Von Richthofen’s former enemies held the ace in high esteem.
Nearby Allied squadrons sent memorial
wreaths, one of which was inscribed with, “To Our Gallant and
Worthy Foe.”
The death of Baron Manfred von Richthofen represented a seminal moment in the First World War. The details remain controversial even today. The chin wound seen in this post-mortem photograph stemmed from striking the butt of one of his Maxim guns when he crashed his Fokker Dr.I triplane.
The bullet was of .303-caliber and weighed 174 grains. It entered the man’s chest underneath his right armpit, shattering the ninth rib. The projectile then yawed and tumbled through the right lung, shredding the associated pulmonary vasculature. The bullet subsequently tore through the anterior aspect of the heart and great vessels before exiting lateral the left nipple. Given the catastrophic damage, the man’s blood pressure dropped precipitously. He was unconscious in seconds and dead within a minute.
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