Biography

Manfred von Richthofen

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Born
May 2, 1892 · Breslau, Silesia, Germany [now Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland]
Died
April 21, 1918 · Vaux-sur-Somme, Somme, France (killed in action - shot down)
Birth name
Manfred-Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen
Nickname
- Der Rote Kampfflieger, Der rote Baron, Der Rote Teufel, The Red Baron, La Petite Rouge.

Born in 1892 in Breslau, Silesia (now Wroclaw, Poland) Richthofen was the son of a hereditary baron. A daredevil for life, he was an avid hunter and mountain climber. With Germany's entrance into WW1 in 1914, Richthofen mobilized in a Silesian cavalry unit, and survived the first battle of Verdun in 1915. Soon after, he transferred to the Luftwaffe (Imperial German Air Force) as a bombardier. By 1916, however, he was tapped for training in the then-new art of fighter combat, flying an Albatros D.2 in March, 1916. By the end of 1916, Richthofen was a certified ace, having downed over 20 aircraft, including the number one British ace up to that time, Maj. Lanoe Hawker. Due to his tally, Richthofen earned the medal "Pour le Merite" (yes, the official name's in French) in December 1916. Throughout the rest of the war, the legend of the Red Baron continued to grow, as did his kill tally, officially reaching 80 kills in April 1918. On April 21 of that year, Richthofen led a routine strafing mission against the British trenches in the Somme region and was killed with a single .303 bullet to the chest, most likely fired from the ground.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous

The famous Nazi officer Hermann Göring flew in his squadron during World War I.
Snoopy's imaginary World War I antics and pursuit of von Richthofen in his Sopwith Camel (actually, on top of his dog house) inspired the 1966 hit song "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron" by The Royal Guardsmen.
He was called the Red Baron or "Le Petit Rouge" for his practice of painting his aircraft red, for the pragmatic purpose of maximum visibility to his squadronmates.
Commanded Jagdgescwader (Air Wing) no. 2, known as "The Flying Circus" for the colorful paint jobs of the planes. Richthofen's personal squadron in JG2, Jasta 11, all painted their craft in red with different colored highlights, in emulation of Richthofen.
During combat in late 1917, he was hit in the back of the head by fire from another aircraft: he survived (the bullet did not penetrate his skull) and he returned to combat in January 1918.