Richthofen, << RIHKT hoh fuhn, >> Baron Manfred von (1892-1918), was the leading German fighter pilot of World War I (1914-1918). He shot down 80 enemy planes. He also trained and led his own fighter squadron. Richthofen became known as the Red Baron because he flew planes painted red.
Manfred Albrecht von Richthofen was born on May 2, 1892, in Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland). He was educated at military schools and became a cavalry officer in the German army. In 1915, Richthofen transferred to the air service. He began flying as an observer, gathering intelligence while a pilot flew the plane, but he soon took flying lessons and became a pilot himself.
In 1916, Richthofen joined the squadron of Oswald Boelcke, an accomplished fighter pilot who had developed successful air battle strategies. In January 1917, Richthofen was given command of his own squadron. That April, he shot down 21 planes. In July, he received a bullet wound to the head but managed to land his plane. He returned to combat the next month.
On April 21, 1918, Richthofen was killed as he pursued an enemy plane far into hostile territory. He was shot through the chest, and his plane crashed. It is unclear whether Richthofen was brought down by Australian troops on the ground or by a Canadian pilot coming to the aid of the other plane.
