On principle I won't see it, of course.
In case I've given the wrong impression, let me state that anyone who takes to the skies in a war is by definition heroic and brave. I have never suggested that Richthofen was not brave, and probably a very capable dogfighter and marksman. What I object strenuously to is his portrayal as 1) the greatest ace of all; 2) a "chivalrous" foe; 3) a great leader.
1) As I have mentioned before, Richtofen rarely ventured out of the protection of his "Circus." Its purpose, other than to shoot down enemy planes of course, was to shield him until he was ready to dive to attack and then hi-tail it back into the fold. On the three known times he went out without his protectors he was shot down (including the last time, when he was killed). The German system was to create and maintain several legends of Prussian valor. They did much the same in WWII (albeit men like Hartman and Barkhorn were the genuine article), and it was a bad idea as when they were, almost all of them, inevitably killed, the effect on morale was terrible.
It got so bad that R (for short) was often awarded victories actually won by unknowns in his Jagdstaffel. In addition, at least 15, and possibly as many as 20 of his claimed victories were never confirmed by German HQ. But who was going to contradict the Red Baron, or, worse, accuse him of being a fake? A really significant book detailing the R myths is The Years of the Sky Kings, by Arch Whitehouse. Whitehouse was a pilot himself on the Western Front, flying fighters and 2-seater observation planes, and one of Richtofen's claimed victories. R's combat report describes in great detail how he had shot W's plane down in flames, when W actually landed due to engine trouble.
Most of R's actual victories were against lumbering, often obsolete, and virtually defenseless observation planes, not equal fighters like the Camel and SE5a.
Remember, too, that the British and French (and from 1918, American) planes flew continually over German lines; bombing, strafing and taking photos of army buildups. The Germans did this much less often. And the prevailing wind is westerly, meaning that the returning Allied planes had to battle against a headwind on the way home, resulting in a true groundspeed often as low as 40 or 50 mph and giving the Germans ample time to intercept. When the Germans made one of their rare forays into Allied territory, they could hit and then scoot back with the wind giving them a nice push.
2) Chivalrous my foot. He glorified in killing, and certainly never gave an opponent a break. His home was decorated with pieces removed from crashed planes that he had shot down, or claimed to have. He did not, ever, venture over Allied lines daring somone to come up and duel one-on-one. And if an opponent ran out of ammunition, there was no question of the Hollywood salute and on your way, fellow, good luck etc.
3) He was also a rotten leader. Apart from grabbing credit for someone else's victories, he had no time for shepherding new pilots and showing them how to be successful, or even, like many Allied leaders did, actually giving them a victory to give them confidence. An arrogant braggart and bully, all ME ME ME. As Whitehoulse relates, from his conversations after the war with R's contemporaries, on one occasion when a formation of British planes was overhead, he yelled at a rookie pilot "GO UP THERE AND BE KILLED," which the rookie promptly did.
Germany had many real aces, like Immelmann, Udet, Voss and, even, old Fat Herman Goering himself, and these were generally good leaders. But it is Richtofen that the public, over here and over there, insists on giving the accolades to.
P.S. Richtofen's Fokker Triplane was a dead copy of the Sopwith Triplane. I'll bet Goering wished they could have copied the Mosquito in WWII.
And that's all I have to say about that. I have to go and play table tennis.
Nick, I'm saying that with the greatest of respect for you, having read your previous postings on the subject.
