Manfred Von Richthofen $/$ The Red Baron Manfred Von Richthofen, also known as The Red Baron, was a fighter pilot for the German Air Force during World War $1.$ He was born in Germany on May $2$nd$,1892.$ He was in the Prussian Cavalry. He joined the german air force in $1915.$ He had $80$ confirmed air combat victories and kills by the time he died. Because of his victories, he was called the $$ace$-$of$-$aces". He was a hero in Germany and respected by his enemies. He flew a triplane Fokker Dr$.$ I from August $1917$ until he started flying the Albatros DII until he was shot down over France near Vaux$-$sur$-$Somme on April $21$st$,1918.$ Richthofen applied for a transfer to Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaise Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches $($Imperial German Army Air Service$)$ because he wanted to fight. He was Disappointed and bored with not fighting. in his transfer application he wrote "I have not gone to war in order to collect cheese and eggs, but for another purpose.$$ His transfer was granted in May $1915.$ Richthofen met German ace fighter pilot Oswald Boelcke. This meeting led him to enter training as a pilot. He crashed during his first flight, but he got better. He got his first kill on April $26$th $1916$ but he did not receive credit. In August $1916,$ he joined Jasta $2$ it was one of the first German fighter squadrons. His first confirmed victory was in Cambrai, France, on $17$ September $1916.$ He wrote about this in his book and said "I honored the fallen enemy by placing a stone on his beautiful grave." He began having silver cups made to celebrate his Victories. He collected $60$ silver cups till Germany ran out of silver. He shot down British ace Major Lanoe Hawker VC$,$ on November $23$rd of $1916.$ Lanoe Hawker VC was the Red Baron$$s most famous adversary. This victory was accomplished with Richtofen flying an Albatros D$.$ II while Hawker was flying a DH $2.$ The long dogfight ended with Richtofen shooting Hawker shortly before the enemy line. Due to the fight, he decided that he needed an aircraft that was more agile. In January $1917$ When he received his $16$th confirmed kill, he began to command Jasta $11$ this was a group of elite German pilots. He had his Albatros painted red once he began commanding this squadron. In response to this his squad began painting different parts of their aircraft red. Shortly after German propaganda began to refer to Richtofen as Der Rote Kampffliger which translates to $$The Red Fighter Pilot$.$ The end of The Red Baron occurred on April $21$st$,1918.$ His death continues to be a debate today. Some say he was shot down by Captain Arthur Roy Brown while others say an Australian gunner fired the fatal shot. He was $25$ years old when he died. He was laid to rest by the Allies in a small Military cemetery in Bertangles, France with full military honors.