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Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen was the supreme air ace of the First World War. He had been a cavalryman since 1911 and saw action in Russia, France, and Belgium, but it soon became clear that cavalry was unsuited to the conditions of modern war, and rather than become an infantryman, he transferred in 1915 to the Imperial German Army Air Service. He started off as an observer but then trained to be a pilot; initially he was unpromising, crashing on his first solo attempt. But then he began to distinguish himself, and in 1917 he became first a squad commander and then the commander of Fighter Squadron 1, the "Flying Circus." Since Freiherr is often translated "Baron" and he painted his aircraft red, he was known as the Red Baron. He was shot down near Amiens on April 21, 1918, at the age of 25; at that time he had 80 victories, more than any other pilot. In one month alone, April 1917, he downed 22 British aircraft, 4 in a single day. Until the 60th, he had ordered a commemorative silver cup for each "kill," engraved with the date and type of aircraft, but then the supply of silver in Germany ran too low and he would not accept pewter or some other substitute. He was not a flashy or particularly daring flier, but used tactics, including squadron teamwork, descending out of the sun, and a list of rules drawn up by the ace who had inspired him and picked him for his squad, Oswald Boelcke. His most famous kill was the British ace Major Lanoe Hawker.
Von Richthofen suffered a serious head wound in combat in July 1917, and although he was able to land safely, he had to convalesce for three months; he wrote an autobiography during his time off. The Germans considered withdrawing him from flying to prevent the blow to morale that would be caused if he were killed, but he refused, saying that the average German soldier had no choice in his duties, so he would not take special treatment. It is plausible that brain damage from the head wound caused carelessness that led to his death, which was almost certainly from ground fire. He was given a ceremonial military funeral by the Australians in command of the area where he landed.
Von Richthofen suffered a serious head wound in combat in July 1917, and although he was able to land safely, he had to convalesce for three months; he wrote an autobiography during his time off. The Germans considered withdrawing him from flying to prevent the blow to morale that would be caused if he were killed, but he refused, saying that the average German soldier had no choice in his duties, so he would not take special treatment. It is plausible that brain damage from the head wound caused carelessness that led to his death, which was almost certainly from ground fire. He was given a ceremonial military funeral by the Australians in command of the area where he landed.