In the Footsteps of the Red Baron
In the Footsteps of the Red Baron

Author: Michael O'Connor

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2005-02-19

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 1844150879

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Manfred von Richthofen became a fighter pilot on the Western Front in August 1916. By January 1917, Richthofen had shot down fifteen aircraft had been appointed commander of his own unit. He painted the fuselage of his Albatros D-III a bright red and was nicknamed the Red Baron. In June 1917, Richthofen was appointed commander of the German Flying Circus. Made up of Germany's top fighter pilots, this new unit was highly mobile and could be quickly sent to any part of the Western Front where it was most needed. Richthofen and his pilots achieved immediate success during the air war over Ypres during August and September. Manfred von Richthofen was killed on 21st April 1918. Richthofen had destroyed 80 allied aircraft, the highest score of any fighter pilot during the First World War. This book is divided into three sectors of the WWI front line in which von Richthofen operated. Each area is conveniently reached within hours. Airfield sites, memorials and the graves of Manfred's famous victims are described and directions for the battlefield walker are included with information on related museums and historic sites with special association with this most famous of fighter pilots.

Lionel Morris and the Red Baron
Lionel Morris and the Red Baron

Author: Jill Bush

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2019-04-30

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 1526742233

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A biography of the young, London-born, World War I pilot who was the first to be shot down by the legendary Red Baron. Nineteen-year-old Lionel Morris left the infantry for the wood and wires of the Royal Flying Corps on the Western Front in 1916, joining one of the world’s first fighter units alongside the great ace Albert Ball. Learning on the job, in dangerously unpredictable machines, Morris came of age as a combat pilot on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, as the R.F.C. was winning a bloody struggle for admiralty of the air. As summer faded to autumn and the skies over Bapaume filled with increasing numbers of enemy aircraft, the tide turned. On 17 September 1916, Morris’s squadron was attacked by a lethally efficient German unit, including an unknown pilot called Manfred von Richthofen. As the shock waves spread from the empty hangars of No.11 Squadron all the way to the very top of the British Army, the circumstances surrounding Morris’s death marked a pivotal shift in the aerial war, and the birth of its greatest legend. Told through previously unpublished archive material, the words of contemporaries, and official records, Lionel Morris and the Red Baron traces a short but extraordinary life and reveals how Morris’s role in history was rediscovered one hundred years after his death. Praise for Lionel Morris and the Red Baron “The best written World War I aviation history account this reviewer has read in some time . . . has earned the highest recommendation.” —Over the Front “This is a book that deserves to be read.” —The Aviation Historian

The Red Battle Flyer
The Red Battle Flyer

Author: Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen

Publisher: DigiCat

Published: 2022-07-20

Total Pages: 127

ISBN-13:

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This book is written by the Red Baron, the famous German flying ace of the Great War who was credited with 80 combat victories in flying battles. It is an autobiography, talking about his early life and love of horses and dogs, and his family. A fascinating insight into a famous figure.

Walking Arras
Walking Arras

Author: Paul Reed

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2007-07-19

Total Pages: 359

ISBN-13: 1783035552

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The historic background and present-day battleground of a great—but often overlooked—battle fought by the British Expeditionary Force in World War I. Walking Arras marks the final volume in a trilogy of walking books about the British sector of the Western Front, following Walking the Somme and Walking the Salient. Paul Reed once more takes us over paths trodden by men who were asked to make a huge and, for all too many, the ultimate sacrifice. The Battle of Arras falls between the Somme and Third Ypres; it marked the first British attempt to storm the Hindenburg Line defenses, and the first use of lessons learned from the events of 1916. But it remains a forgotten part of the Western Front. It also remains one of the great killing battles of the Great War, with such a high fatal casualty rate that a soldier’s chances of surviving Arras were much slimmer than even the Somme or Passchendaele. Most soldiers who served in the Great War served at Arras at some point; it was a name very much in the consciousness of the survivors of the Great War. Ninety years later, while there has been development at Arras, it is still an impressive battlefield and one worthy of the attention of any Great War enthusiast. This book will give a lead in seeing the ground connected with the fighting in 1917. Making a slight departure from the style of the previous two walking books, the chapters look at the historical background of an area and then separately describe a walk; with supplementary notes about the associated cemeteries in that region.

The Red Baron
The Red Baron

Author: Barry Pickthall

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2016-11-19

Total Pages: 113

ISBN-13: 1473833582

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Beginning his wartime career on the Western Front in August 1916, Manfred von Richthofen, or the Red Baron as he became known, had shot down an impressive total of fifteen aircraft by January 1917, as well as being appointed commander of his own unit. By the time of his death in 1918, he had destroyed a staggering total of eighty allied aircraft. From the perspective of the allies, he was a deadly menace. For the Germans, he was a fighter pilot hero of legendary significance. This fascinating collection of rare images offers a fresh perspective on the Baron himself, as well as a number of his adversaries from the Allied side of the line.

The Peninsular War
The Peninsular War

Author: Andrew Rawson

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2009-06-30

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 1783830212

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A new battlefield guide to the Peninsular War is long overdue. Modern development in Spain and Portugal has encroached on many of the battlefields, new research has questioned established interpretations of events, and there is a broader appreciation of the parts played by all the armies involved - the French on one side and the Spanish, Portuguese and British on the other. Andrew Rawson, in this highly illustrated and practical guide, offers a wide-ranging, up-to-date and balanced account of this prolonged conflict, and he guides the reader and the visitor across the terrain over which the armies marched and fought. He reconstructs the major battles in graphic detail, and provides practical tours of the major battlefields and campaigns. Also included are sections examining the armies, the military organization and tactics of the time and the role of the Spanish guerrillas. This guide to the Peninsular War will be essential reading for anyone who wants a concise and accessible introduction to the conflict, and it will serve as an invaluable reference guide for visitors who want to explore the sites of the fighting two centuries ago.

The Red Baron
The Red Baron

Author: Norman Franks

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2016-10-14

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 1473861241

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A pictorial history of the infamous German World War I air force pilot, by the author of Dieppe: The Greatest Air Battle. There are numerous books covering the life of Rittmeister Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen, and he has remained at the forefront of World War I studies. In commemoration of one hundred years since the beginning of the war, author Norman Franks introduces a new collection of photographs covering the entire span of von Richthofen’s war (most of which will have been seen but spread over a variety of literature about First World War flying), consolidated in one book. In the time since the release of Franks earlier titles on a similar theme, a constant trickle of new information has filtered down to him. Although none of it specifically challenges the conclusions drawn in earlier publications, in consolidating them here, he’s been able to preserve some significant notes of interest. Following several visits to Belgium and Northern France, Franks has managed to acquire additional images, illustrating the places in which the Red Baron lived and fought between 1916 and 1918. This collection covers the entire span of von Richthofen’s recorded history in pictures, some new and lesser known, some iconic and widely circulated, and all housed here under one roof for the very first time. “If you are a Red Baron fan, this book is a must-have. Even if you are new to the topic, the text provides an excellent introduction to his career.” —The Miniatures Page “In summation, The Red Baron: A History in Pictures is recommended.” —Over the Front

Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity

Author: Tim Saunders

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2008-07-15

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 1783460806

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In Spring 1945 the outcome of the war was ritually certain but the mighty River Rhine still stood in the way of the Allies. Eisenhowers strategy was to guarantee a crossing in the Ruhr area by allocating the main effort to Montgomerys 21st Army Group. Montys task was to envelope and take out the last German war production and open the way onto the North German Plain.On the morning of 24 March 1945 the Normandy veterans of 6th British Airborne Division were to land just three to six miles in front of XII Corps, within supporting distance of their artillery, with the aim of linking up with the ground forces on day one. First in were the two parachute brigades, who benefited from the numbing effect of the Allied bombardment but by the time 6th Airlanding Brigade came in aboard their gliders, the German anti-aircraft gunners were recovering and, on the DZs, resisting and even counter-attacking the British and Canadian paratroopers.Casualties were heavy, not least because the Airlanding Brigade were gliding in amidst an Armoured kampfgruppe. Despite their presence, the glider infantry of the Ox and Bucks and the Ulster Rifles took their bridges and the Devons fought a desperate battle for the key village of Hammelkeln.By evening, despite heavy losses, General Bolss 6th Airborne Division had linked-up with XII Corps, the airborne objectives had been taken and the gateway onto the North German Plain and final victory was open.

Ypres 1914: Messines
Ypres 1914: Messines

Author: Nigel Cave

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2016-01-19

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 1473879795

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These three Battleground Europe books on Ypres 1914 mark the centenary of the final major battle of the 1914 campaign on the Western Front. Although fought over a relatively small area and short time span, the fighting was even more than usually chaotic and the stakes were extremely high. Authors Nigel Cave and Jack Sheldon combine their respective expertise to tell the story of the men British, French, Indian and German - who fought over the unremarkable undulating ground that was to become firmly placed in British national conscience ever afterwards.At the end of October 1914 an increasingly desperate Falkenhayn, aware that his offensive in Flanders had stalled, decided to make one final effort to break through the Allied lines south of Ypres. Pulling together a large strike force, the so-called Army Group Fabeck, he launched a violent offensive designed to capture the Messines Ridge and to use this dominating terrain as a springboard for a further advance. Inadequately resourced, assembled in a rush, this thrust was soon in trouble. Confused fighting in the wooded areas to the south of the Menin Road slowed the advance and initial attempts to gain a foothold on the ridge failed. A supreme effort by the men of the 26th Infantry Division ultimately brought about the capture of the town of Messines and similar heroics by the Bavarian 6th Reserve Division led to the fall of Wytschaete, but it was all in vain. Yet again a valiant Allied defence had buckled, but not broken.