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Last day over the
front
An ace's
Fokker D7.
By : Deborah Susan Jones : Editor
Manfred
was already the darling of the propagandists, a folk hero, when his
younger brother entered the fray. Bold, where his brother was
calculating; impetuous, sometimes unpredictable - fiercely competitive;
Lothar badly wanted to prove his worth as quickly as he could and, if
possible, match Manfred's victory tally...... score for score.
Back then, heroes, (and
men of lesser stature), were expected to maintain a front of
initiative, drive, and fortitude at all times. They were expected to
suffer and endure, in silence and with stoic dignity, their physical
and emotional injuries. Lothar had been bred to this tradition. He
seems to have been a less "concentrated" edition of Manfred; World War
One's highest-scoring Ace, and Germany's most decorated aviator. To
boot, a keen and interested - (indeed passionate) - pioneer and
developer of early German fighter aviation . . . . . a bold leader and
a skilled air tactician.
More of a "shooter" than
a "hunter" - (Manfred's passion was the hunt) - Lothar was at first
considered to be almost too hasty to the kill; too impulsive. But by
the time he was forced to retire from combat due to severe wounds,
August 13, 1918, he had 40 confirmed victories to his credit, and had
long-since achieved "ACE" status.
He
survived the Great War to die, July 1922, in a civilian aeroplane crash.
It
was sheer determination which carried him through initial wartime
service in the cavalry; followed by combat flights as an observer at
Kasta 23. Like his brother before him, he grew increasingly impatient
flying simply as an observer. Real life, real adventure, real action,
was to be found at the controls of a single-seater fighter/scout. So,
pilot- training was almost an inevitability, and from there, unusually,
and perhaps for propaganda purposes, Lothar was transferred to Jasta
11, Manfred's justifiably celebrated Staffel - and a highly desirable
posting.
He
obviously had a sort of innate flair for the type of relentless action
into which he was plunged; seeming to realize instinctively when the
elements of drama were in the offing...... and quickly began to prove
his worth by scoring 10 victories within two weeks of his arrival.
FULL TILT TO THE
DOGFIGHT/POSTHASTE TO VENGEANCE
Tuesday, 13 August 1918
Lothar von Richtofen, intent on carrying-out his flying duties, if for
no other reason than to try and dispel his superstitious misgivings
about "unlucky 13," took off at about midday, leading 5 members of his
Staffel over the lines to engage as many enemy Englishmen as possible
and preferably send them down in flames, or into endless oblivion.
Peter has depicted Lothar heading towards these "Lords," as he called
them, before he spotted - and settled upon a likely 2-seater target.
Third time unlucky still? Or third time lucky? Three times quite
seriously wounded on the 13th day of the month, he did, at least,
survive the Great War, if not the dubious "peacetime" interlude
afterwards, before The world once more resorted to working- out its
problems by force.
Deborah Susan Jones : Editor
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