Von Richthofen's Combat Reports

Below are the combat reports made by Von Richthofen concerning his victories over the Sopwith Camel. Von Richthofen flew the Fokker Dr.1 on all of these nine victories:  152/17 (Werke No.1864) described as having red upper wings, cowling, wheel covers, tail, rear fuselage, and struts. The rudder was painted white and the edges of the crosses were white also.  477/17 (Werke No.2103) described as having a red cowling, upper decking, wheel covers, and tail.  127/17 (Werke No.1838) described as having red tail, wheel covers, hood, and upper decking, tail cross with white border, wing crosses on white fields.  He flew 425/17 (Werke No.2009) on the 20th April 1918. It was painted red on the top deck of the fuselage, on the sides of the fuselage, on the upper surfaces of the wings, struts, wheel covers, and tail. The rudder was painted white. The Patee crosses had been over painted with the newer Balken crosses. The wing and fuselage undersurfaces were painted in a turquoise colour. This aircraft was powered by a 110 hp Oberursel engine, No. 2478, and it first flew on January 8th 1918. It was the aircraft in which the Baron met his fate on 21st April 1918.

13th March 1918		Victory No.65
		1035 hrs, between Gonnelieu and Banteux, in square 1853. Sopwith Camel, Englishman, wounded
I started with Jasta 11 and fought later on with two Staffels of my group against 20 to 30 Englishmen (DH4s, SE5s and Sopwith Camels). I forced down a DH4 from 4,000 to 2,000 metres. My opponent glided down in the direction of Caudry with only very slowly working engine. The fight took place quite a distance behind our lines. The Englishman landed south of Le Terriere in square 2256. Harassed by Albatroses of another Staffel, I let my doomed adversary off, climbed to 3,200 metres, where I fought with several Sopwith Camels.  In this moment I saw an Englishman attacking one of my Staffel's planes. I followed him, approached to within 20 metres, and put holes through his benzine tank. Apparently I had hit the pilot, as the machine dived and plunged to the ground. The Englishman tried to land in the fighting area near Gonnelieu but smashed his machine just behind our lines.

18th March 1918		Victory No.66
		1115 hrs. Above the Molan-Vaux-Andigny road. Sopwith Camel B5243. Engine: Clerget 35751. Canadian, made prisoner.
I started with 30 planes of my Geschwader and flew to the Front, commanding all three Staffeln at 5,300 metres. Just as we were approaching the Front, I saw several English squadrons crossing our lines and flying in the direction of Le Cateau. The first squadron we came across was approximately at 5,500 metres altitude, and together with Leutnant Gussman, Jasta 11, I shot down the last opponent, a Bristol fighter. He lost his wings and Leutnant Gussman brought him down.  Thereupon I took my 30 planes in hand, climbed to 5,300 metres and pursued two enemy squadrons which had made their way right through to Le Cateau. I attacked just when the enemy tried to fly aside and retreat. The enemy machine flying nearest to me, apparently a Breguet or a Bristol Fighter, was fired upon by me and Leutnant Lowenhardt of Jasta 10. The tank was shot to pieces and I observed how the aircraft crashed straight down. Leutnant Lowenhardt brought it down.  Then I attacked from the centre of two English one-seater squadrons a plane flying pennants, and forced it to land near Molain.

25th March 1918		Victory No.68
		1555 hrs, above Bapaume-Albert road, near Contalmaison. Sopwith 1; burnt. Englishman (Beginner).
With 5 planes of Jasta 11, I attacked several low-flying English one-seaters north-east of Albert. I approached to within 50 metres behind one of the Englishmen and shot him down in flames with a few shots.  The burning machine crashed between Contalmaison and Albert, and continued to burn on the ground. The bomb it apparently carried,, exploded a few minutes later.

27th March 1918		Victory No.71
		0900 hrs. Ancre, one l kilometre north of Aveluy, north of Albert. Sopwtih - 1, burned; Englishman.
With five machines of Jasta 11, I attacked at low height an English one-seater plane and brought him down from a very close range, with 150 bullets. The plane fell into the flooded part of the Ancre.

6th April 1918		Victory No.76
		1545 hrs, north-east of Villers-Bretonneux, near east edge of Bois de Hamel. Sopwtih Camel, burned; Englishman
With five of my planes of Jasta 11, we attacked several enemy one-seaters at low altitude, flying north-east of Villers-Bretonneux. The English plane which I attacked started to burn after only a few shots from my guns. The it crashed burning near the little wood north-east of Villers-Bretonneux, where it continued burning on the ground.

7th April 1918		Victory No.77
		1130 hrs, near Hangard. SE5; broke up in the air; Englishman. (actually a 73 Squadron Camel)
With four machines of Jasta 11,, I attacked several "SE5's" near Hangard. I shot at an enemy plane some 200 metres away. After I had fired 100 shots, he enemy plane broke apart. The remnants came down near Hangard.

7th April 1918		Victory No.78
		1205 hrs, 500 metres east of Hill 104, north of Villers-Bretonneux. Spad, fell down: Englishman. (actually a 73 Squadron Camel)
I was observing and noted that a Kette of German planes pursuing an English plane was being attacked from the rear. I dashed to their aid and attacked an English plane. After putting myself behind him several times, the adversary fell. The plane crashed into the ground and I saw that it smashed to pieces. This happened 500 metres east of Hill 104.

20th April 1918		Victory No. 79
		1840 hrs, south-west of Bois de Hamel. Sopwith Camel, burned, Englishman.
With six planes of Jasta 11, I attacked (a) large enemy squadron. During the fight I observed that a Triplane was attacked and shot at from below by a Camel. I put myself behind the adversary and brought him down, burning, with only a few shots. The enemy plane crashed down near the forest of Hamel where it burned further on the ground.

20th April 1918		Victory No. 80
		1843 hrs, north-east of Villers-Bretonneux. Sopwith Camel, burned: Englishman.
Three minutes after I had brought down the first machine, I attacked a second Camel of the same enemy squadron. The adversary dived, caught his machine and repeated this manoeuvre several times. I approached him as near as possible when fighting and fired 50 bullets until the machine began to burn. The body of the machine was burned in the air, the remnants dashed to the ground, north-east of Villers-Bretonneux