MiniArt 16032 RED BARON Manfred von Richthofen.  WW1 FLYING ACE

Manfred von Richthofen was born in 1892 and died in 1918. He was one of the most famous German pilots of the First World War and probably the greatest fighter ace of that war with 80 confirmed kills. He was nicknamed the Red Baron. Manfred von Richthofen joined the army of imperial Germany in 1911, and began his service in the 1st Cavalry Regiment. In the period 1914-1915 he served both on the Eastern and Western Front as a cavalryman. In May 1915, however, he asked to be transferred to the air force. Initially, he flew in reconnaissance and bombing units - in this capacity took part, among others at the Battle of Verdun. From September 1916, Manfred von Richthofen served in the famous Jagdstaffel 2 (Jasta 2) unit, becoming a fully-fledged fighter pilot. He also very quickly began to prove his great talents in this role, achieving the first confirmed victory in the new unit just a dozen or so days after being assigned to it! Until January 1917, he became one of the best fighter pilots in Imperial Germany, for which he was decorated with the order of Pour Le Merite. At the end of August of the same year, he switched to the Fokker Dr. I plane, which he had to paint red. It is commonly associated with this plane, and its color gave it the nickname - the Red Baron. Manfred von Richthofen was shot down and died in April 1918 in what is now France. In the course of his service, the Red Baron was considered a great tactician, able to use the advantages of the machines he piloted to the maximum, as well as minimize their defects by skilful piloting. He was one of the most famous, if not the most famous fighter pilot of the First World War.