July 1, 1917
MvR calls Bodenschatz
‘At the end of June 1917, an orderly burst excitedly into the soup that had just been placed on the table for the gentlemen of the Boelcke hunting squadron in a...
Source
Bodenschatz - Jagd in Flanderns Himmel
Jagd in Flanderns Himmel, Karl Bodenschatz, Verlag Knorr & Hirth München, 1935
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Related Events
July 2, 1917
Bodenschatz arrives in Markebeke
‘The next morning at the crack of dawn, a field grey car left Cambrai in the direction of Kortryk and around noon that day, 2 July 1917, the new adjutant of Fig...
June 26, 1917
The order to assemble Jagdgeschwader 1
Order to build Jagdgeschwader 1
July 2, 1917
Victory 57
‘2. 7. 1917. Deulemont, between the lines, 10.20 in the morning. I attacked the foremost aeroplane of an enemy squadron. The observer collapsed at the first sho...
July 2, 1917
Victory 57 - The Witnesses
Victory 57 - witness reports
July 14, 1917
Victory 57 - Recognition
Victory 57 - acknowledgement
July 2, 1917
JG I Meeting
JG I conference
July 6, 1917
MvR wounded in the back of the head
MvR wounded
July 6, 1917
Bodenschatz, Dostler, Döring, and Wolff visit MvR
"In the afternoon, Bodenschatz, Dostler, Doering and Wolff pile into a car and drive there. ‘You can't speak to Mr Rittmeister,’ says the nurse. ‘Why not?’ all...
July 11, 1917
With Wolff to the hospital
‘The first squadron to take off is Jagdstaffel 11, and no sooner have the aircraft disappeared into the grey sky than one of them returns. It is Lieutenant Wolf...
July 18, 1917
Headache
Headaches
July 22, 1917
MvR visits JG I
"These days, the cavalry captain's patience is at an end. He doesn't need to tantalise the ‘delicate little flower’ for long. The two have had enough. Last nigh...
July 25, 1917
MvR takes over command of JG I again
MvR resumes command of JG I
July 28, 1917
Bombing raid on Marckebeeke
Bomberangriff auf Marckebeeke
August 10, 1917
Bombs hit Marckebeeke
‘On the night of 10 August, they are once again startled awake, the ground thunders and crashes and shatters. This time, five heavy bombs strike with devastatin...
August 11, 1917
MvR reports
"The day has started unpleasantly and continues unpleasantly. At 10.15 an enemy squadron is reported by the air defence officers, but it has already crossed the...
August 16, 1917
Victory 58
"And on 16 August, Rittmeister von Richthofen takes off again. At 7.55 in the morning he sends his 58th opponent burning into the funnels south-west of Houthuls...
August 17, 1917
Celebration of Jasta 11's 200th victory
Celebration 200th victory of Jasta 11
August 18, 1917
MvR is asked to fly less
"And on 18 August at 8 o'clock in the morning, bombs thunder again, they don't hurt anyone. On this day, a telegram arrives from the commanding general of the a...
August 19, 1917
General Ludendorff visits Markebeke
On 19 August, General Ludendorff comes to visit to see the most daring pilots in the German army and to shake their hands. He can also take this opportunity to...
August 21, 1917
Dostler fallen
Dostler down
August 21, 1917
MvR is ordered not to fly
"And as if they had sensed over there in the enemy air camps themselves that the shooting down of this man (Dostler) was a huge piece of work, they now took a b...
August 26, 1917
Victory 59
"The Rittmeister forgets paragraph II of the army order and takes off on 26 August; at 7.30 in the morning he shoots down a Spad between Poelkapelle and Langema...
September 1, 1917
Victory 60
"On 1 September, the Rittmeister climbs into one of the new triplanes for the first time for aerial combat. (Paragraph II of the army order of 12 August does no...
September 3, 1917
Victory 61
From Under the guns of the Red Baron (N. Franks et al): " Combat report: 0735 hrs, south of Bousbecque, this side of the lines. Sopwith 1, B1795; motor no.: 351...
September 6, 1917
MvR ordered on vacation
MvR ordered on holiday
September 15, 1917
Lt. Wolff killed
Lt. Wolff fallen
September 24, 1917
Lt. Voss killed
Lt. Voss fallen
September 23, 1917
MvR receives a signed bust of Kaiser Wilhelm
MvR erhält eine signierte Büste Kaiser Wilhelms
October 23, 1917
Return from leave
Rückkehr aus dem Urlaub
October 30, 1917
MvR makes an emergency landing
MvR makes emergency landing
November 23, 1917
Victory 62
"Above the Bourlon Forest, entire swarms of English squadrons are flying around, tightly packed in massed formations. Single-seaters and multi-seaters, aircraft...
November 24, 1917
The red machines of the 'Baron' have arrived
"On 24 November, word seems to have spread that the “Baron's” red planes have arrived. There is no other explanation for the fact that remarkably few aircraft w...
November 30, 1917
Victory 63
"And then the dance of death of the afternoon begins. Five Englishmen are shot down, including the commander's 63rd aerial victory. His meagre report: "With Lie...
November 30, 1917
Evening report
"And then peace slowly descends on the battlefield of Cambrai. Once again, the British have not succeeded, neither on the ground nor in the air. Richthofen, who...
December 3, 1917
Money or postcard?
The adjutant sets out on short trips to secure provisions and perhaps find something special somewhere. There is hardly anything to be had in the surrounding ar...
August 17, 1917
Wine in Markebeke
A wine discovery
January 19, 1918
Commanded to Adlershof
The commander will travel to Berlin-Adlershof on January 19, where he is posted for a while.
February 16, 1918
The captain chooses his people himself
Selecting pilots
March 18, 1918
A day of glory for JG I
A glorious day for JG I
March 10, 1918
A gray service envelope
"And when the adjutant left the scissor telescope for a quarter of an hour to conduct the necessary paperwork in the staff barracks, his eyes would more than on...
March 20, 1918
Day 'X'
Tag 'X'
March 21, 1918
Owl? Nightingale?
"The German infantry assault is scheduled to begin at 9:45. Three quarters of an hour before that, Richthofen plans to take off with his personal squadron, 11....
March 24, 1918
Victory 67
In a prolonged single-seat fight between about ten S.E. and 25 aircraft of my squadron, I attacked an Englishman at an altitude of 2500 metres. Both wings of th...
March 25, 1918
Victory 68
With 5 aeroplanes of Jagdstaffel 11 I attacked some low-flying English single-seaters north-east of Albert. I got within 50 metres of one of the Englishmen and...
March 26, 1918
Victory 69
With 5 men of Jagdstaffel 11 at low altitude, I met a Sopwith monoplane at the front with Leutnant Udet. At first the enemy tried to evade me by flying skilfull...
March 26, 1918
Victory 70
In a quarter of an hour after the first shot I hit an R.E. two-seater at exactly the same spot at an altitude of about 700 metres. I dived behind it and shot it...
March 26, 1918
Go!
"Baron von Richthofen no longer liked it in Awoingt. ‘Go!’ he said. He is too impatient to wait for the observations of others; he finds it easier to see for hi...
March 27, 1918
They came in masses
They came en masse
March 27, 1918
Victory 73
‘The commander's report of his 73rd aerial victory reveals the drama that unfolded before his eyes within a minute: ’Shortly after I had shot my 72nd opponent o...
March 27, 1918
I'm just raising some cannons
I cultivate just a few aces.
March 28, 1918
Kogenluft sends a radio message
"Another chapter has come to an end for the commander. The commanding general of the air force sends a radio message: "I have conveyed my congratulations and th...
April 1, 1918
Forward!
Vorwärts!
April 6, 1918
MvR is awarded the Order of the Red Eagle 3rd Class with Crown and Swords.
MvR gets Order of the Red Eagle, Third Class with Crown and Swords,
April 21, 1918
Bodenschatz's testimony
Bodenschatz' account Part 1
April 23, 1918
Dropping of the death report by English pilots behind the German front
Abwurf der Todesmeldung durch englische Flieger hinter der deutschen Front
April 21, 1918
1938 Analysis of April 21, 1918
"It was now certain that he was no longer among the living, but had entered the silent realm of the frontline soldiers who had given their lives for their count...
April 24, 1918
Radio message to Kortrijk
Telegram to MvRs father
April 23, 1918
Reuters
"The feelings that moved the English can be seen from the report that arrived from Holland during these days of mourning. The English Reuter news reads verbatim...
April 23, 1918
The 'Times'
The war correspondent for the English newspaper “Times” writes: ‘All British pilots admit that Richthofen was a great pilot and an honest opponent.’
April 25, 1918
There was great sadness in Germany
"The grief in Germany was immense. Condolences poured in by the thousands. Much had been written about him, much had been said about him, countless legends had...
April 27, 1918
Identification of Captain Reinhard as Commander
On 27 April, Hauptmann Reinhard is officially recognised as commander of Jagdgeschwader I. Richthofen's last wish is thus fulfilled. And as if this gap had been...
May 26, 1918
Radio message from the II Army
"I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the Richthofen Fighter Wing for its successful work during the period from 17 November to 18 May, as it leav...
June 24, 1917
Ic 20706 Jagdgeschwader I
According to a telegram from Crown Prince Rupprecht's Army Group (Ic 20706), Fighter Wing I is to be formed immediately from Fighter Squadrons 4, 6, 10 and 11,...
June 25, 1917
Appointed commander of Jagdgeschwader I
Named commander of Jagdgeschwader 1
July 2, 1917
Relocation completed
‘Instruction and powers of the commander It. Kogenluft 64683 Fl. II of 27. 6. 17. For the purpose of uniting the four Jagdstaffeln in one airport, terrain south...
July 2, 1917
Lt. Krefft is in command
Appointment Lt. Krefft
July 4, 1917
Draft of a strength report for the staff
Draft of a strength report for the staff, including, in addition to the three positions mentioned, one doctor, one paymaster and 62 (+4 seconded) non-commission...
July 5, 1917
Jastas 4,6,10, 11 in command relationship to JG1
Jastas 4,6,10, 11 commanded by JG1
July 6, 1917
MvR wounded
MvR shot down
July 6, 1917
JG1 Staff
Since July 6th, Staff Office Marckebeeke, KortrijkseStr. 74.
July 17, 1917
Kill awarded to Lt. Türen
‘Reversing the arbitration ruling of 18 July, which ruled in favour of Vfw. Wüsthoff, on 26 July, Rittmstr. Frhr. v. Richthofen, as squadron commander, awarded...
July 21, 1917
MvR decides for Fw.-Lt. Schubert
FwLt. Schubert (Jasta 6) 8.25 in the evening west of Roubaix, Spad-1, as 2nd (first disputed still with Lt/ Mahnicke, Jasta 11; on 26 July decided by Rittmstr....
July 22, 1917
MvR decides for Oblt. Reinhard
Oblt. Reinhard (Jasta 11) 11.30 morning. Warneton, this side, Sopwith-2, as 1st (first disputed between Lt. Deilmann, Vfw. Küllmer (Jasta 6) and Oblt. Reinhard...
