This book is written by the Red Baron, the famous German flying ace of the Great War who was credited with 80 combat victories in flying battles. It is an autobiography, talking about his early life and love of horses and dogs, and his family. A fascinating insight into a famous figure.

Originally a cavalryman, Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (1892-1918), nicknamed the Red Baron, transferred to the German Air Service in 1915. One of the first members of fighter squadron Jasta 2 in 1916, Richthofen quickly distinguished himself as a fighter pilot, becoming leader of Jasta 11 in 1917 and later leading the larger fighter wing known as “The Flying Circus” or “Richthofen’s Circus” whose bright-colored aircraft moved from one area of Allied air activity to another, settling on improvised airfields. Richthofen was shot down and killed in April 1918 over France at age 25. Credited with 80 air combat victories, he was a national hero in Germany and was also respected by his enemies. “The context [of World War I air warfare] can be obtained from William E. Burrows’s ‘true history,’ a very good book. He has not only read the available material, but talked to a great many people who knew Richthofen. The result is as good a look at the withdrawn Prussian personality as we are likely to get.” — Pierce Fredericks, New York Times Book Review “This is a fine biography of the German flying ace of World War I fame, who, at the time of his death at age 25, was already a legend. The author has researched well his subject giving the reader a look at the person, not just the mystique, and reconstructs a few of the Red Baron’s famous dog-fights.” — US Naval Institute Proceedings “This ‘true history of the Red Baron’ gets behind the mystique clinging to the World War I aviation ace to the question of his use, or mis-use, by German propaganda.” — Wall Street Journal “In this intriguing biography, Burrows zooms in on the man behind the myth. He analyzes Richthofen’s persisting influence on his compatriots today.” — Book World “The Burrows book does serve to freshen the memory of the Red Baron and his place in history.” — The Louisville Times “William E. Burrows has done, in Richthofen, a sensitive job of examining how a killer is turned into a myth.” — Christian Science Monitor

The daring air aces of World War I faced more than the enemy when they took to the sky - they faced the odds. Their chances of being hit were high; the odds of their hitting the enemy were low. One pilot, French Captain Albert Moris, reported 400 hits to his aircraft in his 253 hours of flying, more than a hit per hour. Even the most maneuverable of the British fighters, the Sopwith Camel, lost as many machines as its pilots shot down. Pilots flying Camels rang up 1,294 victories, but 1,500 machines were lost to accidents and enemy fire, and many Camel pilots died within weeks of entering combat. Was it luck or skill that sustained the Red Baron, the German ace who flew, fought, and thrived until he was finally shot down in April 1918? Gunning for the Red Baron gives the lowdown on why it was so hard to score a hit, what qualities helped the aces succeed, and the weapons and planes that were celebrated in the air war to end wars. Most basically, this richly illustrated book explains why aim was so notoriously bad. London's Public Records Office, and careful study of Great War technology, author Leon Bennett analyzes combat sequences, the arts of aerial gunnery, and the weapons themselves. His detailed insight into the mechanics of air warfare allows him to reach some startling conclusions about one of the enduring controversies of World War I: what finally brought the Red Baron down.

Manfred von Richthofen became a fighter pilot on the Western Front in August 1916. By January 1917, Richthofen had shot down fifteen aircraft had been appointed commander of his own unit. He painted the fuselage of his Albatros D-III a bright red and was nicknamed the Red Baron. In June 1917, Richthofen was appointed commander of the German Flying Circus. Made up of Germany's top fighter pilots, this new unit was highly mobile and could be quickly sent to any part of the Western Front where it was most needed. Richthofen and his pilots achieved immediate success during the air war over Ypres during August and September. Manfred von Richthofen was killed on 21st April 1918. Richthofen had destroyed 80 allied aircraft, the highest score of any fighter pilot during the First World War. This book is divided into three sectors of the WWI front line in which von Richthofen operated. Each area is conveniently reached within hours. Airfield sites, memorials and the graves of Manfred's famous victims are described and directions for the battlefield walker are included with information on related museums and historic sites with special association with this most famous of fighter pilots.

This is not a study of von Richthofen's life or death, but of the men he shot down. It is an up-to-date reference book covering the 123 men von Richthofen is reputed to have brought down while amassing his score of 80 victories over Allied aircraft between September 1916 and April 1918. The backgrounds of the men he fought are documented, and the later lives of those who survived the encounter with the Red Baron are also fully reported.