‘The Red Baron’ – Shot Down on 21 April 1918

Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, ‘The Red Baron’, was shot down near the Somme River on the Western Front, on 21 April 1918.

The newspapers of the time published numerous reports on the ‘dog fight’ which claimed the life of von Richthofen, highlighting the propaganda coup that the death of ‘The Red Baron’ represented.

To mark the day, here is a newspaper report published the day after the Baron’s death, which reports on the action which saw the Baron show down, and also offers a brief summary of his military career.

It’s also interesting to consider how on earth the newspaper editors managed to get hold of a photograph of von Richthofen?…

Nottingham Evening Post – Monday 22 April 1918

Image © Northcliffe Media Limited. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19180422/008/000