Manfred von Richthofen

Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (May 2, 1892 – April 21, 1918) was a German pilot and is still regarded today as the "ace of aces". He was a very successful fighter pilot, military leader and flying ace who won 80 air combats during World War I.

The Flying Circus

In January of 1917 von Richthofen assumed command of Jasta 11, which ultimately included some of the elite of Germany's pilots, many of whom the Red Baron trained himself. Since April 1918, the pilots in his squadron included Ernst Udet.

Related Topics:
Jasta 11 - Ernst Udet

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Jasta 11's aircraft featured red markings, and some of Richthofen's planes were entirely red. The squadron was usually quartered in tents, in order to get closer to the front and gain mobility to avoid Allied bombing. This way, the Jasta became "The Flying Circus" or "Richthofen's Circus".

Related Topics:
Flying Circus

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Von Richthofen led his new unit to unparalleled success, peaking during "Bloody April" of 1917. In that month alone, he downed 20 British aircraft, raising his tally to 52. However, in July he sustained a head wound that grounded him for several weeks. Nevertheless, he returned to combat, leading Jagdgeschwader I composed of Jastas 4, 6, 10, and 11. This head wound is thought to have caused lasting damage, as after the injury he suffered from post-flight nausea and headaches, a change in temperament, and his single minded pursuit that led to his death was uncharacteristic of his standard method of not becoming fixated on a single target to the exclusion of others.

Related Topics:
Bloody April - Jagdgeschwader I

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Richthofen was a brilliant tactician but was not a natural leader. He led by example and force of will rather than by inspiration. He was almost universally described as distant, unemotive, and rather humorless. The effects of the head injury exacerbated these qualities.

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Some say that, in 1918, Richthofen had become such a legend that it was feared that his death would be a blow to the morale of the German people. So, his superiors asked him to retire, but he refused considering there were still many troops in the trenches.

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After Richthofen's death in April 1918, command of the Flying Circus passed to Richthofen's hand-picked successor, Wilhelm Reinhard. Reinhard commanded the Flying Circus until his death in a flying accident at Aldersdorf on July 3, 1918. After Reinhard's death, the command of the unit passed to Hermann Göring, who would later go on to infamy as a Nazi war criminal and leader of the Luftwaffe.

Related Topics:
April - 1918 - Hermann Göring - Nazi - War criminal - Luftwaffe

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