You have to be pretty special to have a pop song featuring Snoopy made about you.
--On This Day in History Shit Went Down: April 21, 1918--
On April 21, 1918, the “ace of aces” of World War I—“Red” Baron Manfred von Richthofen—was shot down, but not in flames. Although these planes were as motherfucking flammable as newspaper dipped in napalm. They were constructed with dry wood and covered in fabric coated in a doping agent so combustible it could catch fire if you ate a jalapeño pepper then sneezed on it. And American commanders, who didn’t fly and had no understanding of the courage of those who did, refused to issue parachutes because they worried pilots would jump at the first sign of danger. If your plane caught fire it was either jump, shoot yourself in the head, or ride it all the way to the ground while screaming “I’m on fire!”
Germans began using parachutes in the final weeks of the war—one even saved the life of German ace Ernst Udet—but a parachute wouldn’t have done Richthofen any good even if he had one.
Holding the rank of Captain at 25, Manfred was credited with 80 combat victories. His brother Lothar had 40 victories and was considered the better pilot, but he was also a risk-taker, whereas Manfred was more tactical, leading his squadron in coordinated attacks.
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Nine months prior to his death, Manfred received a head wound that temporarily blinded him, but he was able to recover and land his plane. It took several surgeries to remove bone splinters, but he was back on active service, against doctor’s orders, three weeks later. The wound caused lasting damage, and many believe it contributed to his death by affecting his judgment. Richthofen had been a cautious warrior, but on that fateful day he fixated on his target and flew too low to the ground across enemy lines, failing to appreciate the surrounding dangers.
Canadian air ace Captain Arthur Brown was first credited with the kill, but historians now agree the single .303 bullet that entered Richthofen’s chest was almost certainly fired from the ground, possibly by Sergeant Cedric Popkin, an Australian.
The Red Baron used the final moments of his life to execute a rough landing in enemy territory. His body was treated with respect and given a military burial. His mostly intact aircraft, however, was taken apart by souvenir seekers.
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