Hermann Göring on April 21, 1918

    Event ID: 617

    Categories: 

    Testimonial
    Deutsch
    Richthofen, der beste Jagdflieger des großen Krieges, Italiaander, A. Weichert Verlag, Berlin, 1938

    01 January 1930

    52.52688589884619, 13.363113597642393
    Vaterländischer Verlag Weller (Berliner Stadtmission)
    Berlin

    Source ID: 54

    Richthofen, der beste Jagdflieger des großen Krieges, Italiaander, A. Weichert Verlag, Berlin, 1938 p.  113 

    ‘In ‘Unsere Luftstreitkräfte 1914 – 1918’ (Our Air Forces 1914 – 1918, Vaterländischer Verlag Weller, 1930), he writes: “The following is a clear and truthful account of the death of our greatest fighter pilot. On 21 April 1918, Richthofen took off with several aircraft from his old personal squadron 11 in the direction of Amiens. He had also given another squadron in his wing the order to take off, so that it was also in the air, but without any connection to the cavalry captain, as it had an independent mission.

    After reaching the desired altitude, Richthofen flew over the enemy front and advanced into enemy airspace, as he had observed enemy aircraft there. Initially, this involved an attack on several enemy double-deckers, known as artillery aircraft.

    While he was engaged in combat with them, he and his men were attacked by a strong enemy fighter squadron. He now had to fight against a very large superior force.

    The wind was unfavourable and drove the combatants further and further into the enemy front. Richthofen fought with his usual superiority and paid particular attention to his comrades, as they were so far into enemy airspace and there was a certain danger of being cut off. For this reason, Richthofen soon had to take one enemy after another under fire in order to help his own men. He was therefore unable to engage his opponent as thoroughly as was his usual style in order to shoot him down.

    Then his comrades saw him suddenly dive, but completely intact, not crashing. At first, they thought he was chasing an enemy whom he now wanted to finish off. Almost at the same moment, the rest of the battle ceased and the enemies separated. Only now could the German pilots observe how Richthofen’s small red triplane – at that time, the entire Richthofen squadron was equipped only with these small and excellent Fokker triplanes – was already very low and, as it appeared to them, about to land. Immediately afterwards, they saw the aircraft on the ground, which they believed had landed safely.

    Sudden terror seized them, and an icy anxiety gripped their hearts. Would they now have to bring the terrible, incomprehensible news to Haufe that they were returning without their idolised leader, that they had been unable to prevent the terrible event, that they had been unable to help their leader because they themselves had been involved in heavy fighting!

    Never before had aviators felt as these loyal men must have felt.‘ So far Göring.’

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