RICHTHOFEN KILLED ON THE BRITISH FRONT
FAMOUS AIRMAN’S FATE
FROM PHILIP GIBBS, FRANCE, MONDAY.
In our Royal Air Service yesterday great interest was aroused by news that Von Richthofen, the most famous German air fighter after the death of Immelmann, had been killed and brought down in our lines. It was only the day before yesterday that a German official communiqué announced that Rittmeister von Richthofen, commanding their “trusty 11th Pursuit Squadron,” had achieved his 79th and 80th victory in air combats. It will be a great blow to the morale of the German air pilots when they learn that he has at last been destroyed by us.
How it happened is not yet quite clear, and there are various theories as to the way in which he was brought down, because there was a general fight over our lines, with many machines engaged on both sides. Richthofen went about with a “circus” of about 27 to 30 fighting scouts, and each of his pilots was renowned for daring achievements. This circus never served on the ordinary routine work of reconnoitring and signalling and spotting for the artillery, but had a roving commission up and down the lines, and their pilots were out for blood all the time. This swarm of raiders appeared yesterday over our lines near the Somme Valley, and gave chase to some of our planes. Two of these were suddenly attacked by four or more fighters, and then the raiders swooped off and the battle passed into another air space northward.
Something like 50 machines were engaged in what the flying men call a dog fight, that is when every aeroplane up for miles around joins in the tourney. There was a general melée in the air, pairs of machines closely engaging each other, manoeuvring for position, and trying to get in a burst of machine-gun bullets. I hear that some machines on both sides were disabled.
The fighting swept over a wide area of sky, so that no single observer could see its details, but as far as Richthofen is concerned it is certain that he was seen flying low, not more than 150ft above the ground, just before his machine crashed in full view of the enemy. Immediately, they started shelling fiercely, no doubt with the intention of destroying its wreckage. It was only when they examined the papers of the dead man that he was known to be the German champion who has killed so many of our gallant fellows in fair fight, but with a most determined and ruthless desire to increase the number of his victims. He was a young man of about 30, slight of build, with fair hair and a clean-shaven face. It is said out here that he had an English mother, and that he was educated at Oxford, but I do not know whether this is true. He was shot through the side close to the heart.
According to the custom of our Air Service and of that chivalry which exists between the flying men on each side, Freiherr von Richthofen was buried to-day with full military honours, and his funeral was attended by many of our flight commanders, officers, and men, who paid their respects to a brave enemy, for whose skill and daring they had profound admiration, though he was a deadly menace near our lines.