Death of the Red Baron

[RCS]

My opinion is that the Red Baron was killed by a Lewis m/g fired from the ground troops


a few photos of some old scale models showing DR1's from Jasta 11 and Jasta 19Attachment 58277Attachment 58276

[Harlan (Deceased)]

I kind of think so too, but anything could have happened. People tore his DR1 to pieces right after the crash so there wasn't enough forensic evidence left. There will always be a debate over this. Brown felt he brought him down, but there was fire from the Australian ground defenses too. I've read different books and they come up with different conclusions.

One thing for sure is Manfred Von Richthofen had suffered a head injury before this final flight. He had massive headaches and suffered from major depression after his head injury. I think it effected his his ability flying, but he still wanted to continue flying anyway.

Bob is correct about the rotary engines on most WWI fighter planes. Also, many didn't have a throttle to adjust airspeed - Kind of like many lawnmowers.... Either 'OFF' or 'ON'

If you ever watch an authentic period movie or such, check out the "blipping" of the motor, especially landing and taxiing. To slow down decent they cut the engine off for a few seconds over and over to control airspeed but at the same time they had to ad power to make it to the airstrip.

[browningautorifle]

the Red Baron was killed by a Lewis m/g fired from the ground troops

Rats...spilled the beans. I was an MG instructor for years and advance machine guns too. When the book talked about a MG Sgt that took over the gun from his squad and used so many leads to engage the aircraft, the jig was up. He was hit from that side, and it wasn't from behind like Brown thought. Even jinking couldn't make him get hit like that. That claim was submitted after the cutoff so it never even entered into discussion. It shows in the book as an afterthought. The aircraft was utterly pilfered like Harlan says and the guns disappeared. The reappeared for a picture and then disappeared again, never to resurface again...Unless RCS has them...

[mike webb]

Roy Brown was given credit by the RFC which is understandable because the RFC would be loathe to give credit to another branch of the service regardless. I read an account from Brown's letter home following his viewing of Richtofen's body after it's recovery by the allies. He described a handsome, gentle face and said " I could not have experienced greater sorrow had I been looking upon my dearest friend and suddenly I had to get out of that tent." After the war he refused ANY comment on the incident whatsoever. Many of the war's most gifted aces met their end at the hands of far less talented pilots, ground fire or even mechanical failure. Or simply a combination of fatigue, carelessness or just plain bad luck.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Thanks for the updated info Jim. I learned something new today...

Also, you're probably correct that RCS has the Spandau machine guns... It's not confirmed, but rumor has it RCS also has René Paul Fonck's complete SPAD hidden away too.

[browningautorifle]

Roy Brown was given credit by the RFC which is understandable because the RFC would be loathe to give credit to another branch of the service regardless.

Agreed, and it looks better if a gentleman takes a gentleman...rather than a farmer doing it.

RCS also has René Paul Fonck's complete SPAD hidden away too.

Now THAT would be neat...

[RCS]

I thought that the engine and machine guns from Richthofen's DR1 triplane were at the Imperal War Museum ? The Germans used a lot of captured Nieuport engines in the Dr1 too.

I thought the troops that shot down Richthofen were from Australia

Photo of French SPADAttachment 58297

[Harlan (Deceased)]

NICE model DCS!

Also, I've read that there are no original DR1's left -- Only replicas. After the end of WWII Germany had to destroy all aircraft but got to keep two DR1's. What was what was left of the Barons plane in one location, and Germany got to keep one complete and airworthy DR1 for development and studies at another location. We bombed both locations and destroyed both of these last two remaining DR1's in WWII.

Here's a video y'all might enjoy. It contains aerial footage.

FLIGHT OF THE FOKKER DR1 on Vimeo

[Vincent]

[Bob Womack]

In that first clip did you notice how hard the pilot was working the pedals while on the ground? Someone described the Dr.1 saying the old fixed skids were a blessing because of the plane's decided tendency to yaw. He described taxiing on asphalt as just turning big circles. He said that taking off on grass was much better because you could just put the nose into the wind and go, avoiding the plane's difficult crosswind characteristics.

Fascinating.

Bob