Who was responsible for the death
of the Red Baron?
View the evidence and solve a World War One
Mystery
Manfred von Richthofen
in the cockpit of his
Albatross D.III, with
pilots of his squadron:
Jasta 11
http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/H12364
The Red Baron
Manfred, Baron von Richthofen was the most successful German fighter
pilot of the First World War. His final score was eighty enemy aircraft
shot down. He was called the Red Baron because he was a Baron - from a
rich German family - and because latterly he flew a very distinctive
bright red aircraft – sometimes an Albatross DIII or V and sometimes a
Fokker DrI Triplane.
Here von Richthofen shows
General Erich von
Falkenhayn a Fokker DrI
Triplane in 1918.
http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/C04708
The Death of the Red Baron
21 April 1918: Three Flights of Sopwith Camels of 209
Squadron, Royal Air Force were engaged by von
Richthofen’s force, often referred to as his “circus”.
Sopwith Camel
http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/A04100
The Death of the Red Baron
21 April 1918: The evidence of Lieutenant Robert Foster,
209 Squadron:
Sopwith Camel
http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/A04100
The fight
developed into “a
complete melee”.
Foster was
involved in
“…individual
action in violent
manoeuvre…” and
fired some
“…ineffective shots
at Richthofen’s red
Triplane…” He
concludes: “I could
claim no positive
success.”
The Death of the Red Baron
21 April 1918: The evidence of Lieutenant Wilfred May,
209 Squadron:
Sopwith Camel
http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/A04116
May, a very
inexperienced
pilot, escaped from
the fight, in which
enemy aircraft
were “…coming at
me from all
sides…”, only to
find himself
pursued by von
Richthofen, and
fired at by ground
troops from both
sides of the line.
The Death of the Red Baron
21 April 1918: The pursuit of Lieutenant Wilfred May by
von Richthofen
Richthofen and a Fokker
Triplane
http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/C04709
Leutnant Hans
Joachim Wolff, one
of von Richthofen’s
pilots, saw his
leader pursue a
Camel across the
lines and wondered
why he had chosen
to go “…so far on
the other side.”
The Death of the Red Baron
21 April 1918: The actions of Captain Roy Brown, 209
Squadron
Sopwith Camel
http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/E02332
“…went back
again and dived on
a pure red Triplane
... I got a long
burst into him and
he went down
vertical and was
observed to crash
by Lieutenant
Mellersh and
Lieutenant May.”
The Death of the Red Baron
21 April 1918: The claim of Sergeant Cedric Popkin, 24th
Machine Gun Company, Australian Expeditionary Force
Sergeant Cedric Popkin is seen
here, 2nd from the right in the
middle row, in this photo of the
officers and NCOs of the 24th
Machine Gun Company.
Note the two Vickers Machine
Guns in this photo
http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/E01716
The Death of the Red Baron
21 April 1918: The claim of Sergeant Cedric Popkin, 24th
Machine Gun Company, Australian Expeditionary Force
“I opened fire… and
followed Fritz
around…”. He was
“about 200 to 400
feet in the air.”
http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/E01716
The Death of the Red Baron
21 April 1918: The witness: Lieutenant D L Fraser was
the Intelligence Officer of the 11th Infantry Brigade
“I noticed that the leading
machine had British markings
immediately…heard a strong
burst of machine gun fire coming
from south east corner of the
wood.” “…the enemy plane …
was flying as if not under
complete control…”
The Death of the Red Baron
21 April 1918: The claim of Gunner Robert Buie, 53rd
Battery, 14th Australian Field Artillery Brigade
“The Triplane flew steadily on, still firing short
bursts at the Camel…it was…very close indeed. I
can remember seeing Richthofen clearly. At 200
yards … I began firing.”
Buie saw Richthofen’s plane in front and to the
right of him. At 40 yards Buie noticed the
Triplane stop firing and was sure he had hit
Richthofen.
The Death of the Red Baron
21 April 1918: The claim of Sergeant Cedric Popkin, 24th
Machine Gun Company, Australian Expeditionary Force
As Richthofen
turned back on
his course
Popkin had
another chance:
“I opened fire a
second time.”
http://cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/E01716
The Death of the Red Baron
21 April 1918: Another witness:
Lieutenant F J W Mellersh, 209 Squadron
“…a bright red
Triplane
crashed quite
close to me and
in looking up I
saw Captain
Brown’s
machine.”
This painting depicts von Richthofen’s body being
carried from his crashed Fokker Triplane by
stretcher bearers of the 5th Australian Division.
http://cas.awm.gov.au/art/ART02495
This painting is by Albert Henry Fullwood. Fullwood was born in Birmingham in 1863. In 1883 he emigrated to Australia and began work as a
lithographic draughtsman, working on illustrated journals such as 'Australian Town and Country Journal' and the 'Bulletin'. Returning to England
he worked in London as a freelance illustrator. From April 1915 until November 1917 he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps as an
orderly at the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth. After this he was appointed an official war artist and attached to the 5th Australian
Division. He worked in France from May to August 1918 and from December 1918 to January 1919.
The Death of the Red Baron
21 April 1918: Examination of the body
Some medical officers examined the body and found
an entry wound behind the right armpit. They also
found minor abrasions to the face.
Lieutenant G M Travers confused the minor abrasions
with a bullet wound to the face.
Gunner Buie claimed that when he viewed the body he
saw that Richthofen had been struck from the front
with exit wounds in the back.
There was no proper autopsy.
Who was responsible for the death
of the Red Baron?
21 April 1918: The red Triplane crashed – but who had
shot it down?
Now assess the evidence.
Make a chart to show:
1. The names of those involved,
2. What role each person played
3. Your assessment of each piece of evidence
You decide: Who was responsible
for the death of the Red Baron?
Now write your conclusion,
using pieces of evidence from
your chart.
In what ways does your
conclusion differ from others
in your class?
Discuss these different views
in class and with your teacher.
Suggested extension reading
Acknowledgements
With thanks to the Australian War Memorial
for permission to reproduce photographs
from its website: http://www.awm.gov.au/