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Excerpts from the diary of the first world war flying ace, the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen (1892-1918), a radio segment compiled and edited from public domain and creative commons sources by Historyradio.org editor, Michael Henrik Wynn
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00:00In contrast to the Poets of the Trenches, the flying aces of the First World War sometimes presented their aerial combats as a gentleman's sport. None did more to market this illusion than the Red Baron, the German pilot von Richthofen. Richthofen counted his victims like trophies. In the end, however, even von Richthofen lost his life.
00:22Now, on HistoryRadio.org, we present excerpts from the Diary of the Red Baron, in which he tells of friends he had lost and the first time he was shot down himself.
00:36Below, beyond, above her, their iron web is spun. Flicked but unsneared we hover, edge planes against the sun. Eyes in the air above his lair, the hawks that guide the gun.
00:50No word from earth may reach us save, white against the ground. The strips outspread to teach us whose ears are deaf to sound.
01:03But down the winds that sear us, athwart our engines shriek. We send, and know they hear us, the ranging guns we speak.
01:13Our visored eyeballs show us, their answering pennant broke, 8,000 feet below us, a whirl of flame-stab smoke.
01:25Gilbert Franco
01:27The End
01:39The End
01:40The End
01:4017th September, 1915
02:00We were all at the butts trying our machine guns.
02:05On the previous day we had received our new aeroplanes,
02:09and the next morning Volca was to fly with us.
02:12We were all beginners.
02:14None of us had a success so far.
02:17Consequently everything that Volca told us was to us gospel truth.
02:22Every day during the last few days he had, as he said, shot one or two Englishmen for
02:27breakfast.
02:29The next morning, the 17th of September, was a gloriously fine day.
02:34It was therefore only to be expected that the English would be very active.
02:40Before we started Volca repeated to us his instructions, and for the first time we flew as a squadron
02:46commanded by the great man whom we followed blindly.
02:50We had just arrived at the front when we recognized a hostile flying squadron that was proceeding
02:55in the direction of Cambrai.
02:58Volca was, of course, the first to see it, for he saw a great deal more than ordinary
03:03portals.
03:04Soon we understood the position, and every one of us strove to follow Volca closely.
03:09It was clear to all of us that we should pass our first examination under the eyes of our
03:14beloved leader.
03:16Slowly we approached the hostile squadron.
03:19It could not escape us.
03:21We had intercepted it, for we were between the front and our opponents.
03:25If they wished to go back they had to pass us.
03:29We counted the hostile machines.
03:31They were seven in number.
03:33We were only five.
03:35All the Englishmen flew large, bomb-carrying two-seaters.
03:39In a few seconds the dance would begin.
03:42Volca had come very near the first English machine, but he did not yet shoot.
03:47I followed.
03:49Close to me were my comrades.
03:51The Englishman nearest to me was traveling in a large boat painted with dark colors.
03:55I did not reflect very long, but took my aim and shot.
04:00He also fired, and so did I, and both of us missed our aim.
04:04A struggle began, and a great point for me was to get to the rear of the fellow because
04:08I could only shoot forward with my gun.
04:11He was differently placed for his machine gun was movable.
04:14It could fire in all directions.
04:17Apparently he was no beginner, for he knew exactly that his last hour had arrived at the moment
04:23when I got at the back of him.
04:25At that time I had not yet a conviction he must fall, which I have now on such occasions,
04:31but on the contrary I was curious to see whether he would fall.
04:36There is a great difference between the two feelings.
04:39When one is shot down one's first, second, or third opponent, then one begins to find
04:44out how the trick is done.
04:46My Englishman twisted and turned, going criss-cross.
04:49I did not think for a moment that the hostile squadron contained other Englishmen who might
04:54conceivably come to the aid of their comrade.
04:57I was animated by a single thought.
05:00The man in front of me must come down, whatever happens.
05:04At last a favorable moment arrived.
05:06My opponent had apparently lost sight of me.
05:09Instead of twisting and turning, he flew straight along.
05:13In a fraction of a second I was at his back with my excellent machine.
05:17I gave him a short series of shots with my machine gun.
05:21I had gone so close that I was afraid I might dash into the Englishman.
05:26Suddenly I nearly yelled with joy, for the propeller of the enemy machine had stopped turning.
05:31I had shot his engine to pieces.
05:33The enemy was compelled to land, for it was impossible for him to reach his own lines.
05:38The English machine was curiously swinging to and fro.
05:42Probably something had happened to the pilot.
05:45The observer was no longer visible.
05:47His machine gun was apparently deserted.
05:50Obviously I had hit the observer and he had fallen from his seat.
05:54The Englishman landed close to the flying ground of one of our squadrons.
05:58I was so excited that I'd landed also, and my eagerness was so great that I nearly smashed
06:03up my machine.
06:05The English flying machine and my own stood close together.
06:09I rushed to the English machine and saw that a lot of soldiers were running towards my enemy.
06:15When I arrived I discovered that my assumption had been correct.
06:19I had shot the engine to pieces and both the pilot and observer were severely wounded.
06:25The observer died at once and the pilot, while being transported to the nearest dressing station,
06:31I honored the fallen enemy by placing a stone on his beautiful grave.
06:36When I came home Boelka and my other comrades were already at breakfast.
06:41They were surprised that I had not turned up.
06:44I reported proudly that I had shot down an Englishman.
06:47All were full of joy, for I was not the only victor.
06:51As usual Boelka had shot down an opponent for breakfast, and every one of the other men
06:56also had downed an enemy for the first time.
06:59I would mention that, since that time, no English squadron ventured as far as Cabray as long as
07:05Boelka's squadron was there.
07:0828 October 1916
07:12One day we were flying, once more guided by Boelka, against the enemy.
07:17We always had a wonderful feeling of security when he was with us.
07:21After all, he was the one and only.
07:24The weather was very gusty, and there were many clouds.
07:28There were no aeroplanes about, except fighting ones.
07:31From a long distance we saw two impertinent Englishmen in the air, who actually seemed to
07:36enjoy the terrible weather.
07:38We were six, and they were two.
07:41If they had been twenty, and if Boelka had given us the signal to attack, we should not
07:45have been at all surprised.
07:48The struggle began in the usual way.
07:51Boelka tackled the one, and I the other.
07:53I had to let go, because one of the German machines got in my way.
07:57I looked around and noticed Boelka settling his victim about two hundred yards away from
08:02me.
08:03It was the usual thing.
08:05Boelka would shoot down his enemy, and I had to look on.
08:09Close to Boelka flew a good friend of his.
08:12It was an interesting struggle.
08:14Both men were shooting.
08:15It was probable that the Englishmen would fall at any moment.
08:20Suddenly I noticed an unnatural movement of the two German flying machines.
08:24Immediately I thought, collision.
08:26I had not yet seen a collision in the air.
08:29I had imagined that it would look quite different.
08:32In reality what happened was not a collision.
08:35The two machines merely touched one another.
08:38However, if two machines go at the tremendous pace of flying machines, the slightest contact
08:43has the effect of a violent concussion.
08:46Boelka drew away from his victim and descended in large curves.
08:51He did not seem to be falling, but when I saw him descending below me I noticed that
08:55part of his planes had broken off.
08:58I could not see what happened afterwards, but in the clouds he lost an entire plane.
09:04Now his machine was no longer steerable.
09:07It fell accompanied all the time by Boelka's faithful friend.
09:11When we reached home we found the report, Boelka is dead, had already arrived.
09:16We could scarcely realize it.
09:18The greatest pain was, of course, felt by the man who had the misfortune to be involved
09:23in the accident.
09:25It is a strange thing that everybody who met Boelka imagined that he alone was his true
09:30friend.
09:31I have made the acquaintance of about forty men, each of whom imagined that he alone was Boelka's
09:37intimate.
09:39Each imagined that he had the monopoly of Boelka's affections.
09:43Men whose names were unknown to Boelka believed that he was particularly fond of them.
09:48This is a curious phenomenon which I have never noticed in anyone else.
09:53Boelka had not a personal enemy.
09:55He was equally polite to everybody, making no differences.
09:59The only one who was perhaps more intimate with him than the others was the very man who
10:04had the misfortune to be in the accident which caused his death.
10:10Nothing happens without God's will.
10:12That is the only consolation which any of us can put to our souls during this war.
10:19I have had an experience which might perhaps be described as being shot down.
10:28At the same time I call shot down only when one falls down.
10:33Today I got into trouble, but I escaped with a whole skin.
10:37I was flying with a squadron and noticed an opponent who was also flying in a squadron.
10:42It happened above the German artillery position in the neighborhood of Lenz.
10:46I had to fly quite a distance to get there.
10:48It tickles one's nerves to fly towards the enemy, especially when one can see him from a long
10:54distance and when several minutes must elapse before one can start fighting.
10:59I imagine that at such a moment my face turns a little pale, but unfortunately I have never
11:04had a mirror with me.
11:06I like that feeling for it is a wonderful nerve stimulant.
11:10One observes the enemy from afar.
11:13One has recognized that his squadron is really an enemy formation.
11:18One counts the number of the hostile machines and considers whether the conditions are favorable
11:22or unfavorable.
11:24A factor of enormous importance is whether the wind forces me away from or towards our front.
11:30For instance, I once shot down an Englishman.
11:32I fired the fatal shot above the English position.
11:36However the wind was so strong that his machine came down close to the German captive balloons.
11:42We Germans had five machines.
11:44Our opponents were three times as numerous.
11:47The English flew about like midges.
11:50It is not easy to disperse a swarm of machines which fly together in good order.
11:55It is impossible for a single machine to do it.
11:58It is extremely difficult for several aeroplanes, particularly if the difference in number is
12:03as great as it was in this case.
12:05However, one feels such a superiority over the enemy that one does not doubt of success
12:11for a moment.
12:13The aggressive spirit, the offensive, is the chief thing everywhere in war, and the air is
12:18no exception.
12:19However, the enemy had the same idea.
12:23I noticed that at once.
12:25As soon as they observed us they turned round and attacked us.
12:29Now we five had to look sharp.
12:31If one of them should fall there might be a lot of trouble for all of us.
12:35We went close together and allowed the foreign gentleman to approach us.
12:39I watched whether one of the fellows would hurriedly take leave of his colleagues.
12:44There one of them is stupid enough to depart alone.
12:46I can reach him and I say to myself, that man is lost.
12:51Shouting aloud I am after him.
12:53I have come up to him or at least am getting very near to him.
12:56He starts shooting prematurely, which shows that he is nervous.
13:00So I say to myself, go on shooting.
13:02You won't hit me.
13:04He shot with a kind of ammunition which ignites, so I could see his shots passing me.
13:09I felt as if I were sitting in front of a gigantic watering pot.
13:13The sensation was not pleasant.
13:15Still the English usually shoot with their beastly snuff, and so we must try and get accustomed
13:19to it.
13:20One can get accustomed to anything.
13:22At the moment, I think, I laughed aloud.
13:25But soon I got a lesson.
13:27When I had approached the Englishman quite closely, when I had come to a distance of about three
13:31hundred feet, I got ready for firing, aimed, and gave a few trial shots.
13:36The machine guns were in order.
13:38The decision would be there before long.
13:41In my mind's eye I saw my enemy dropping.
13:45My former excitement was gone.
13:47In such a position one thinks quite calmly and collectedly, and weighs the probabilities
13:52of hitting and of being hit.
13:54Altogether, the fight itself is the least exciting part of the business as a rule.
14:00He who gets excited in fighting is sure to make mistakes.
14:04He will never get his enemy down.
14:06Besides, calmness is, after all, a matter of habit.
14:10At any rate, in this case, I did not make a mistake.
14:14I approached my man up to fifty yards.
14:17Then I fired some well-aimed shots and thought that I was bound to be successful.
14:21That was my idea.
14:23But suddenly I heard a tremendous bang, when I had scarcely fired ten cartridges.
14:28Presently again something hit my machine.
14:31It became clear to me that I had been hit, or rather my machine.
14:35At the same time I noticed a fearful benzene stench, and I observed that the motor was running
14:40slack.
14:41The Englishman noticed it too, for he started shooting with redoubled energy while I had
14:46to stop it.
14:46I went right down.
14:48Instinctively I switched off the engine, and indeed it was high time to do this.
14:54When a pilot's benzene tank has been perforated, and when the infernal liquid is squirting around
14:58his legs, the danger of fire is very great.
15:02In front is an explosive engine of more than one hundred and fifty horsepower, which is red-hot.
15:07If a single drop of benzene should fall on it, the whole machine would be in flames.
15:13I left in the air a thin white cloud.
15:16I knew its meaning for my enemies.
15:18Its appearance is the first sign of a coming explosion.
15:21I was at an altitude of nine thousand feet, and had to travel a long distance to get down.
15:27By the kindness of providence my engine stopped running.
15:31I have no idea with what rapidity I went downward.
15:35At any rate the speed was so great that I could not put my head out of the machine without
15:39being pressed back by the rush of air.
15:42Soon I lost sight of my enemy.
15:44I had only time to see what my four comrades were doing while I was dropping to the ground.
15:50They were still fighting.
15:51Their machine guns and those of their opponents could be heard.
15:55Suddenly I noticed a rocket.
15:57Is it a signal of the enemy?
15:58No, it cannot be.
16:00The light is too great for a rocket.
16:02Evidently a machine is on fire.
16:05What machine?
16:06The burning machine looks exactly as if it were one of our own.
16:09No, praise the Lord, it is one of the enemies.
16:12Who can have shot him down?
16:15Immediately afterwards a second machine drops out and falls perpendicularly to the ground
16:20turning, turning, turning exactly as I did.
16:23But suddenly it recovers its balance.
16:26It flies straight towards me.
16:28It also is an albatross.
16:30No doubt it had the same experience as I had.
16:34I had fallen to an altitude of perhaps one thousand feet and had to look out for a landing.
16:40Now such a sudden landing usually leads to breakages and as these are occasionally serious
16:44it was time to look out.
16:46I found a meadow.
16:48It was not very large but it just sufficed if I used due caution.
16:52Besides, it was favorably situated on the high road near Chenin-Littard.
16:57There I meant to land.
16:59Everything went as desired and my first thought was, what has become of the other fellow?
17:04He landed a few kilometers from the spot where I had come to the ground.
17:09I had ample time to inspect the damage.
17:12My machine had been hit a number of times.
17:15The shot which caused me to give up the fight had gone through both benzene tanks.
17:20I had not a drop of benzene left and the engine itself had also been damaged by shots.
17:25It was a pity for it had worked so well.
17:28I let my legs dangle out of the machine and probably made a very silly face.
17:34In a moment I was surrounded by a large crowd of soldiers.
17:37Then came an officer.
17:39He was quite out of breath.
17:41He was terribly excited.
17:43No doubt something fearful had happened to him.
17:46He rushed towards me, gasped for air, and asked,
17:48"'I hope that nothing has happened to you.
17:50I have followed the whole affair and am terribly excited.
17:53Good Lord, it looked awful!'
17:55I assured him that I felt quite well, jumped down from the side of my machine, and introduced
18:01myself to him.
18:03Of course he did not understand a particle of my name.
18:06However, he invited me to go in his motor-car to Hannan Littard, where he was quartered.
18:11He was an engineer officer.
18:14We were sitting in the motor and were commencing our ride.
18:17My host was still extraordinarily excited.
18:20Suddenly he jumped up and asked,
18:21"'Good Lord, but where is your chauffeur?'
18:24At first I did not quite understand what he meant.
18:28Probably I looked puzzled.
18:30Then it dawned upon me that he thought I was the observer of a two-seater, and that he asked
18:35after the fate of my pilot.
18:37I pulled myself together and said in the driest tones,
18:40"'I always drive myself.'
18:43Of course the word drive is absolutely taboo among the flying men.
18:47An aviator does not dry, he flies.
18:51In the eyes of the kind gentleman I had obviously lost caste when he discovered that I drove my
18:56own aeroplane.
18:58The conversation began to slacken.
19:01We arrived in his quarters.
19:03I was still dressed in my dirty and oily leather jacket and had round my neck a thick wrap.
19:08On our journey he had of course asked me a tremendous number of questions.
19:12Altogether he was far more excited than I was.
19:16When we got to his diggings he forced me to lie down on the sofa, or at least he tried to force me
19:21because, he argued, I was bound to be terribly done up through my fight.
19:25I assured him that this was not my first aerial battle, but he did not apparently give me
19:31much credence.
19:32Probably I did not look very martial.
19:36After we had been talking for some time he asked me, of course, the celebrated question,
19:40"'Have you ever brought down a machine?'
19:43As I said before he had probably not understood my name.
19:47So I answered nonchalantly, "'Oh, yes, I have done so now and then.'
19:52He replied, "'Indeed.
19:53Yes, you have shot down two.'
19:55I answered, "'No, not two, but twenty-four.'
20:00He smiled, repeated his question, and gave me to understand that, when he was speaking
20:04about shooting down an aeroplane, he meant not shooting at an aeroplane, but shooting
20:10into an aeroplane in such a manner that it would fall to the ground and remain there.
20:15I immediately assured him that I entirely shared his conception of the meaning of the words
20:19shooting down.
20:21Now I had completely lost caste with him.
20:24He was convinced that I was a fearful liar.
20:27He left me sitting where I was and told me that a meal would be served in an hour.
20:32If I liked I could join in.
20:34I accepted his invitation and slept soundly for an hour.
20:38Then we went to the officers' club.
20:41Arrived at the club, I was glad to find that I was wearing the André-Pour-le-Maurie.
20:46Unfortunately, I had no uniform jacket underneath my greasy leather, but only a waistcoat.
20:51I apologized for being so badly dressed.
20:55Suddenly my good chief discovered on me the André-Pour-le-Maurie.
21:00He was speechless with surprise, and assured me that he did not know my name.
21:05I gave him my name once more.
21:07Now it seemed to dawn upon him that he had heard my name before.
21:11He feasted me with oysters and champagne, and I did gloriously until at last my orderly
21:16arrived and fetched me with my car.
21:18I learned from him that Comrade Lupert had once more justified his nickname.
21:23He was generally called the Bullet Catcher, for his machine suffered badly in every fight.
21:29Once it was hit sixty-four times, yet he had not been wounded.
21:34This time he had received a glancing shot on the chest, and he was by this time in hospital.
21:39I flew his machine to port.
21:42Unfortunately, this excellent officer, who promised to become another Bulka, died a few weeks
21:47later, a hero's death for the fatherland.
21:51In the evening I could assure my kind host of Lennon Littard that I had increased my bag to twenty-five.
21:57The
21:58Word from the birds that hover, unblinded tail to sun.
22:11Word out of air to range them fair, from hawks that guide the gun.
22:16Your flying shells have failed you, your landward guns are dumb.
22:23Since earth hath not availed you, these skies be open, come.
22:29Where, wild to meet and mate you, flame in their beaks for breath.
22:34Black doves, the white hawks wait you on the wind-tossed boughs of death.
22:40Gilbert Franco.
22:42Gilbert Franco.
23:10You have just heard excerpts from the diary of the Red Baron.
23:19The flying aces of the First World War sometimes presented their aerial combats as a gentleman's sport.
23:40Murphy and the bunch to meet him. And if Hiney sticks, he'll know he's been in some fight.
23:46Murphy's crippled. He's coming down.
23:48No! He's up again! That's the boy! Give it to him!
23:52Hooray! He set him afire! One, two, three of them!
23:58Look out! Undercover quick! They're dropping bombs on us!
24:01Ha ha ha ha ha! A mission as good as I'm mine!
24:10It's all over! Rich is beating it! That makes 15 the boys' bag today!
24:15Hooray!
24:17There's Murphy again! He's landing!
24:24Come on, boys! Give him a lift! Get that belt off there! Are you hurt, Murphy?
24:29Ha ha! Don't make me laugh, man! Who the devil can hurt me?
24:32But you're wounded, Murph!
24:34Sure is only a scratch! And scratches don't count when you're working for Uncle Sam!
24:41Ha ha! That's the spirit! Hooray!
24:45We willed it not!
24:46Wake up, England!
24:47We willed it not!
24:48Wake up, England!
24:52Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori!
24:53Wake up, England!
24:54Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori!
24:55Wake up, England!
24:56Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori!
24:57Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori!
25:01We willed it not!
25:02We willed it not!
25:04Wake up, England!
25:07Wake up, England!
25:10Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori!
25:27This is HistoryRadio.org, a free educational radio stream, remembering the First World War!
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