WAR

The F.E.8, for example, was a single-seat pusher that came to France six
months after the D.H.2. It might have made a good showing against the Eindecker,
but it was helpless against the Albatros. At the beginning of March 1917
five Albatros D Ill's of Jasta 11, led by Manfred von Richthofen, nearly wiped
out No. 40 Squadron RFC, shooting down an entire patrol of nine F.E.8's
without loss to themselves.
On March 24, 1917, von Richthofen shot down his first Spad. After a
lengthy round of sparring, he worked into position and shot the Spad's motor
into junk. The pilot tried to make the British lines but von Richthofen fired a
warning burst over his head and he turned back to land inside the German lines.
Having been brought down by the Rittmeister he was lucky to be a prisoner.
On April 29, 1917, three Spad 7's of No. 19 Squadron RFC, plus six Sopwith
Triplanes, attacked a flight of eleven Albatros D Ill's, five of which belonged
to Jasta 11 led by von Richthofen. In the ensuing scrap one Albatros was destroyed,
two were damaged and all three Spads were shot down. One of the
Spad pilots was the leader of No. 19 Squadron, Major H. D. Harvey-Kelly. On
August 12, 1914, Harvey-Kelly, then a Lieutenant of No. 2 Squadron, had been
the first pilot to land in France on the occasion of the RFC fly-over.
in april 1917 the United States entered the war. It made little difference at the
time; April 1917 is not known as "the Month the United States Entered the War."
The war went on as it had been going. RFC losses continued on the increase. In
April the climax was reached and the situation became truly desperate. That
month is known with bitter simplicity as "Bloody April."
on april 2, 1917, the effective strength of Jasta 11 was eight men: Baron von
Richthofen and his younger brother Lothar, Leutnants Krefft, Kleinhenz, Wolff,
Allmenroder and Schaefer, and Vizefeldwebel Festner. At one time or another
during that day all of them were up. They scored five victories, Manfred von
Richthofen being credited with two of them.
The Flugmeldedienst reported a flight of British two-seaters very early in the
morning. Lothar von Richthofen, Wolff and Allmenroder—all of whom were
to win the Pour le Merite—took off to intercept. As they flew away from the
aerodrome, Lothar, looking back, could see his brother's red Albatros parked in
front of its hangar. The three pilots found the six British machines and attacked
them, but the engagement was inconclusive and they returned to the field after
about an hour. As they approached, Lothar could see his brother's red machine
still sitting in front of the hangar.
Landing, Lothar asked where his brother was, and was told he had gone
back to bed. Gone back to bed It was true, Manfred had been in bed when the
first flight left, had been awakened when more British planes had been spotted,
had taken off, shot one down, returned, and gone back to bed.
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