The Red Baron :: essays research papers fc

Although to most people it may just be a brand of good tasting pizza, The Red Barron was actually a German fighter ace of World War I. His full list was Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, who will be referred to as von Richthofen for simplicitys sake. By the Germans, he was called der rote Kampfflieger (The Red Battle-Flyer), the French called him le Diable Rouge (Red Devil), and in the communicative world he is known as The Red Barron. In a time of ancient aircraft technology when twenty air victories insured a pilot legendary status, von Richthofen had eighty victories, and he is still considered even today as the ace of aces (The Red Barron).As a child, von Richthofen was privately tutored until his 9th year of schooling. He then attended school in Schweidnitz and became a cadet. After his schooling, he began his military career as a cavalryman in the 1st Regiment of Ehlans. When he received his epaulettes and became an officer in the fall of 1912, his fat her bought him his own horse with which von Richthofen became a talented rival in jumping and cross-coun try racing (Perry). Unfortunately, warfare in the 20th century had little use for mounted cavalry as the stratagem of machine guns had led to trench warfare (The Red Barron). When the war started, von Richthofen was post near Verdun as a messenger carrying dispatches between units and upgrade into and out of the trenches along the front. When given orders to rummage around the countryside for food for the troops, Richthofen replied, My devout Excellency I have not gone to war in order to collect cheese and eggs, but for an other purpose (Perry). exasperated by his attitude his superiors finally let him transfer to the German railway line service in May of 1915 (Perry).Von Richthofen began his career as an observer for other pilots. He never considered becoming a pilot himself because the training took trinity months, and he was sure the war would be over before he complete d his training. In the fall of 1915, after being transferred to Ostend, von Richthofen decided to try flying for himself and he started training. On December 25, he passed the tests required to live on a pilot, and the legend began (Perry). On April 24, von Richthofen shot down his first sheet as a pilot, but the plane crashed behind enemy lines, and the use up was not confirmed, so no credit was given to him.