THE RED BATTLE FLYER [Illustration: CAPTAIN BARON VON RICHTHOFEN] THE RED BATTLE FLYER BY Captain Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen Translated by T. Ellis Barker, with a preface and notes by C. G. Grey, editor of "The Aeroplane" NEW YORK Robert M. McBride & Co. 1918 Translation Copyright 1918 By ROBERT M. McBRIDE & COMPANY _Printed in the United States of America._ Published July, 1918 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE PREFACE 1 I. MY FAMILY 19 II. THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR 29 III. BOREDOM BEFORE VERDUN 52 IV. IN THE AIR 57 V. MY FIRST SOLO FLIGHT 82 VI. I FLY IN A THUNDERSTORM 92 VII. BOMBING IN RUSSIA 98 VIII. MY FIRST ENGLISH VICTIM 109 IX. I GET THE ORDRE POUR LE MÉRITE 127 X. A FLYING MAN'S ADVENTURE 145 XI. MY RECORD DAY 154 XII. SCHÄFER LANDS BETWEEN THE LINES 168 XIII. MY BROTHER 196 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE CAPTAIN BARON VON RICHTHOFEN _Frontispiece_ THE FAMOUS RICHTHOFEN "CIRCUS" 64 THE FORTIETH RICHTHOFEN VICTIM 128 LIEUT. SCHÄFER SPEAKING WITH ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE SQUADRON 194 CAPTAIN RICHTHOFEN WITH HIS MASCOT DOG "MORITZ" 194 PREFACE SOME time ago a Naval Officer who was engaged on particularly hazardous duty was discussing calmly the chances that he and his like had of surviving the war, assuming that it continued for several more years and that his particular branch of it increased its intensity. He wound up his remarks by saying, "The chief reason why I particularly want to survive the finish is that I'm so keen on comparing notes with our opposite members in the German Navy." That is the answer to those who ask, as an important official gentleman asked recently, why this English translation of Rittmeister von Richthofen's book should be published. It gives our flying people an opportunity of comparing notes with one of Germany's star-turn fighting pilots, just as that excellent book by "Contact" gives the Germans the chance of gathering the atmosphere of the Royal Flying Corps as it was in 1916 and 1917.