Who Killed The Red Baron? (WW1 Documentary)

In April 1918 Manfred Von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron was at the height of his fame. With 80 aerial victories, he was the most successful fighter pilot of WW1. This WW1 History Documentary explores his remarkable career and his final flight, examining the available evidence surrounding his death and who fired the fatal shots.
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[@BattleGuideVT]

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[@knuthamsun6106]

Q: why did Hitler put a bounty on this B-17 gunner A: he didn’t. the end.

[@leojablonski2309]

Excellent production

[@OleDirtyMacSanchez]

Richthofen I'd say was initially hit by Roy Brown, but didn't die from that. More than likely the finishing shots came from one of the ground troops that rushed to the plane after it had crashed. Reason is very simple, don't let Germany have back one of it's most potent weapons and destroy the symbol that Richthofen had become, his death was a demoralizing blow to the German Forces.

[@OleDirtyMacSanchez]

Your analysis of who did the deed and what they did to the plane further solidifies my consensus. The shelling of the plane was covering what was done by a ground troop. Whether the murder of Richthofen was accidental or ordered is the question.

[@OleDirtyMacSanchez]

@@highcountrydelatite That's kind of true, yes. Rules of War can get blurry. Though in general articles of War you're not supposed to kill the injured, sick, or dying. It was still an Assassination, but one they couldn't afford not to do. Though if they had just captured him instead, the War might've been shortened.

[@crazyralph6386]

The fact that the Allies had a full military funeral for the guy, speaks volumes.

[@ladela7348]

Back then much of the junior officers in most European armies were from minor nobility like the Von Richthofens. In WWI most British and German officers killed were Captains leading from the front, many of whom were noblemen. They still viewed war as something to be fought with honour.

[@paulfri1569]

Australia mate 🤠

[@SteveT-0]

The sad part is, they gave him a better funeral than they did for our own heroes. (for example James McCudden)

[@Sandi2105]

I live in Wiesbaden and have passed his grave several times. He's buried not far from my mother. At first, I didn't know I was passing THE Red Baron. But my Dad told me at some point. Such a fascinating story.

[@Michael-of8gg]

I lived in Kirtzenheim. Went to Kaiserslaughtern high school. The history of Germany is fascinating. I was a sophmore when the wall came down.

[@weskarcher483]

I passed thru Wiesbaden a couple of years ago, nice place. Also visited Nuremberg, Vilseck and Munich. Toured castle Neuschwanstein and traveled all over Germany in a black 2015 Dodge Challenger. The weather and air quality hasn't changed much from what I can remember growing up in the early 1970's in Augsburg. Moved back to Texas in August of 1976 and have been here ever since. 🇨🇱

[@robertmalfy8552]

I was stationed in Wiesbaden with the American army in 1971 I loved the area and especially the people

[@weskarcher483]

Do you remember when Muhammad Ali visited Germany? I was in 2nd grade when he visited our school May of 1976. He asked some kids to come up and spar with him, three kids were lifted up in the back of the truck and they asked me if I wanted to join in but I was too afraid and declined. 😄

[@4ljc433]

As an American I feel for the loved ones that he shot down, but I do respect him as an airmanship and dedication. War turns good men into enemies.

[@PointyTailofSatan]

A very interesting footnote: Wop May, the pilot the Baron was chasing when shot down, survived the war, and later moved to the Yukon, the arctic region of Canada, and become a bush pilot. Here, May become part of one of the greatest RCMP manhunts in history, the famous hunt for the "Mad Trapper of Rat River", Albert Johnson. Johnson, who was an arctic survivalist of almost supernatural skill, and a crack shot with the rifle, had shot one Mountie, and killed another in firefights with the RCMP. Making his escape in the middle of the arctic winter, Johnson, using only snowshoes, managed to elude a huge posse of Mounties and native trackers on dogsleds for weeks, even crossing a mountain range in the middle of an arctic blizzard, to the disbelief of those chasing him. Desperate for more help, the RCMP hired Wop May to hunt for Johnson from the air. Eventually, May found him, and guided the RCMP to him, where in a major firefight on a frozen river, Johnson was killed. So if the Baron had killed May in WWI, Johnson probably would have escaped the RCMP, and the legendary Mad Trapper manhunt would have failed.

[@craigcrawford6749]

I grew up in Saskatchewan in the sixties and an old trapper lived nearby. I heard all about Albert Johnson when I was a kid. My parents told me that the old trapper, named Slater, was involved in that case. Another interesting footnote, the small community I was living in was filled with German immigrants. Mainly post WWI. All of their homes had amazing pictures of German soldiers.

[@silence-humility-calmness]

@@craigcrawford6749 its amazing how the plot of this story sounds so western typical, i am wondering what the movie reiteration of it is as there is no doubt in mind of its existence,,,,,,,,,,of course a light search and i wonder no more🤣🤣🤣its called the mad trapper!!

[@stefancocciolone3277]

Gail of a tail Macon tail Gail ! Galatians 4:12

[@rottensteak508]

What is a trapper?

[@miket7390]

​@@rottensteak508they use traps to hunt animals mostly for their fur.

[@lesjones5684]

Snoppy killed the red baron 😂😂😂

[@The.Siberian-Express_1986]

Yes yes he did

[@simon_aviation]

Real

[@thefatherfintanstack]

Snoppy. SNOPPY?

[@Djbandit23]

Factual

[@samueljusino2944]

Snoopy 😂😢😮

[@beebop9808]

I think it most refreshing to be reminded of days gone by, the honor and respect held among men. Even extended to his enemy in the most trying of times. The loss of such character far greater than the fate of any war.

[@emmgeevideo]

Oh please... This was World War I. Death was cheap from machine guns and gas. "Honor" my ass.

[@MandeepSingh-vt9hl]

It still exist but it is rare. Very rare

[@cooldudicus7668]

On both sides of the war, a pilot who was shot down and killed was buried with honors. Teddy Roosevelt's son was killed by Germans and was buried with full military honors by the Germans.

[@emmgeevideo]

@@cooldudicus7668 Quaint custom. It means nothing in the grand scheme of things. World War I was completely unnecessary. It erupted because the antique imperial governments on all sides weren't able to use their heads and instead consigned a generation to death and destruction. Worse, it sowed the seeds for WW II which eclipsed WW I in very measure of cruelty and horror. That led to vast economic deprivation across the globe and the emergence of the Cold War. The ridiculous land grab in the Middle East in 1919 sewed the seeds of Islamic rebellion against the West and the terrorist wars of the late 20th and early 21st century. A few cute little funerals "with honors" are a spec of dust in the face of this horror. "Refreshing"? "Character"? Bulls**t. WW I was complete and utter horror.

[@WiffGiff]

There was no honor in this war

[@rxw5520]

We’ve come so far in warfare over the past 100 years, but if you ever want to see how far we’ve regressed as human beings, watch the video of the Australians’ funeral for von Richthofen. This amount of respect for an enemy could never happen today.

[@sylversyrfer6894]

Respect for a great warrior. Such ideals are all but lost in this day and age.

[@williammickelson403]

@@sylversyrfer6894 I think a lot of people understand the danger of that mentality however.

[@rxw5520]

@@GrandpaLink I hope you’re being sarcastic lol. Otherwise you’re proving my point.

[@evilpandakillabzonattkoccu4879]

When Osama was killed....he was shot 3 times in the face, then tossed in to the ocean. 🤦‍♂️ According to the government. It's an odd story but it's a perfect example of your point. Then again: he was a terrorist, which was a way to make an enemy look worse than an military enemy.

[@evilpandakillabzonattkoccu4879]

Then again: I have seen images and heard tank crews mention that they had a picture of erwin rommel in their tanks (particularly, one tank Commander mentioned that he had captured Iraqi tank crews asked 'why would you have a picture of your enemy in your tank?' and the Commander replied something like 'Maybe if you had studied his tactics, youd understand why you were captured'. I'm paraphrasing and likely horribly). so, there is that...but that still nothing like the respect show to The Red Baron, who is still seen as an amazing fighter to this day.

[@deermeatfordinner]

That was an absolutely incredible video!!! You did an amazing job presenting and keeping it real. I believe the ground gunner to the bottom right was the one who made the fatal shot.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thanks very much, really glad you enjoyed it, and congrats to you on a great channel!

[@TomMason82]

I beleave it was popkin who shot him. if that red line is somewhat correct flight line, i think he was shot long before brown even fired. I think he was hit just before they went past Popkin where the last sharpish turn left happens then the slow arc to the right before the final shart right turn when brown fired.

[@johntitor1984]

@@BattleGuideVT was definitely that final right Shart turn before brown fired 🤣

[@jonathanwillard1776]

Yes I agree, Mr. Tom Mason is correct I believe,the science defined what happened,as the narrator explained. The trajectory and angles and time-line show who squeezed off the fatal shot as I imagine if that weren't true there would be more significant explanations. Well there is my use of larger words than I am use to using. And I also feel the broken heart for the pilot that went to visit the deceased Ace. What a shame, to lose such an intelligent,dedicated,Brave soldier, to lose such an asset and human being as such to tell his future students and maybe children and gra d children the great stories of the countless victories and battles he endured is more Legendary than any Ace I've ever heard or seen. R.I.P Red Baron..( with all due respect)..

[@jonathanwillard1776]

Oy it's really hilarious TITor grow up..

[@stevesma]

So my grandpa actually met the the cousin of the Red Baron, My grandpa flew on the German side. He had so many great stories. He met the desert fox, before he was a general

[@Nutzkie2001]

The fatal shot was almost certainly taken by Snowy Evans. Cedric Popkin was closer and had the proper angle just before Richtoffen flipped that 180 around the factory, but according to his own after-action report, he was reloading at that time. Evans, although shooting from a far greater range than Popkin, was the only one with a functioning weapon at that key moment when the Baron exposed his right flank. Sadly, the story of Snowy Evans took a turn for the worse following the Great War. Haunted by his experiences in the trenches, he returned to his native Australia, became an alcoholic and ultimately died destitute, never knowing that he was the man who shot down a legend.

[@teamchoko001]

100% cedric was the head of post office in cloncurry until he retired ,he came to the isa on saturdays for shopping, he had a ww2 vet buddy whom he told that he knew his shot downed him,as he took the shot, its wings dipped to the left confiming he had been hit,,, not bad for a man with one leg. he mentioned everyone claimed they did it but let just let them go on about it.

[@bhut1571]

Same fate for my great uncle who went to Britain from Canada and served in the British rather than Canadian Army. Lost to alcohol after WW1.

[@jugghead-1975]

One of the best Red Baron documentaries I've watched ! Well done mate 👏

[@Psychiatrick]

The seat from the Red Baron's plane sits at the Royal Canadian Military Institute in Toronto, Canada, University Avenue.

[@rubyrosebuds]

Congrats on a very well done video! A lot of fascinating detail is provided, including a good analysis of the shot that took the Red Baron's life. I read Manfred von Richthofen's book years ago, so the subject was not totally new, but I really enjoyed watching the video that brought not only his career, but the history of aviation, to life. Thank you for the excellent video.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you for your kind words. Glad you enjoyed the documentary.

[@robertbruce1887]

Good documentary, next time get a Canadian voice for Roy Brown. Quite touched by how regretful he felt about the Red Baron's death.

[@redblack8414]

@@robertbruce1887 Having regrets for killing Von Richthofen was ridiculous. The baron had shot down 80 of Brown's comrades. The thing to do was to get rid of Richthofen so that he would not kill more allied pilots.

[@lovrosmrekar4922]

Loved the detail of research and all the lesser known facts mentioned. Keep it up!

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you.

[@alex4833]

Great video! I want to learn more about World War I and I found this video to be well made and informative. I'm also interested to learn about aviation and the usage of aircraft in war, so this intrigued me. Keep up the nice work.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you... very glad you enjoyed it.

[@alex4833]

@@BattleGuideVT You're welcome. :) I appreciate your videos and hard work.

[@peterphillips570]

A fantastic video! My story will add nothing to the 'who shot the Red Baron' debate. But here it is anyway. In about 1988 I visited an old man in a nursing hospital here in Melbourne, Australia. His name was Fred Woolley (40th Battalion, AIF). He was 94 at the time and witnessed the death of the Red Baron (although he referred to him as the 'Red Devil'.) Mr Woolley was one of the first to the plane and 'souvenired' Richthofen's field glasses (binoculars). Australians like to claim that it was an Aussie Lewis Gunner who shot the Red Baron down. Interestingly, Mr Woolley, who viewed the entire events, thought that 'it was the airman' who shot him down. What happened to the Red Baron's field glasses? Mr Woolley had almost reached his home state of Tasmania when the troop ship stopped at Adelaide to drop off South Australian troops. The troops going on to Tasmania were allow ashore to shower. When Mr Woolley returned to the ship his kit bag had been rifled. The glasses were stolen! So somewhere around Adelaide the Red Baron's binoculars are lying around!

[@jjjnettie]

An excellent account! I was fortunate enough to know one of those Australian Infantry men, Sargent Ted (Edward) Smout, one of the first on the scene, who "guarded" the Baron and his downed plane. I'll have to check his memoirs, but I think he heard the Barons final word "Kaput", and while he publicly denied taking a souvenir, I remember him saying something about his boots. Australian 60 Minutes did a piece on him before he passed in the early 2000's.

[@jjjnettie]

A KZbin search "Ted Smout Interview" will bring up a couple of links to videos with him, chatting about his life. He was still getting around, quite actively at 103yrs old. He would walk down the hill to the shops to buy his groceries, then he would put his thumb out to hitch a ride back up the hill. That's how I got to know him. Chatting during the short ride to his house.

[@erichall6009]

@@jjjnettie That is amazing!

[@allansbullet]

Here in New Zealand, near Blenheim is the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. Much of it is funded by Sir Peter Jackson who directed the Lord Of The Rings movies. It's a fantastic WW 1 warbirds museum. On display there is a black cross on a white background surrounded by red fabric which was actually cut from the fuselage of Richtofen's plane. It was evidently souvenired by an Australian or New Zealand soldier if I remember right.

[@LEF3133]

@@allansbullet I wonder if that is the same piece I saw at the Australian War Museum in Canberra a few years ago.

[@seanodwyer4322]

@@jjjnettie 103 is god age for a male

[@michaelwise535]

This may sound strange but as a child he was my childhood hero. I knew everything about him. He made WW1 become alive.

[@nbebd]

its not sound strange after all he was war hero having great number of kills , soldier did fight for their country and politicians but after all we are human beings and we have same feelings, family and friends.

[@draz1556]

well ww1 did not need the baron to be ‘alive’ i recon tho

[@spankynater4242]

Bobby Brady idolized Jesse James, that didn’t go so well for him.

[@brianwilcox3478]

For me he still is.

[@dougjohnson8552]

Why would you feel bad it’s not like he was part of hitlers nazis

[@dereksendrak]

I’ve read a lot about the Red Baron, fantastic video my man!! Job well done!

[@ulazygit]

Brilliant video - throughly enjoyed this! 😊

[@mepm]

My fathers best friend was gunner Buie's son. He had pieces of the crashed plane and interestingly he gave a piece of it to Roy Orbison while he was touring Australia. Apparently Orbison was fascinated by the red baron story.

[@jessealexander2695]

Good stuff Dan and team!

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you very much Jesse.

[@RNemy509]

Excellent video, i enjoyed it and learned some new details. Thank you

[@rentonarc]

Beautifully done . Thank you

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you for the kind words.

[@mikemorris1760]

And all this time I thought Snoopy shot down the Red Baron. LOL

[@fearlessfosdick160]

It was almost certainly Sergeant Cedric Popkin. Richthofen was not shot from behind but rather through his side. Out of all the different angles that have been worked out that people were shooting from, Popkin was the only one who could have made that shot at that 800-yard distance.

[@smithwesson7765]

Richthofen was shot in the back just below his right shoulder blade and the round cipped his aorta penetrating his chest and exiting just below his left nipple. The round was recovered from his wallet. The round later "disappeared". So, the caliber and weight can never be confirmed. Blood loss would have been extreme and it was likely that he flew the aircraft as long as he was concious, perhaps a minute or two. He did not crash instantly but managed to control the aircraft until just before impact with the ground. He was discovered unmoving in the cockpit and had broken his jaw on impact with his guns charging handles. Had Popkins and the other Lewis gunners all concentrated their fire on the red Triplane, the Baron and his aircraft should have been riddled with holes yet, only one hole was found in each. When Brown fired his last burst he observed that the Triplane appeared to fly erratically before it went down. If we had access to the spent round, it could certainly answer some questions.

[@JohnDavis-yz9nq]

@@smithwesson7765 both of his arms were broken along with his left leg just below the knee. I did a thesis on this back in high school.

[@jeffreybamford1171]

He was shot by an Australian on the ground

[@gooberdoober2286]

@@smithwesson7765 a bullet through the heart would give him around 10 seconds before he stopped functioning maybe enough time to think about and switch of the engine. Brown had not killed the Baron. He was far off and too much time elapsed between his burst of fire and the aircraft crashing. The bullets path is all wrong for Brown as he was shooting from behind whereas the bullet went basically sideways through the Barons chest. There has been good research that places the kill shot coming from the ground.

[@johnnyc1227]

​@@smithwesson7765the rounds fired by airplane & ground MG's would have been .303

[@Grid88]

Beautiful story telling skills.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you!

[@dereksendrak]

Amazing video! Great job

[@JitendraKumar-tt3ht]

I came across "The Red Baron" via the video game, Wings of Fire: the battles of red baron. Since as an Indian my ancestor participated in the second world war I had limited exposure to the First. From this game onwards I started studying First world war aviation and learning about Werner Voss, Rickenbacker etc. I think video games based on a historical theme give ideas to youngsters like us.

[@cs40660]

Indian contribution to WW1 is incredibly unrecognised in general. Indians stopped the German advance at Ypres in 1914 while Britain was still mustering its troops, they fought and died side by side with us ANZACs in Gallipoli. over 500,000 fought the Ottomans in Mesopotamia. I suppose that is part of the sadness of WW1, it’s losses were overshadowed.

[@JitendraKumar-tt3ht]

@@cs40660 My great-grandfather fought with the 4th Indian "Red Eagle Division in the second war. Lived even 100 years, 1906-2006 whenever I asked him who were the bravest soldiers of war? His consistent answer was the New Zealanders. We come from the deserts of Rajasthan but settled in the greener part of India, for the next 60 years of life he never visited any desert.

[@stingerbean1848]

I never knew I live less than 10km from his tomb. I have always been flabbergasted by the skill of controlling those planes. While I am no fan in any way of the aerial combat part, the flight controls of those planes have always fascinated me.

[@DavidFletcher566]

Excellent video. Thanks!

[@jimbojet8728]

A fantastic vid. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you.

[@Zogerpogger]

I'm quite pleased to have discovered this channel (Thanks to Epic History TV), and am excited to watch more of your documentaries!

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you very much.

[@jameswalley134]

A wonderful video. As an RAAF Pilot who served in the Middle East, I truly appreciate what these early Pilots endured. May they rest in peace.

[@chrispurzer9461]

Congratulations on this excellent, objective and respectful production.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you very much!

[@briansims1987]

The bullet a .303 was fired by an Australian soldier as the entry/ exit wound came from below at ground level.

[@dulls8475]

Bullets dont do straight lines through bodies either.

[@smithwesson7765]

You were there were you ?

[@dulls8475]

@@smithwesson7765 You know what angle the plane was at and where it was exactly?

[@briansims1987]

@Smith Wesson Only born in 1951 Information came from the Australian National War Museum in Canberra. Read when I was there in 2016. Autopsy report from English Medical Team and Statements from Battalian Archives all supported the Baron was brought down by small arms fire from the ground. Accepted it was .303 fired by a named Australian Private. Bullet entered on an upward trajectory above the hip and left via the opposite shoulder. A Canadian Pilot was given the credit as he was an Officer and a Gentleman and the Baron could not have been killed by a lowly Private and an Australian at that.

[@FRLN500]

@@briansims1987 There are at least 2 "official" post mortem reports that conflict with each other. The location of entrance and exit wounds do not agree.

[@MCarrick-ss7xc]

My buddy got lucky with a rifle shot. He circled around us he previously go a squad that was manning a machine gun. We noticed something wrong when he circled after the shot. he was herky-jerky. So as he went down we saluted him. No response. There was still gas in his plane cause he was on fire after he crashed. I still cry when I see the Snoopy vs Red.

[@rossfindlay24]

great video man , subbed

[@AFvet1964]

Great video!

[@duncanrogers4211]

Well done and researched video. I knew and spoke several times with Captain Roy Brown’s younger brother Howard Brown . I also met and spoke with Roy Brown’s daughter Margret Brown. The members of the Brown family all acknowledged that Captain Brown like many veterans was reluctant to talk about the war. The seat from the Baron’s plane can be seen today in the Canadian Military Institute in Toronto.

[@briansims1987]

They knew the bullet was from ground fire but rather than credit a COMMON AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER, AND A PRIVATE AT THAT, it was decided to acknowledge an officer and a gentleman pilot fired the fatal shot. Nothing has changed! Cheers to All

[@henryporter6659]

I've seen the seat (and rudder?) and the seat had no holes in it.

[@briansims1987]

@Henry Porter Apparently the bullet entered between the hip and rib cage and existed via the opposite side shoulder hence no bullet holes in seat. That version came from a WW1 Official Historian who also confirmed the credit had to be awarded to an Officer and Gentleman. The Official War Diaries from the Battalion also supported the Historian. The information is kept at the Australian War Museum in Canberra Australia and if you ever visit it is very worthwhile spending a couple of days there. Cheers from Adelaide South Australia

[@Skipper.17]

Only because it was given to them by the Australians.

[@henryporter6659]

@@briansims1987 Thank you for that, but I stand by my claim that the Red Baron's wicker seat from his airplane had no bullet holes in it from what I observed first hand.

[@jerme720]

In the small town of Cobalt Ontario there is a war museum full of memorabilia from WWI and II vets that lived in there area. Including an extensive library where you can find hand written “cheat sheets” within the pages of officer manuals from WWI. In that library is a book about The Baron. If the author is to be believed, he toured the pubs Britain and France bought drinks and take to people who survived flying against the Flying Circus. You can read The Barons flight reports, written by him, and then read the same event from the pilot who survived. If the author is believed. According to that book, written guy who interviewed people who were there, there was a dog fight, The Baron landed in no man’s land. The Aussies saw the downed plane and towed it back to their lines. Snoopy was Brown’s nickname, Charlie Brown and Snoopy fought the Red Baron many times. And who’s gonna argue with Charlie Brown?? Besides, Snoopy still flies in Markstay, where Brown was born.

[@cooldudicus7668]

The comic strip Peanuts did a lot to keep the memory of WW1 alive. Also, in the Halloween Peanuts tv special, Snoopy honors the people who fought in WW1 by showing the horrors of the war in an accurate way. It was enough to get the point across, but not too much for kids. I was one of the many kids who watched that special. A few years ago, I watched the TV special again. By this time I was an adult who had read a lot about WW1. The special really hit home. I can only imagine how the adults who watched the TV special with their kids in the 80s felt. Now that I am older, I realize the power and intellectual depth of that TV special.

[@tonyb9735]

Excellent video, thank you

[@redwandennaoui4508]

Brilliant documentary, very well researched.

[@ianshanks6210]

More maps/aerials with the towns and roads marked please. Having visited the area I found the aerial shots confusing without reference points clearly marked.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you and noted for future documentaries.

[@thedoctorofstyleirondeadpaul]

HIGHER HIGHER HIGHER the King of the sky

[@victorreznov6320]

HES FLYIN TO FAST AND HES FLYIN TO HIGH

[@SafetyBriefer]

@@victorreznov6320 HIGHER, AN EYE FOR AN EYE

[@novemberrain409]

THE LEGEND NEVER DIES

[@joaoinacio559]

FIRST TO THE SCENE, HE IS A LETHAL MACHINE

[@kingofmadness6834]

Can we get much higher

[@mohnjayer]

Just heard about your work from Vlogging Through History. Amazing video!

[@PTQ4Q4Q4Q4]

Wow Amazing little Doco!

[@downtownbrown50]

And all this time I thought Snoopy did it. Curse you Red Baron!

[@crazycoyote1738]

The red baron didn’t have regrets when he went to visit the crash sights of his fallen enemy, he went to experience the battle rash .. and victory from up close. All those Canadian poems and gentleness shows that some breeds of human are not produced equally!! Some like to cut fingers so they can keep rings as souvenirs of war, some will collect ears or scalps.. others will just stand there with a broken heart for being forced to take life so they can protect their country and loved ones. I was at war, I know..

[@emmgeevideo]

Outstanding video and outstanding channel.

[@mikem.s.1183]

I very much appreciate this video, Battle Guide. I grew up with the stories about Von Richthofen, both written and on TV (mostly British) What strikes me as phenomenal and stunning is how several nations opposite of Manfred's side showed him proper honor and respect. War is war. It's terrible humans need to go this far. But human don't need to always act as savages while on war. That's what the death of the Red Barron showed us, from the military honours to the testimony of the British ace that supposedly shot him down. Thank you for your observations.

[@marksherrill9337]

Very good. Hit all the high points. I have read his book and other books. By the time the red Barron was shot down he was suffering from battle fatigue and recurring headaches and exhaustion . I’m fairly sure that was true for all combatants .

[@spankynater4242]

He missed the most glaring point, it was Snoopy who shot him down.

[@maureenball6733]

I gather Boelcke, too, was suffering, say, when on leave. Virtually all the airmen on both sides probably the same.

[@gregmorley1997]

By chance in the late 1970's I met the nco in charge of the Australian Lewis gun crew he had a mounmd of folders with diagrams of bullet angles through the side of the Dr1 and the Barons body that they were the ones that shot him down I believe that the folders are now in the Australian war memorial along with the piece of fabric from the side of the aircraft.

[@grantadam7674]

Read my earlier submission. This was confirmed by my source. An Australian gun emplacement shot him down.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

As he died in the Australian Sector General Monash gave him a full Military Funeral

[@cheetonation]

Love how multiple people under this video claim to know someone who was there or connected to the event.

[@richardkeilig4062]

Well done video.

[@mikeseibert4889]

All those men that flew those plains in battle had balls of steel.

[@Skipper.17]

Well one things for certain, Roy brow didn’t shoot down the Red Baron.

[@swishfish8858]

Canadians ARE pretty useless.

[@abrahammorrison6374]

Listen to Wop May by Stompin' Tom Connors and Roy Brown and Wop May by John Spearn. Both mention the final flight of the Red Baron.

[@mckessa17]

Good tune

[@garethwatkins4057]

Absolutely brilliant good job team

[@scottjuhnke6825]

Richthofen painted his plane Red so that his men could find him. We have to remember that they did not have Radios.

[@ariadneschild8460]

What a great little history of the evolution of fighter planes at the start. Great video!

[@willieotto9000]

M. Zero

[@simonkevnorris]

Thanks for the interesting video. I visited the memorial near the crash site in the 1990s.

[@OTDMilitaryHistory]

Good video. I believe we will never know who fired the fatal shot. There are too many factors at play to determine the reality of the situation. I have one small critique of the video. When Brown's passage is read it is done with the wrong accent. While many Canadians who served in the war were in fact born and raised in Britain, Brown was not one of them. He was born and raised in Carleton Place, Ontario, not far from Ottawa. The town has a statue of him and other monuments and it is a well known fact he was born and raised in Canada. I only raise this issue because issues of identity are a large part of the historiography of Canada's war so getting these small details right is important. The rest of the video is so well done and researched so some viewers may think Brown was born and raised in Britain, like so many others who served, just from the accent.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Hi Brad, thanks very much for taking the time to comment, and of course you are correct, we will do better next time! Really like your stuff by the way, keep up the good work. DH

[@lukeskywalker3329]

Yes . Looked like teamwork.

[@SteveMikre44]

Excellent Documentary...

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you.

[@northcountybandit]

Wonderful. Thank you.

[@johnnunn8688]

The WW2 aircrew were also incredibly brave. Even though the bomber crews all had parachutes, not all could wear them during a mission and would have to Don them before escaping. Also the chance of escaping was often slim, due to forces when spinning out of control. Damn the British Govt, for waiting so long before any honour for them.

[@Rambo69710]

The Red Baron might might be dead but his pizza will live on

[@robcanisto8635]

😭🙏🙏🙏

[@ryanh4775]

Hell yeah best frozen pizza ever 🍕. That's the difference between good people and great people good people try to make life easier for those that are around them and great people try to make life better for everyone across the board.

[@sirgalahad1470]

This video is so awesome !

[@mikegrigg11]

Excellent !!

[@andrewince8824]

Man and machine and nothing there in between The flying circus and a man from Prussia The sky and a plane, this man commands his domain The western front and all the way to Russia Death from above, you're under fire Stained red as blood, he's roaming higher Born a soldier from the horseback to the skies That's where the legend will arise And he's flying Higher, the king of the sky He's flying too fast and he's flying too high Higher, an eye for an eye The legend will never die First to the scene, he is a lethal machine It's bloody April and the tide is turning Fire at will, it is the thrill of the kill Four in a day shot down with engines burning Embrace the fame, red squadron leader Call out his name: "ROTE KAMPFFLIGER" In the game to win, a gambler rolls the dice Eighty allies paid the price And he's flying Higher, the king of the sky He's flying too fast and he's flying too high Higher, an eye for an eye The legend will never die Higher Higher, the king of the sky He's flying too fast, again, he's flying too high He's flying higher, an eye for an eye The legend will never die Higher Born a soldier from the horseback to the skies And the legend never dies And he's flying And he's flying And he's flying Higher, the king of the sky He's flying too fast and he's flying too high Higher, an eye for an eye The legend will never die Higher, the king of the sky He's flying too fast and he's flying too high Higher, an eye for an eye The legend will never die

[@WastedTalent-]

After the turn of the century In the clear blue skies over Germany Came a roar and a thunder men had never heard Like the screamin' sound of a big war bird Up in the sky, a man in a plane Baron von Richthofen was his name Eighty men tried, and eighty men died Now they're buried together on the countryside Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more The Bloody Red Baron was rollin' up the score Eighty men died tryin' to end that spree Of the Bloody Red Baron of Germany In the nick of time, a hero arose A funny-looking dog with a big black nose He flew into the sky to seek revenge But the Baron shot him down ("Curses, foiled again!") Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more The Bloody Red Baron was rollin' up the score Eighty men died tryin' to end that spree Of the Bloody Red Baron of Germany Now, Snoopy had sworn that he'd get that man So he asked the Great Pumpkin for a new battle plan He challenged the German to a real dogfight While the Baron was laughing, he got him in his sight That Bloody Red Baron was in a fix He'd tried everything, but he'd run out of tricks Snoopy fired once, and he fired twice And that Bloody Red Baron went spinning out of sight Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more The Bloody Red Baron was rollin' up the score Eighty men died tryin' to end that spree Of the Bloody Red Baron of Germany , ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more The Bloody Red Baron was rollin' up the score

[@Dahni555]

Born a soldier from the horseback to the skies - the legend never dies

[@fireboy9508]

And he's flying And he's flying And he's flying

[@ajifajar5287]

​@@fireboy9508HIGHER!!! King of the skies He's flying too fast and he's flying too high

[@NapoIeoneBuonaparte]

“He’s flying too slow and he’s flying too low”

[@samthemacman]

great video

[@ImWithBigRed]

Fascinating. Thank you.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thanks for watching!

[@mareksowikowski4250]

Wielki lotnik rycerz przestworzy urodzony na dolnym Śląsku w mieście swidnica Manfred von richtofen zawsze honorowy jako Polak jestem dumny z tego że.taki wielki Pilot jak on urodziłem się też blisko niego został pochowany z wszystkimi honorami przez aliantów za swoją rycerskość niech spoczywa w pokoju szacun

[@mckessa17]

Canada loves Poland.

[@spankynater4242]

Verboten

[@mareksowikowski4250]

@@spankynater4242 du Kranken Kopf

[@spankynater4242]

@@mareksowikowski4250 farfignugen

[@Dahni555]

Then the winged hussars arrived!

[@DaemonLlama76]

How about crediting the Australian infantry with this victory! The only time you mention "Australians", is in regards to taking souvenirs from the downed aircraft. This is quite an oversight. The evidence shows it was ground fire from Australian troops. The calibre of bullets used was the same, but there is no way the Canadian pilot could have made that shot. The war memorial in Canberra still has part of his aircraft cockpit on display, even now. It was an Australian victory.

[@BattleGuideVT]

Did you watch the right video? Popkin, Buie and Evans are Australian and the funeral was conducted by Australians.

[@PoPoSharikov]

Knock it off mate,. he mentions the Australian's over and over . Plus, whilst acknowledging that ground fire from an aussie was the most likely cause, the narrator is at pains to emphasise that in the end its team effort. Anyway, from the sounds of it, Roy Brown would've been pretty happy for someone to convince him that he hadn't killed Richthofen.

[@StephanieElizabethMann]

In Australia I've heard most say Popkin was the man who finished the fight that day. Whoever it was, along with far too many other young men they saw and experienced a life and war that changed everyone and everything from then forward. The world was different and it never went back.

[@montyfpv2259]

There is an RAAF base a few kms (Point Cook, Australia) from me and contained in that base is a very well presented museum. There is a small part of the Red Barons aircraft on display in there, from memory a small tubular metal part.

[@merlin6955]

A superbly well detailed account of the Red Baron's history and demise, thank you. It is amazing the fatal bullets tragectory entering lower right and exiting top left through the heart did not cause his instant death. To land, switch off the ignition and fuel supply must have taken at least one or two minutes, which raises a bigger question for me as to how the hell did he manage to survive so long. The diagram of the combatants flight paths indicates that at no time Roy Brown was low enough below Richthofens aircraft and conclusively places Seargeant Cedric Popkin in the correct place. For those interested, the nurse Kate Otersdorf was also his close girlfriend. His best friend Werner Voss died before him in his Fokker with a Bentley engine he acquired. There are few accounts of his heroic fight to the death with three Sopwith Camels for nearly 50 minutes, although praised for his skills by his victors. Herman Goering sadly assumed command of Von Richthofen's squadron following his death.

[@Starlight-Sailing-Adventure]

He was finally shot down by snoopy a good natured beagle.

[@brianwilcox3478]

I must respectfully disagree. He was only hit by 1 bullet. And he was flying so low he could have put his plane down in about 20 seconds. To turn off the fuel and ignition would have only taken but few a seconds. ( And he threw his goggles off.) And it was not the prettiest landing either. But he got down very quickly. And would have passed on in little over 1 Min after being struck. And from the books I have read on the subject he was not hit in the heart. but through both lungs and the aorta. So his motor skills would have left him in less than 30 seconds, and death in less than about 90 seconds. Furthermore there is no evidence That Kate was anything more than his nurse. And the Engine in Voss's tripe was not a Bentley but a Captured LeRhone. And Voss died fighting SE5s of 56 Squadron. and it didn't last 50 minutes. more like 10.

[@ibrahimah]

Great video! Here from Epic History TV

[@BattleGuideVT]

Thank you for popping across.

[@ClarenceCochran-ne7du]

25 years old when he was killed. Germany's greatest Ace. The Kaiser and General Staff had tried to place him in the rear, away from battle, because of the morale boost he gave Germany. He made such a fuss about it, they sent him back to the front. His brother Lothar and cousin Wolfram, would survive the War, but Lothar was killed in a plane crash in 1922, due to engine failure. Wolfram died in a Lüftwaffe hospital in Bad Ishl, Austria from a brain tumor in July of 1945. He was technically in Allied custody when he passed, but had been in the hospital slowly dying for several weeks before the Wars end. There is speculation about Manfred's fitness for flying at the time of his death. A year earlier, Richthofen suffered a serious head wound in combat. It nearly killed him. He survived, but even after a lengthy convalescence, still complaind of severe headaches and visual loss and occasional but brief loss of consciousness. Such symptomsIt would ground a modern pilot, but Amrt doctors then do not know what we do today. He also had a personality change that would bring up concerns now. Did any of these issues contribute to his death? We'll never know, but they are serious enough they certainly could have effected his ability to think, fly and fight.

[@davidmcdonnell767]

Went looking for something educational and boy I found it !! Awesome Tube !!!

[@Trash_Cat21]

He is like a hero to me a legend who lives on an honorable man with the finesse and tact of a gentlemen. His legend will never die.

[@kevindietterich1448]

I heard that story just a little bit different. When he realized where he was at, he turned for home. Red Baron was right handed, that is why he flew the Australian position. It is easier to move the control stick with your arm away from your body instead crossing your body. If he was left handed, he would have turn away from the Australian position. The part was that Brown was diving at the Red Baron and was only able two get two rounds off before he flew past him. So I kind of doubt that Brown shot him down, my opinion.

[@thosdot6497]

It was more likely that he turned right because he was flying a rotary-engined DRI - I don't know if the DRI's engine rotated the same direction as the Bentley et al that the Sopwith Camel used, but I've read that it could be quicker to do a 3/4 turn to the right than a single left hand turn in a Camel. The gyroscopic inertia of that mass of rotating metal and propeller did really strange things to aircraft manoeuvrability.

[@kevindietterich1448]

@@thosdot6497 I think you're right. That motor spins counter-clockwise so it does dip the right wing. There is a ww1 aerodrome up the Hudson valley in New York. They fly those planes with the original motors.

[@vincentlefebvre9255]

​@@kevindietterich1448 Old Rhinebeck aerodrome

[@brianwilcox3478]

Did you ever stop to think it was going to be closer to home to turn right as well?? Let alone the gyroscopic effect?

[@brianwilcox3478]

2 shots thats funny. Incredible

[@von853]

Such a well done video, thank you. I do have a question though and I suppose I'm just not great at facial recognition but during the Roy Brown account is the picture displayed that of Roy Brown or of Richthofen?

[@projectproject.jffjff3806]

This man deserves more subscribers!!

[@BattleGuideVT]

Very kind, thanks for the support!

[@Bowhunterohio]

I’ve always heard that is was ground fire and Popkin that killed him. This video has taught me much more about what happened. Hermann Göring flew with Manfred Von Richthofen and was part of the combat groupJagdgeschwader. Göring also received numerous awards including the Pour Le Mérite. I believe he always stated that it was ground fire but obviously you done a lot of research which showed that it’s possible Brown shot him. Which ever may be the case this was an awesome video. Thank you for sharing.

[@wolfshanze5980]

I don't know which video you watched, but that Brown shot him is in no way what one can conclude from this video... HELLO; Autopsy of fatal bullet coming from below to the right and up and out the top left... how on earth would that bullet come from Brown? You need to watch the video again I think.

[@Bowhunterohio]

@@wolfshanze5980 most likely didn’t and came from Popkin like I’ve always heard. I just know that the autopsy performed was done over a hundred years ago. Maybe even on the battle field if they done an autopsy at all. Maybe they looked at just the entrance holes. I just know they don’t have the technology like we have today which is why I’m sure it’s still a debate among people. If it was conclusive evidence then there wouldn’t be a debate and they would say without a doubt Brown shot him or even Popkin shot him. I just know I’ve always heard that it was ground fire.

[@byronbailey9229]

Shot in the lower body as he flew low over Australian trenches. He landed and bled out so was not shot down.

[@FRLN500]

He was shot through the torso, not the lower body.

[@ToddSauve]

That is still being shot down. It doesn't matter whether the bullet came from the air or the ground.

[@jordanevans1540]

No, it was manbearpig silly

[@flaviusfake271]

I believe it was a group effort. Even judging from where the bullet supposedly hit him well he was performing turns and manoeuvring to the side so one cannot even rule out a shot from a plane. The plane was surrounded by gun fire and the pilot shot down in the end.

[@dalejohns2758]

He was Shutdown no matter how you look at it. End of Story!! Pretty simple!!

[@ivobuelens]

Top video 👍

[@FreeTurtleboy]

Snoopy Here.....With My Sopwith Camel... It Is ready. My mechanic Woodstock ... Will go back to the 94th aero sq , where I am assigned as a instructor pilot Now let's make it clear that I've enough firepower with my pair of lewis machine guns. The 94th Was in the area, It was I The Ace / First American Dog Aerial combat flying Dog Col. Snoopy*Ace / 94th aero squadron AEF/USAS IT WAS I WHOM BROUGHT HIM ( Red Barron ) DOWN../SNOOPY "

[@AdamsBrew78]

This is reminiscent of Achilles and his cousin Patroclus - Achilles knew he wouldn’t be able to perform to his best abilities if he had to worry about his inexperienced cousin engaging in the same battle. The Red Baron should have learned from the great tragedies and kept his family grounded. Love has always been the achilles heel of war.

[@patgalvez4563]

Same thing with Dale Earnhardt Sr.

[@snookem]

Superb video !! I am 64 years old and as a boy growing up in Rhodesia I met and befriended David (Tommy) Lewis. Tommy Lewis was Von Richtoffen’s 80th and final “kill”, shot down the day before he himself was killed. Lewis survived the crash with Von Richtoffen flying over him at low level and saluting him from his cockpit. Lewis’ Sopwith Camel was emblazoned with the name of his first love. Rhodesia !! Lewis gave me a little white plastic flower. An Australian from the honour guard at the original Bertangles burial gave it to him. The images from that burial clearly show the white wreaths. They were made up of these small plastic flowers. I have it to this day.

[@FishBoneCh]

Ww1 was a different kind of war. No real villains or good guys. Just a bloody conflict that every side regretted for years. The legend will live forever

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

Who ever thought it was actually Rupert Pupkin that shot down the mighty Red Baron...

[@bradadams-vo2bu]

Not true ...it was snoopy..get your facts straight ......ha......

[@timroot4207]

Thank you !

[@PigDogGirl]

Great stuff guys

[@BattleGuideVT]

Smashing glad you liked it Lucy and thanks for the kind comments.

[@magicpyroninja]

Well I can't say for sure my idea for the reasoning behind the red paint. By being highly visible and well-known he made himself a bigger Target there for protecting the people he was flying and fighting with. He could use is amazing skills to draw aggro away from the other soldiers and pilots. Enemy soldiers are going to be able to easily pick him out of a group and they're all going to be gunning for him because they all want the fame and recognition of taking down the enemy hero. Him being easily recognizable means his troops also can see him giving them a morale boost

[@redblack8414]

@magicpyroninja He didn't do that to make himself a bigger target for protecting his comrades. You have a lot of imagination. He was not that magnanimous. Many British pilots of WW1 said that Richthofen was almost always protected by 3 fighters flying behind him and at a couple of thousands feet higher. If and allied plane approched Richthofen, from behind the 3 fighters would take care of it. Also, not only his airplane but all aircraft in his squadron were painted with bright colors. They thought that this might scare the enemy pilots when they realized with whom they were dealing. It could but that can also have the opposite effect.

[@chrislouden7329]

It was proven by a computer simulation to 92.3 percent that it was a Australian soldier who fired two rifle shots who got him not the sergeant or others mentioned.

[@brianwilcox3478]

All due respect. 2 shots?? No computer could make that calculation. MVR was hit by 1 (one) bullet. Fact. I would suggest you disregard that information as unreliable. At best.

[@Free-Bodge79]

Great video. I went to the German cemetery where he was first buried. Although his body was moved afterwards. Between theres and the allies graveyards from both world wars it's hard to envisage such repeated bloodshed for such a beautiful area. Profoundly moving to see. 👍💛👊

[@tylerbradley2957]

I love how Gentlemen like this war was Enemies respected each other true Warriors

[@EdWilsonPhoto]

I met his daughter in the mid 60s in Frankfurt. Also his two grandkids. One was a high fashion model, and a young boy also named Manfred, like his granpa. his daughter was very well off and aristocratic. had some connection to General Motors

[@Species5008]

I don't believe Manfred Von Richtoffen ever married, let alone had kids. It was possibly his brother's kids.

[@Fishslayer007]

Now, how could have you possibly met his daughter. When the man never had a girlfriend, much less been married, and had one child? People just love to talk shit on the internet, don't they?

[@JohnJohnson-pq4qz]

"Von Richthofen never married and had no known children. His younger brother Lothar, also member of Jasta 11, survived the war but was killed while flying a commercial aircraft from Berlin to Hamburg on July 4, 1922. He was survived by a son and a daughter. Interestingly enough, Lothar’s great granddaughter, Suzane von Richthofen, was sentenced to 40 years in prison in 2006 for beating her parents to death in Brazil. She is the Red Baron’s great grand niece."

[@brianwilcox3478]

@@Fishslayer007 yup