Red Baron's First Kill: Richthofen Begins His Legend
He was 29 years old, had been at the front for less than a year, and shot down a French Farman aircraft near Cambrai on September 17, 1916. Manfred von Richthofen noted the kill in his diary without much ceremony. He'd go on to shoot down 79 more. The Red Baron's fame grew so large that his death in April 1918 — still disputed, whether from ground fire or a Canadian pilot named Roy Brown — became one of WWI's most argued questions. He started with one. He ended with 80 confirmed kills, the highest of any pilot in the war.
September 17, 1916
110 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on September 17
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