Last Flight

Although no one knows the exact story of Manfred Von Richthofen's last flight, here is one account of how it went. On the misty morning of April 21, 1918 Manfred Von Richthofen led five planes west. The sixth plane was piloted by Richthofen's cousin Wolfram. On the Allied side Captain Arthur R. Brown was in charge, and he with Wilfred R. May were going out with three squadrons of five planes each. One squadron of British planes attacked two Albatros observation planes, downing one and losing the other in a cloud. While one set of five planes stayed behind, Brown's remaining squadrons flew in a northeasterly direction. Both the German and the British planes were flying at different altitudes toward the Somme and would not have seen each other except for two British R.E. 8's on a photo-reconnaissance mission. Four of the German triplanes dove on the R.E. 8's. The wind had blown them over British positions. Eight Camels were fighting three triplanes, and a Fokker fell before Richthofen and his eight companions joined in the free-for-all fight. A Camel fell and took another Fokker with him.

May fought until his guns jammed. He then realized the danger and fled from the fight, because Captain Brown had told him earlier on to stay out of trouble unless necessary. As May retreated to his own lines, Brown saw a Fokker dive after May and Brown followed. All three planes, Brown, May and Richthofen, were 200 feet above the ground. Brown saw the pilot of the triplane slump when he shot. When he leveled out he saw no sign of May or the German.

May and Richthofen were flying over Australian riflemen and machine gunners shot at them. These were some of the men who have claimed to have shot Richthofen's plane: Sergeant C. B. Popkin, Gunner R.F. Weston, Sergeant Alfred G. Franklyn, Gunners W. J. Evans, and R. Buie. No one really knows who shot Richthofen down. He crashed just north of Bray-Corbie Road inside Australian lines and died of a single bullet wound to the chest. He was buried with honor by his enemies, because he was the most famous flying ace of World War I.