The Red Baron hunting

[Altitude sickness]

• HUNTING STORIES
• LEGENDARY PEOPLE

THE RED BARON COULD HUNT​

March 5, 2024
2 minute read

By Seth Ahonen
Manfred Von Richthofen, more commonly known as the “Red Baron,” was a German fighter pilot who racked up 80 kills during WWI. Most know of his exploits in the air, but some of his greatest—and lesser known—hunts were on land.
Growing up in what is now Poland, Richthofen spent his early years hunting boar, birds, elk and deer with his brothers. When the war first broke out he was a reconnaissance officer in the calvary, seeing action on both the Eastern and Western Front. By early 1915 however, the trenches had been dug and boredom set in, so he took to the woods, returning to a pastime of his childhood. The forest of La Chaussee provided for him and proved to be fruitful, often hunting wild boar, even going so far as to build a stand in a tree and wait for them at night. One day, a line of boars caught his eye, he jumped off his horse and grabbed his subordinates carbine. After moving several hundred yards in he saw, in his words: “a mighty boar. I had never yet seen such a beast and was surprised at its gigantic size” he killed it and kept it as a trophy, one of many he killed in the late winter months of 1915.
In July of 1917 he took a British .303 to the head, which resulted in daily vomiting, nausea and throbbing headaches. Due to the symptoms he went on convalescent leave from September through October, and ended up in East Prussia in search of privacy. It was there he met Albert Mohnicke, a forester and the father of a Jasta 11 squadronmate.
Albert took him to a hunting lodge built by the Kaiser, knowing what he needed, and the next day Manfred set off on an elk hunt. After walking for what he assumed to be eight or nine kilometers, he took a seat to rest. While seated he saw a large stag, shouldered his rifle and made what he estimated to be a 170 meter shot—pretty solid for a dude who’s got a walking-into-walls level of TBI.
That elk made five kills for the month, having already bagged three large deer and a ram. During the hunt, Manfred entertained ideas of what he might do after the war. One thought was becoming a big game tour guide in Africa. This aspiration, however, never came to fruition as he was killed in action on April 21st, 1918. The only African prey he ever bagged were the three South African pilots he shot down.
When his body was recovered by the Australian Air Force, they buried him with full honors. Nearby flying squadrons gathered to present memorial wreaths, one reading, “To our gallant and worthy foe.”

 

[Altitude sickness]

It’s not 100% clear who actually killed Richthofen but most think it was Australian gunners from the ground. He was engaged in a fight over the Somme and flew too low and was most likely hit by ground guns. Then hit by a camel behind him.


In his Official History Charles Bean suggests that it was probably Cedric Popkin who killed the Red Baron, but there are least two other possibilities favoured by some historians; Gunners Robert Buie and Snowy Evans from Beavis’ 53rd Battery, who were manning Lewis guns when von Richthofen flew by them. According to Beavis “the Lewis gunners were standing to their two guns, which were mounted on posts and fitted with A.A. ring sights, and as soon as the Sopwith Camel was clear of the line of fire the guns opened fire. Immediately the red triplane turned sharply to the north, became somewhat unsteady in its flight, then went about N.E. and hit the ground 400 yards N.N.E. of where the Lewis guns were. There was no third plane (presumably referring to Brown’s plane) within a radius of at least 2000 yards.”

 

[Sika98k]

I saw one of Richthofen‘s flying helmets years ago in a collectors private display. It was very small ! You may ask why “one“ ? He was a legend in his own time and apparently had items frequently pinched as souvenirs !

 

[Altitude sickness]

I thought it was cool that he was so feared, revered, and respected that even his enemies gave him a proper funeral

 

[Altitude sickness]

If you like World War I history, this is a great movie to show the beginning of air combat

Flyboys (2006) ⭐ 6.5 | Action, Drama, History

2h 20m | PG-13

m.imdb.com

 

[Tango]

Lots of great short stories like this on the Field Ethos site

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I saw one of Richthofen‘s flying helmets years ago in a collectors private display. It was very small ! You may ask why “one“ ? He was a legend in his own time and apparently had items frequently pinched as souvenirs !

Odd. He doesn't appear to be a particularly small person in this group portrait (him in the center).

 

[PerH]

His book tells much of the hunting , like his adjutant would drive to find him in the morning on the Forrest field where he had landed the evening before . Camping out in the woods and hunt at night , and take off in morning for next day of flying .
And invite to Bialowzija for hunting a Visent also he wrote about .

 

[Altitude sickness]

I don’t think he wore what we would call a helmet. He wore either a fur lined bomber style hat. Or a weaved balaclava type head cover and goggles

 

[Altitude sickness]

Herman Goering, Hitlers WW2 right hand man. And the head of the Luftwaffe in WW2 was a WW1 ace with 22 kills.

First World War.com - Who's Who - Herman Goering

 

[CarsonG]

I enjoyed this post a lot, thank you.

 

[PerH]

It reminds me how I found his book in a library .
It was before a election , and poster said above the various colours of books and thereby political suggestions

“ if you vote Green , read green books “

If you vote blue etc

If you vote Red read red books

As it was due to colors of the cover , his book was under the Red color side .
A bit off the thing and picked it up .

 

[Altitude sickness]

The red section would be appropriate. Richthofen would probably fall into the white nationalist category.

 

[Excessexpress]

Richthofen was buried by the Australian Army, before his grave was damaged by local French people and his remains moved. It was then moved to Berlin where there is a well known photograph of the elaborate grave marker marked with evidence of the final capture of Berlin in WW2.

By then Richthofen had been moved again, to his family’s burial ground in what is now within the borders of Poland, where he remains to this day.

The poor bloke was pursued by his fame even in death.


I had a great uncle who was a machine gunner in France at the time. His grandson told me he recalled seeing the the Baron flying, but never mentioned shooting at him. He was on a training rotation when the Baron’s last flight took place.