Entente squadrons from completing effective reconnaissance and close support of their armies. In common with most Entente air officers, No. 3 Squadron AFC's commanding officer Major David Blake , who

6840-574: Was disappointed. Already I was counting down the hours to the time we could start again." John Simpson, quoting Richthofen's own description of his first flying experience. Manfred von Richthofen had a chance meeting with German ace fighter pilot Oswald Boelcke which led him to enter training as a pilot in October 1915. In February 1916, Manfred "rescued" his brother Lothar from the boredom of training new troops in Luben and encouraged him to transfer to

6930-420: Was exaggerated for propaganda purposes. Some claimed that he took credit for aircraft downed by his squadron or wing. In fact, Richthofen's victories are unusually well documented. A full list of the aircraft the Red Baron was credited with shooting down was published as early as 1958 —with documented RFC/RAF squadron details, aircraft serial numbers, and the identities of Entente airmen killed or captured—73 of

7020-420: Was flying an Albatros D.II and Hawker was flying the older DH.2 . After a long dogfight, Hawker was shot in the back of the head as he attempted to escape back to his own lines. After this combat, Richthofen was convinced that he needed a fighter aircraft with more agility, even with a loss of speed. He switched to the Albatros D.III in January 1917, scoring two victories before suffering an in-flight crack in

7110-433: Was four years old, Manfred moved with his family to nearby Schweidnitz (now Świdnica , Poland). He enjoyed riding horses and hunting. He also was fond of gymnastics; he excelled at parallel bars and won a number of awards at school. He and his brothers, Lothar and Bolko, hunted wild boar, elk, birds, and deer. After being educated at home, he attended a school at Schweidnitz for a year before beginning cadet training at

7200-512: Was granted, and Richthofen joined the flying service at the end of May 1915 training as an aerial observer at Großenhain . From June to August 1915, Richthofen served as an observer on reconnaissance missions over the Eastern Front with Feldflieger Abteilung 69 ("No. 69 Flying Squadron "). In August 1915, he was transferred to a flying unit in Ostend , a coastal city in Belgium. There he flew with

7290-440: Was in line with the German military doctrine of Auftragstaktik , or order tactics: The belief that the junior officer on the battlefield best knows the tactics needed there. As part of his staff duties revamping the Fliegertruppe into the Luftstreitkräfte (Air Force) in early October 1916, Boelcke wrote the Dicta , which was then distributed throughout the Luftstreitkräfte as the world's first tactical air combat manual. It

7380-481: Was inscribed with the words, "To Our Gallant and Worthy Foe". In the early 1920s, the French authorities created a military cemetery at Fricourt , in which a large number of German war dead, including Richthofen, were reinterred. In 1925 von Richthofen's youngest brother, Bolko, recovered the body from Fricourt and took it to Germany. The family's intention was for it to be buried in the Schweidnitz cemetery next to

7470-410: Was often described as distant, unemotional, and rather humorless, though some colleagues contended otherwise. He was cordial to officers and enlisted men alike; indeed, he urged his pilots to remain on good terms with the mechanics who maintained their aircraft. He taught his pilots the basic rule which he wanted them to fight by: "Aim for the man and don't miss him. If you are fighting a two-seater, get

7560-404: Was one of the first German pilots successful in air-to-air combat. During mid-May 1915, he began to fly one of the original fighter aircraft equipped with a synchronized gun . As he began to shoot down opposing French and British airplanes, he became one of the first German fighter aces . Often flying with Max Immelmann , Boelcke gained experience in the new realm of aerial combat as he discovered

7650-426: Was part of Germany until the end of World War I. The document is a one-page, handwritten form in a 1918 registry book of deaths. It misspells Richthofen's name as "Richthoven" and simply states that he had "died 21 April 1918, from wounds sustained in combat". Controversy and contradictory hypotheses continue to surround who actually fired the shot that killed Richthofen. The RAF credited Brown with shooting down

7740-486: Was picked to lead it. Before his death on 21 April 1918, he wrote his own Dicta for wing tactics. It referred extensively to Boelcke's Dicta . Similar to the Dicta Boelcke was Mick Mannock 's Rules of Combat: During the early days of World War II, South African ace Sailor Malan espoused his Ten Rules for Air Fighting . These rules closely followed the Dicta Boelcke . For instance, Rule 5's "Always turn and face

7830-436: Was responsible for Richthofen's body, regarded the Red Baron with great respect, and he organised a full military funeral . The body was buried in the cemetery at the village of Bertangles , near Amiens , on 22 April 1918. Six of No. 3 Squadron's officers served as pallbearers , and a guard of honour from the squadron's other ranks fired a salute. Entente squadrons stationed nearby presented memorial wreaths, one of which

7920-495: Was the name used as the title of Richthofen's 1917 autobiography . Richthofen was born in Kleinburg , near Breslau, Lower Silesia (now part of the city of Wrocław , Poland), on 2 May 1892 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 elder sister, Ilse, and two younger brothers. When he

8010-425: Was two years before the British and French followed suit in 1918. Spurred by the example of the Dicta , many of the world's military air forces eventually developed their own tactical manuals, codified as tactics, techniques, and procedures. According to Boelcke's first biographer, Professor Johannes von Werner, the eight dicta were written for Colonel Hermann von der Lieth-Thomsen . There are various versions of

8100-468: Was using a Vickers gun . He fired at Richthofen's aircraft on two occasions: first as the Baron was heading straight at his position, and then at long range from the plane's right. Given the nature of Richthofen's wounds, Popkin was in a position to fire the fatal shot when the pilot passed him for a second time. Some confusion has been caused by a letter that Popkin wrote in 1935 to an Australian official historian. It stated Popkin's belief that he had fired

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