Author Topic: The Red Barron (Read 685 times)

SMIDSY · « **on:** March 03, 2006, 02:07:39 AM »

was watching a documentary on him today and a thought ocurred: why is he the most famous aviator of all time? many have gotten more kills than he, and he didnt have that big a margin for ace of aces durring WWI (a frenchman whose name escapes me got like 78). and people more than doubled his score in WWII.

was it his crimson fighters that went in defiance of all who dared challenge him? was it his youth? his dedication to fighting for his fatherland? or perhaps the very term "Red Barron" has a certain ring to it.

thoughts?

Slash27 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2006, 02:09:39 AM »

His nickname is cooler?

JTs · « **Reply #2 on:** March 03, 2006, 04:41:01 AM »

maybe that pizza company he started

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #3 on:** March 03, 2006, 04:46:43 AM »

More famous than two brothers from Ohio?

More famous than Lindbergh?

That aside, the romantic figure of the WW1 fighter pilot donning a silk scarf, a leather helmet, jacket, and goggles then flying off in a crimson airplane to shoot down a Sopwith Camel piloted by a beagle may have something to do with it.

SMIDSY · « **Reply #4 on:** March 03, 2006, 06:37:30 AM »

the wrights and lindy are most famous in america. also they are just famous, Ricthoffen is a legend. he is also a legend worldwide. i estimate lindy is about as famous in the rest of the world as louis bleriot is in america. the simple fact is that just about every tom, dick and harry knows who the Red Barron is. everyone knows what one of his planes looked like.

Krusher · « **Reply #5 on:** March 03, 2006, 07:23:58 AM »

Because he was the first real Air Ace.

gofaster · « **Reply #6 on:** March 03, 2006, 07:43:13 AM »

He's famous because he was royalty, and everyone else was just a commoner.

Now away with you, you peasant!

Furball · « **Reply #7 on:** March 03, 2006, 12:17:50 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Holden McGroin
More famous than two brothers from Ohio?

More famous than Lindbergh?

Without a shadow of a doubt.

The press glorified the war in the air to escape the utter brutality of the trenches. The aviators were seen as "Knights of the Sky" showing chivalry and respect to one another (was true for the early part of the war, but was not true towards 1918), it was like taking war back a century without the slaughter of the machine gun. The aces were superstars in the public's eye, unlike in WWII. People like Albert Ball were the darling of the British press, the country was devastated when he went missing.

Squire · « **Reply #8 on:** March 03, 2006, 04:03:58 PM »

WW1 was the 1st air war, he was the top scorer, he died in combat, the press lionized him, he had a nickname that caught on in the media and with the public, his memory was not overshadowed by anything else, since he died in 1918. Those are the main reasons.

People remember pioneers, and he was one of the pioneers of air combat, and one of the most memorable, he was, "famous".

Not really a difficult question.

Why do people know who Wayne Gretzky is?

...Btw, the French ace was Rene Foncke, whos official score was 75, although I am not sure how that breaks down into confirmed as opposed to claimed.

As for Richtofen, his career and life in WW1 is very interesting stuff, well worth reading if you can find a decent book about him.

GtoRA2 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 03, 2006, 04:09:51 PM »

Snoopy helped.

Plus he was not fighting for a government that gassed 6 million jews.

J_A_B · « **Reply #10 on:** March 03, 2006, 04:25:51 PM »

The "Red Baron" is famous. Baron von Richthofen isn't. How many people actually remember his real name, or would even recognize it if you said it? He was also a pretty well-mannered person yet not such a recluse as someone like Ball. Hence he publicized well. Too many of the successful WW1 pilots were jerks. Oh, and flying a bright red plane sort of made him stick out, too.

I doubt Richthofen was really the highest scorer in WW1. He just benefitted from always flying in a group and thus having all of his kills confirmed. Several other pilots had a habit of making lone flights deep behind enemy lines and as such couldn't always get confirmation. Even Rickenbacker claimed 28 as opposed to the 26 he actually got credit for.

The Frenchman, Fonck, was officially credited with 75 but he personally claimed upwards of 120. Given his reputation for bragging, it's improbable that 120 is really accurate, yet it's possible--even likely--that he did in fact score more than 80.

J_A_B

straffo · « **Reply #11 on:** March 03, 2006, 04:35:42 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Krusher
Because he was the first real Air Ace.

Certainly not !
For 2 reasons

1- the ace myth was a french propaganda/newspaper creation

2-Adolphe Pégoud was 1st.

For your information Pégoud got his kills one year before Richthofen got his 1st kill.

Gh0stFT · « **Reply #12 on:** March 03, 2006, 06:19:02 PM »

his bloody-red plane, and the fear of the enemys when they saw/meet him
in the sky. He learned everything from Oswald Boelcke, i would put
this two on same level, Boelcke and Manfred v. Richthofen. If you like
aerobatics add Max Immelmann to the two

R
Gh0stFT

Furball · « **Reply #13 on:** March 03, 2006, 06:47:57 PM »

From what i have read, Albert Ball and Werner Voss were the best individually skilled pilots, James McCudden the best patrol leader, Mick Mannock somewhere between the two. In my opinion of course.

Rolex · « **Reply #14 on:** March 03, 2006, 06:59:50 PM »

The Royal Guardsmen - 1966