It Was An Aussie That Shot Down von Ricthoften!

[Karl/Pa.]

Just finished watching a PBS documentary on "Who Shot Down von Ricthoften?" It was well done and apparently well researched. A known was that he died from a single .303 bullet that entered just under the right armpit and exited and inch below the left nipple. The slug was found inside his clothing during autopsy.

von Ricthoften had violated his own rules when he chased a Brit recruit pilot down to ground level alone and over enemy territory. Forensic examiners today have stated that von Ricthoften would have had about 20 seconds of consiosness before blacking out. This is critical. Witnesses stated that the Fokker was in a shallow dive and suddenly nosed up and then descended to the ground in a hard landing. Aircraft experts agreed that there is no way a Fokker triplane can land itself. It would have nosed over straight into the ground. This leaves only one possibility. Ricthoften himself landed the plane during his final 20 second period of life. This is supported by the report of the first soldier to reach the plane who stated that the pilot spoke to him in german and then died.

There were three possibilities based on official reports. Traditionally, a Canadian, a Captain Brown was creditied with the kill but several eyewitnesses on the ground have disputed this for many years, and until his death, Brown refused to talk about it or answer any direct questions.

According to witnesses, by the time Brown came over the ridge the Fokker had already been hit. A Brit Lewis gun crew was firing head on to the red Fokker as it chased the Camel. But off to one side was an Aussie Vickers gun also firing, and it was this gun that is now credited with the kill. The gunner was a Cedric Hopkins.

[Woftam]

Ah,

nice to see the rest of the world catching up with history. We aussies have always known we were responsible for the demise of the Red Baron.

In all seriousness though, I think it will never be proved conclusively one way or another. Another scenario is a lucky one off shot by a rifleman - this has been claimed in Australia, but sounds far fetched, but not impossible.

http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/comment/richt.htm