Richtofen wounded

[Zif]

I would like to know more about the wound that Richthofen received on his head in July 1917. He wrote about it "..I saw the gunner of the plane (gunbus) starting to shoot at such a distance that it was impossible to hit, I just let him fire (....) suddendly something strike me in the head..(...)"

what kind of injury he received and (on your opinion) how much did it influenced his "morale" ?

According to the original report on file he was hit in the back of the head slightly towards the left side. It was called a "Prellschuß". There was also a diagramatic sketch that showed the wound location. A.E. Ferko raised the question that he might have been hit by one of his own flight members who was clearing his guns.

Aviatik

[Richard_Schrader]

According to the medical exam he was hit from behind. The pictures of his flight helmet confirm this. One of his pilots got a little over eager and shot his CO down.

Richard

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Richard:
I disagree. The formation most commonly used was a "V". With that type of formation, there is no one behind the leader. The others were echelon right or left, and this was stepped up, withn the leader at the bottom, and the last line abreast, with the leader generally in the center.
The photos show the wound near the top of the head. Friendly fire , I doubt it! MvR changed after this event, a little of the "Tiger Blood" left him. I don't think he ever really recovered from this wounding.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[Richard_Schrader]

Dan San;
Take a good look at the flight helment he was wearing. It sure looks to me like the wound came from the rear. It could be that the helmet was while first aid was been applied. but I doubt it.
According to Kilduff {sp} the medical report of the wound says it came from the rear.
I agree that he was never the same after the wounding. He should have been grounded. I hope you have blue skies!

Richard

I don't think anyone who has not read the Baroness's book knows how bad Manfred was injured,and how way to soon he came back
to his unit.And yes he should have been grounded .
And Lothar also should have been grounded after his eye
injury.But something made these two carry on to the end
sacrificing for there flight mates.I salute these two heros!

[Testerchild]

Hi All,

With all MvR's men being hand-picked, is it really even remotely likely that one of them would open fire with his leader's aircraft in his sights? I still put it down to his opponents from 20 squadron, as did MvR himself. 20 Squadron were flying Royal Aircraft Factory FE2d's by the way, not 'Gunbuses' (which were Vickers).

Cheers,

Testerchild

[Richard_Schrader]

Tester;
Richthofen knew who the Jasta pilot was that shot him. He kept quite because it was one of his best friends.
The Baron was facing the Fee there's no way the the bullet could come from the front. Besides, the distance was too far.

Richard

[Graeme]

According to Gibbons in The Red Knight of Germany (p 312), when the Albatrosses and the Fees met, Wolff opened fire even before Woodbridge. Wolff was flying below MvR (and presumably behind if MvR was at the head of the formation) so to have seen who was firing, MvR would have had to turn his head to look behind him.

Even though Woodbridge opened fire at 300 yards, the closing speed of the two machines was around 200 mph. It would have taken little more than 3 seconds for the aircraft to meet.

The Lewis gun could fire at 550 rounds per minute, so in 3 seconds 27 bullets would have been fired by Woodbridge's gun. Provided he kept his sights on MvR's machine, it is conceivable that one of these bullets hit its intended target.

Because MvR's looking over his shoulder, the damage to his flying helmet makes it appear that the bullet was fired from behind.

A case of unfriendly fire, I believe.

Graeme

[Richard_Schrader]

Graeme;
No one besides Linda Blair can turn their head that far around. Two airplanes moving at the distance the Baron was hit would had to have been a one and a million hit.
You Brits will just have to admit you didn't get him that day.

Richard