Richthofen, Manfred von |
| PILOT (GERMANY) |
|
BORN 2 May 1892, Breslau (now: Wroclaw) - DIED 21 Apr 1918, Morlandcourt, Somme (near) BIRTH NAME Richthofen, Manfred Albrecht, Freiherr von CAUSE OF DEATH killed in action (plane shot down) GRAVE LOCATION Wiesbaden, Hessen: Südfriedhof, Siegfriedring (West of the main entrance in the Westhain section, Nr. 77) |
|
Manfred von Richthofen came from an aristocratic family. He started his military training when he was eleven years old. He started in the cavaley, but during the First World War he was transferred to a flying unit. He was very successful as a fighter pilot. On 23 November 1916 he shot down the British ace Major Lanoe Hawker. He received the Pour le Mérite in January 1917 after his sixteenth victory in the air. He became the commander of a squadron and shot down circa 80 planes before he was shot himself on 21 April 1918. He was probably hit by a single bullet that damaged his heart and lungs. He managed to land his plane in a field before he spoke his last words and died. Von Richthofen was buried in France, but in 1925 his remains were transferred to the Invalidenfriedhof in Berlin. His tomb was demolished when the Berlin Wall was built and in 1976 he was transferred to the family grave in Wiesbaden. Related persons • cooperated with Udet, Ernst |
| Images |
 The grave of Manfred von Richthofen at the Südfriedhof, Wiesbaden. Picture by Androom (01 May 2013) |
Sources • Gottschalk, Wolfgang, Garnisonfriedhof/Invalidenfriedhof, Verlag Dirk Nishen, Berlin, 1991 • First World War.com - The Western Front Today - Red Baron Crash Site • Manfred von Richthofen - Wikipedia (EN) |
