That MvR was not good at landing is a fair bit of exaggeration, IMO. That's not aimed at you, Chock, that's an across-the-board observation.
Often this is bandied about based on MvR's pranged landing during his first solo as a student pilot--my first solo landing in a Cessna was no greaser, and I had formal instruction. I'm glad that nobody has discounted the thousands of good landings I've had since then and judged my piloting skills based on my student pilot "ability." Rife are the airman who have pranged airplanes as students and went on to become excellent pilots. Frankly, even though student pilot mishaps are common, I question Zeumer's ability as an instructor, and from what Richthofen wrote he instilled zero confidence in his student just prior to MvR's solo. In early April 1916, while MvR was still flying two-seaters (one of which was the tricky LFG Roland C.II, which had a notorious landing reputation, although there is zero indication MvR ever had any trouble with them) Zeumer wrote that Richthofen "already knew much more than his former teacher." This after MvR had been a pilot less than four months.
The other barometer of Richthofen's landing ability is his autobiography, in which he wrote that after his first victory as fighter pilot he was "so excited that I landed also, and my eagerness was so great that I nearly smashed up my machine." This from the translated
Red Air Fighter. Yet the 1917 German
Der Rote Kampfflieger says nothing about "nearly smashing" his Albatros, just that he almost went over on his nose ("
auf den kopf"). Almost = close, but did not. This during an impromtu adrenaline-laden landing at a strange field after his first victory in a plane type more maneuverable and light on the controls than any he had flown during the previous nine months and likely had landed, at most, once or twice, ever.
MvR never landed on a tent hangar (Andrews), never taxiied into a tent hangar after landing (
LvR), never stalled/spun/crashed his airplane and was imprisoned as a result (Udet), etc. Are these incidents barometers of the abilities of these men, who were pilots and not students at the time? Not that I've ever seen.
And speaking of Udet, in 1929 he discussed that while flying with MvR he suddenly noted him turn back for the lines and descend. "All at once he [MvR] turned sharply into the wind, banked, dropped, straightened out and disappeared from view behind a low ridge. When I got over him, I found that he had made a perfect landing on a 20 meter long bit of level ground. It was the only landing possibility within an area of more than a square mile and so small at that, that only a miracle-man could have successfully negotiated it." Richthofen's skills had obviously increased since his first student pilot solo.
The forced landing Udet mentioned had been caused by a damaged prop. After repairs, MvR "ordered a group [of] men to hold on to each wing until given the signal to let go. Then he started his motor and gave it every drop of gas it would take. With a nod from Richthofen, the soldiers released their hold. The triplane let out a roar and literally leaped perpendicularly into the air after a run of not more than five meters. I doubt if any aviator from that day to this had ever made a more brilliant landing or a more extraordinary take-off." That last sentence is opinion, but from a man who knew a thing or two about flying. (Udet doesn't say but I'll opine there was a fair bit of wind to assist both landing and takeoff.)
As far as what Ginger wrote, sure it counts that that's how McCudden felt. Interesting McCudden fought MvR and Voss--although when he fought MvR McCudden was too busy spinning away to notice much about MvR's fighting, other than he couldn't shake him. 1/2
