On this day

1 February

(UTC+1)

Events on this day in the life of Manfred von Richthofen

Victory 19

Under the guns of the Red Baron, Norman Franks, Hal Giblin and Nigel McCrery?p. 59?

1 February 1917
1 km SW of Thelus
Thelus

“Combat Report: 1600 hrs. BE two-seater No. 6742. Over trenches, one kilometer south-west of Thelus. Occupants: Lieutenant Murray – Lieut McBar, both wounded and died 2 Feb.

About 1600 I spotted, flying with Leutnant Allmenröder, at 1.800 metres altitude, an artillery flyer. I managed to approach him within 50 yards apparently unnoticed, with my Halberstadt machine. From this distance, up to only the length of a plane, I fired 150 shots. The enemy plane then went down in large, uncontrolled right-hand curves, pursued by Allmenröder and myself. The plane crashed into the barbed wire of our front lines. The occupants were both wounded and were made prisoners by the infantry. It is impossible to remove the plane. Weather: overcast morning, but fine for the remainder of the day.”

English and French aviation

Der rote Kampfflieger von Rittmeister Manfred Freiherrn von Richthofen, 1917, 351.000 - 400.000, Verlag Ullstein & Co, Berlin-Wien?p. 110?

1 February 1917
February 1917
La Brayelle, near Douai
La Brayelle

“English and French flying (February 1917) At the moment I am endeavouring to compete with the Boelcke fighter squadron. In the evenings we show each other the route. But they are devilish fellows over there. You can never beat them. At the very most, you can match the squadron. They’re already a hundred ahead. I have to give them that lead. It depends a lot on which opponent you’re facing, whether you’re up against the lurid French or the dashing fellows, the English. I prefer the English. The French pinch, the English rarely do. You can often even speak of stupidity here; they probably call it bravado. The beauty of the fighter pilot is that he doesn’t depend on any tricks, but only on personal courage. Someone can be a marvellous dive and loop pilot. That doesn’t mean he has to shoot anyone down. In my opinion, it’s all about going for it, and that’s what we Germans are good at. That’s why we will always reign supreme in the air. It suits the French to ambush and ambush another. [111]That is difficult to do in the air. Only a beginner can be taken by surprise. You can’t ambush someone because you can’t hide, and the invisible aeroplane hasn’t been invented yet. Every now and then, the Gallic blood in him will flare up. Then he goes on the attack; but it’s probably like a fizzy lemonade. For a moment, he has an awful lot of courage, which disappears just as quickly. He lacks the tenacity to hold out. The Englishman, on the other hand, still shows some of his Germanic blood from time to time. The sportsman is also very fond of flying, but they lose themselves too much in the sporting aspect. They have enough fun doing loops, dives, flying upside down and similar jokes for our people in the trenches. This probably makes an impression at the Johannisthal Sports Week, but the trench is not as grateful as this audience. It demands more. It should always rain English pilot blood.”

On victory 19

The dramatic true story of the Red Baron, Wiliam E Burrows, 1972, Mayflower Books?p. 121?

1 February 1917
1 km SW of Thelus
Thelus

“Twenty minutes after the pilot and his observer, both mortally wounded, were dragged from their airplane, a Canadian artillery battery blew it to splinters to deny it to the Germans. Its crew died the next day.”

Testimonial of Carl August von Schoenebeck

Marke 2 Wereldoorlog 1?p. ?

1 February 1918
In February
Avesnes-le-Sec

Testimonial of Carl August Von Schoenebeck: In February 1918 I left Von Richthofen and was a 20-year-old in charge of his own Jagdstaffel. When I already took over an independent command, I owed it exclusively to my former teacher Manfred von Richthofen. At the farewell he gave me some very serious advice. “The leader,” he said, “is the reason for the success of every Jagdstaffel. The skilled pilots can only come into their own, if their leader addresses them correctly. And if you have any questions, come Then to me, I am always at your disposal.

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