Red Baron's Kills

Manfred von Richthofen, German fighter pilot during the First World War (circa 1915). Imagno / Getty Images

Flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, more commonly known as the Red Baron, was not only one of the best pilots of World War I: he has become an icon of the war itself.

Credited with shooting down 80 enemy aircraft, the Red Baron owned the skies. His bright red airplane (a very unusual and ostentatious color for a fighting plane) brought both respect and fear. To the Germans, Richthofen was known as "the Red Battle Flier" and his exploits brought the German people courage as well as increased morale during the bloody years of the war.

Although the Red Baron survived for much longer than most fighter pilots during World War I, he eventually met their same fate. On April 21, 1918, the day after his 80th kill, the Red Baron once again got into his red airplane and went searching for the enemy. Unfortunately, this time, it was the Red Baron who was shot down.

Below is a list of the Red Baron's kills. Some of these aircraft held one and others held two people. Not all of the crew members were killed when their airplanes crashed.

No.

Date

Type of Aircraft

Location

1

Sept. 17, 1916

FE 2b

near Cambrai

2

Sept. 23, 1916

Martinsyde G 100

Somme River

3

Sept. 30, 1916

FE 2b

Fremicourt

4

Oct. 7, 1916

BE 12

Equancourt

5

Oct. 10, 1916

BE 12

Ypres

6

Oct. 16, 1916

BE 12

near Ypres

7

Nov. 3, 1916

FE 2b

Loupart Wood

8

Nov. 9, 1916

Be 2c

Beugny

9

Nov. 20, 1916

BE 12

Geudecourt

10

Nov. 20, 1916

FE 2b

Geudecourt

11

Nov. 23, 1916

DH 2

Bapaume

12

Dec. 11, 1916

DH 2

Mercatel

13

Dec. 20, 1916

DH 2

Moncy-le-Preux

14

Dec. 20, 1916

FE 2b

Moreuil

15

Dec. 27, 1916

FE 2b

Ficheux

16

Jan. 4, 1917

Sopwith Pup

Metz-en-Coutre

17

Jan. 23, 1917

FE 8

Lens

18

Jan. 24, 1917

FE 2b

Vitry

19

Feb. 1, 1917

BE 2e

Thelus

20

Feb. 14, 1917

BE 2d

Loos

21

Feb. 14, 1917

BE 2d

Mazingarbe

22

Mar. 4, 1917

Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter

Acheville

23

Mar. 4, 1917

BE 2d

Loos

24

Mar. 3, 1917

BE 2c

Souchez

25

Mar. 9, 1917

DH 2

Bailleul

26

Mar. 11, 1917

BE 2d

Vimy

27

Mar. 17, 1917

FE 2b

Oppy

28

Mar. 17, 1917

BE 2c

Vimy

29

Mar. 21, 1917

BE 2c

La Neuville

30

Mar. 24, 1917

Spad VII

Givenchy

31

Mar. 25, 1917

Nieuport 17

Tilloy

32

April 2, 1917

BE 2d

Farbus

33

April 2, 1917

Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter

Givenchy

34

April 3, 1917

FE 2d

Lens

35

April 5, 1917

Bristol Fighter F 2a

Lembras

36

April 5, 1917

Bristol Fighter F 2a

Quincy

37

April 7, 1917

Nieuport 17

Mercatel

38

April 8, 1917

Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter

Farbus
39 April 8, 1917

BE 2e

Vimy

40

April 11, 1917

BE 2c

Willerval

41

April 13, 1917

RE 8

Vitry
42 April 13, 1917

FE 2b

Monchy

43

April 13, 1917

FE 2b

Henin
44

April 14, 1917

Nieuport 17

Bois Bernard

45

April 16, 1917

BE 2c

Bailleul

46

April 22, 1917

FE 2b

Lagnicourt

47

April 23, 1917

BE 2e

Mericourt

48

April 28, 1917

BE 2e

Pelves

49

April 29, 1917

Spad VII

Lecluse

50

April 29, 1917

FE 2b

Inchy

51

April 29, 1917

BE 2d

Roeux

52

April 29, 1917

Nieuport 17

Billy-Montigny

53

June 18, 1917

RE 8

Strugwe

54

June 23, 1917

Spad VII

Ypres

55

June 26, 1917

RE 8

Keilbergmelen

56

June 25, 1917

RE 8

Le Bizet

57

July 2, 1917

RE 8

Deulemont

58

Aug. 16, 1917

Nieuport 17

Houthulster Wald

59

Aug. 26, 1917

Spad VII

Poelcapelle

60

Sept. 2, 1917

RE 8

Zonebeke

61

Sept. 3, 1917

Sopwith Pup

Bousbecque

62

Nov. 23, 1917

DH 5

Bourlon Wood

63

Nov. 30, 1917

SE 5a

Moevres

64

Mar. 12, 1918

Bristol Fighter F 2b

Nauroy

65

Mar. 13, 1918

Sopwith Camel

Gonnelieu

66

Mar. 18, 1918

Sopwith Camel

Andigny

67

Mar. 24, 1918

SE 5a

Combles

68

Mar. 25, 1918

Sopwith Camel

Contalmaison

69

Mar. 26, 1918

Sopwith Camel

Contalmaison

70

Mar. 26, 1918

RE 8

Albert

71

Mar. 27, 1918

Sopwith Camel

Aveluy

72

Mar. 27, 1918

Bristol Fighter F 2b

Foucacourt

73

Mar. 27, 1918

Bristol Fighter F 2b

Chuignolles

74

Mar. 28, 1918

Armstrong Whitworth FK 8

Mericourt

75

April 2, 1918

FE 8

Moreuil

76

April 6, 1918

Sopwith Camel

Villers-Bretonneux

77

April 7, 1918

SE 5a

Hangard

78

April 7, 1918

Spad VII

Villers-Bretonneux

79

April 20, 1918

Sopwith Camel

Bois-de-Hamel

80

April 20, 1918

Sopwith Camel

Villers-Bretonneux
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Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Red Baron's Kills." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/red-barons-kills-1779886. Rosenberg, Jennifer. (2023, April 5). Red Baron's Kills. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/red-barons-kills-1779886 Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Red Baron's Kills." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/red-barons-kills-1779886 (accessed March 19, 2024).