Germany has also lost her most aggressive aviator, Captain Baron
von Richthofen, who commanded the most efficient of the German air
squadrons. He was killed just after bringing down his eightieth
machine. He was shot down in an aerial combat near Sailly-le-Sec on the
Somme. With his "flying circus" of more than twenty followers, Captain
von Richthofen flew toward the British lines about noon on April 20.
Here they met two British airplanes, and von Richthofen separated
himself from his followers and started on a furious pursuit of these
machines. Meanwhile a score of other British planes came swirling up
and engaged the Germans. The Captain kept after his man and attempted
to outmanoeuvre him. The British plane, which was accompanying the one
under attack, got above the German. The three machines raced toward
the British lines, their machine guns chattering like mad. They kept
getting lower, until at last, when they were about fifty yards back of
the British trenches, they were only a few hundred feet high. Meanwhile
the other German machines were fighting the British squadron more than
three miles away.
Machine guns and rifles on the ground came into action against Captain
von Richthofen, who was also being fired at by at least one of his
adversaries in the air. Suddenly his machine turned its nose downward
and crashed to the earth. Examination later showed that the German
pilot had a bullet through his heart. Von Richthofen was apparently
killed while trying to break through the British aerial defenses in the
Ancre region in order that enemy reconnoissance machines might cross
the lines to make observations on the defenses. A document captured
by the British revealed the reason for his presence there. It was a
communication from the "group commander of aviation" to the First
Pursuit Squadron, of which von Richthofen's eleventh pursuit flight was
part, saying: "It is not possible to fly over the Ancre in a westerly
direction on account of strong enemy opposition. I request that this
aerial barrage be forced to break in order that a reconnoissance up
to the line of Marieux-Puchevillers (ten miles from the front) may be
carried out."
Richthofen was buried with military honors behind the British lines.
A large number of British fighting men and aviation officers, as well
as Americans stationed at a neighboring airdrome, were in attendance.
Mechanics of an aviation squadron had constructed a coffin, on which
they placed a plate giving the aviator's name, rank, and other data.
The body was carried on a motor car, with which marched a firing
squad many officers and men. Six British air service officers acted
as pallbearers. As the procession moved to the burial place, scores of
busy aviation mechanics paused and stood at attention as a tribute to
the dead aviator. The Baron was buried under a hemlock tree, and the
squad fired the last shots across the grave.