Photo: via Alex Imrie

HISTORY

On 30 October 1917, he crashed one of the early production examples of the Dr.I that had reached Jasta 11 just recently. He walked away from this incident without injury.

Photo: author's collection

425/17 flown by Rtm. Manfred A. Freiherr von Richthofen, CO of JG 1, Lechelle,

France, March 1918

Von Richthofen had his aircraft painted red since January 1917, when he flew an

Albatros D.III, which he called “Le Petit Rouge”. He continued this practice after

switching to Fokker Dr. I, which he used as commander of Jagdgeschwader

1. The famous Dr.I 425/17 was probably painted red at the factory. The quality

of the paintwork is evident in the photographs and would be hardly achieved

at the combat unit level. The area under the cockpit on the left side bore

significant scuffs.

May 2023

Lothar (left) and Manfred von Richthofen show off their “Pour le Mérite”

in front of one of Jasta 11´s Fokker Dr.Is, likely in the spring of 1918.

INFO Eduard

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