This way!
-There!
-Where?
next to the farther beach tree!
Get Down, Down.
THE RED BARON
Northern France, Allied territory 1916,
German airfield near the front, France,
Are you out of your bloody mind?
Yes Sir
You risk the squadron planes to
attend an enemy funeral?
Yes sir!
Lehmann and Sternberg knew him sir,
Captain Winston Clyde Walker.
the coffin I mean sir
Yes, i mean Sir..
My uncle, the Duke of Westchester
is mother's brother-in-law
Lehmann and me went to college with him.
At Eton, Sir.
You are talking about a British pilot,
god damn it.
One of the best the RFC had.
It's a pity that he's not alive anymore, Sir.
To hell with you.
Dismissed!
I've heard your plane cought some bullets
while you were visiting the funeral, Richthofen.
Ah, I just love these tiny chatty Airfields, Kielmeyer.
Does anybody want a cigarette?
- You have French ones?
-De rien.
-Merci.
Richthofen shot down a two-seater today.
I guess it was meant as compensation
for disobeying my orders?
No.
I just wanted to score.
I have just received a report that a British RE8
went down 12 km from here.
You have my deepest respect, Baron.
Let us go and find it to confirm your kill.
Come on lend a hand!
One
two
I said be careful!
That doesn't look good.
Put him there...
Hurry up, he is heavy.
He is losing much blood.
Lend a hand.
Hold that.
You will make it.
We must carry him to the car.
Immediately.
Take him!
Thank you.
You have saved his life.
No.
I shot him down.
You got him, Sternberg.
...rubbish. The DH2 one-seater should be
attacked from above...
See Sterni, if the attacker has a rotary engine then....
What is a rotary engine?
Oh Lieutenant Sternberg...
Hey, come back.
Well, Voss.
Obviously she prefers men like me. Right?
Men like you?
Moses, Freud...
- Perhaps we also should get circumcised?
Hey where are you going?
What do you think Manfred,
she looks like your little nurse huh?
...I mean: DAT ASS.
I'm sorry Sir.
What are you doing here?
Come, drink with us.
I thought the gentlemen just
wanted to drink a cocktail.
Sit, drink and relax...
I'm married you know...
Me too.
I mean, almost.
...we need a bit of water.
The driver says the engine is overheated.
Lieutenant.
-My name is von Richthofen.
I'm glad to see you again, Mademoiselle.
I know your name.
-Oh really?
The pilot that you shot down told me your name.
So he survived?
Are you just asking or
does it really interest you?
The former.
At least you are honest.
That's a good start isn't it?
Can't I just ask without being interested?
So, what's your name?
His name is Captain Roy Brown.
And he's still alive regardless of other things.
He told me that you were a brilliant pilot
and a cheeky rogue.
I understand.
Tell him that I am flattered by his compliments.
And that I hope that we will
never meet in the sky again.
He might still get me.
And perhaps I won't have
the same luck as him.
And meet such a gorgeous nurse.
Unbelievable. Have a nice evening.
Have you seen my scarf?
I'll send it to you.
No no, you can keep it.
It's a lucky charm.
The French have sent their condolences
together with the confirmation of the kill.
The mass for Kielmeyer will be today at 4pm
The enemy pilot who lead the attack four days ago
it was Hawker.
What?
Major Lanoe Hawker?
Yes, exactly.
I saw his face. He had a beard.
And the Grim Reaper painted on his plane.
It's their best man.
He's a nasty fellow.
He already shot down 9 of our men.
When they were still flying unarmed recon missions
he already mounted a gun on his plane.
I could barely shake him off.
He came pretty near.
Then why didn't you attack him?
I only attack if I can win.
How important is the Pour le Merite for you?
I would kill for it.
I just got a telegram from the Army High Command
they want to give it to you by all means.
So what are they waiting for?
You know the regulations.
And not even the Kaiser would ignore the regulations
so you better do what they want
and shoot down a balloon.
I hunt planes.
And not things that cannot move.
You are not a hunter lieutenant.
You are a soldier. And you have to obey orders.
Especially if the orders were issued
by General von Hppler himself.
What if I shoot down Hawker?
Avoid Hawker.
You are not a match for him.
Let me through.
Anybody have a wrench?
I can't believe it.
Now you've finally made it.
You shot down a legend.
Now you are one too.
Go ahead and eat, my mother made them.
Mhh, delicious.
Lieutenant Oswald Boelcke.
They are desperately searching for somebody
who steps in his footprints.
I asked him about his secret.
His answer was:
"It's simple...
...I fly as near as possible to the enemy...
...pull the trigger...
...and of course he will come down."
Sterni and me are going to Arras, drink a bit...
Come with us.
Perhaps we meet your nurse again?
You have to get her already
or she will stay in your head forever.
The earlier you lose your traction the better...
Werner?
I will become a legend myself.
I will be the Ace of Aces.
High Army Command, Western Front, Lille, France
January 1917
Stop!
There you go.
I'm starving.
Me too.
Prussians never complain, gentlemen.
Let's go.
Bring back some breakfast.
At ease, gentlemen.
L'ordre Pour Le Merite...
Let's see...
Prussia's highest medal for bravery.
A year ago Boelcke was the first pilot to be awarded.
Things have changed since then.
Don't you think, Baron?
Indeed, General.
He only had to shoot down 8 planes.
I had to shoot down twice as many.
We already made an exception for you, Richthofen.
You still owe us a balloon, am I right?
But because you shot down the best enemy guy...
"the unbeatable Major Hawker"
I appoint you the highest German Ace.
You take over command of 11th Squadron.
-Come with me.
-Excellent, General.
Look at this: in the east the Tsar's forces
pose no danger to us, Gentlemen.
There wil be a revolution in Russia.
Amusing isn't it?
Lenin and his communists help the German Kaiser...
Well, the western front poses the biggest threat to us.
The English 1st and 3rd Armies are advancing
with everything they have.
And they have much to offer.
I have to get them out of there.
Step by step and day after day.
Even without Lenin's help.
Richhofen, your base will be at La Brayelles.
Northwest of Douai.
General?
Yes?
Shouldn't we be much nearer to Paris?
I mean, you have said two months ago
that we would be there in ten days.
Manfred!
The high command has given you a big responsibility,
young man.
Much greater than this medal.
You are not only responsible for the men under your command.
That's not why we have promoted you.
You were chosen to be the symbolic commander
of all flying units.
You are an idol because of your courage, honor and perseverance.
A symbol for the German superiority.
Pilots are like gods, Richthofen.
After the death of Boelcke the troops have lost their hero.
And if the enemy can shoot down our gods than it is...
not a very good motivation for all our
"ground workers" in the trenches, huh?
Gods don't die.
Do we understand each other?
Yes Sir.
Good.
You can leave now, gentlemen.
General?
Yes?
Go on.
Can we perhaps have some croissants,
butter, marmalade and coffee?
Richthofen's parental home, Schweidnitz, Germany
There you are!
Good morning mother.
I assume you've had a pleasant journey?
For how long are you going to wear
this old jacket, Manfred?
-There he is!
-Cousin, brother!
May I see it?
Sure, it's in the bag.
Look, he still has the old jacket, mother.
Come on!
I've already told him...
Stop harrassing me with your jacket!
Give me a hug.
-I still think that the jacket...
-Mom!
Welcome home, son.
They all came here in honour of our son.
And what are they doing... play with the plane.
Like young boys.
Do you think my brothers will ever become adults?
Sweet little boys.
Let them play.
As long as they still can.
You told me you could fly.
But I can!
Wait until I sit in a real one.
You will see.
Richthofen's Squadron 11, Douai, France
January 1917
Always attack while having the sun behind you.
Don't shoot too soon.
It only warns your enemy and does nothing else.
The best firing distance is 50 meters. Not more.
But always remember:
Our objective is to shoot down planes, not pilots.
Stop shooting when the plane is already going down.
Gentlemen, we are sportsmen.
Not butchers.
- Merci
- De rien
Gentlemen!
This is my chief mechanic...
Corporal Reuber.
Dismissed!
Captain!
Stop clicking your heels, Wentzke.
Yes Sir!
-Hi.
-Oh, i almost forgot...
Whoever doesn't shoot down at
least one plane during the next weeks
will be fired.
German field hospital, St.Nicholas, Belgium
the next day.
Lieutenant!
This is a hospital, who do you think you are?
I'm dreadfully sorry.
Did you know him well?
I still don't know your name...
Kte Otersdorf
Un nom allemand, a german name?
My father was German, my mother is Belgian.
I see.
I love these french cigarettes.
You are...
...a very beautiful woman.
I hoped to see you again.
And that you would perhaps wear my scarf.
I will get it for you.
I wasn't able to wash out all of the stains.
Mademoiselle!
Have I done something wrong to you?
Am I not worthy of an answer
or do you hate all men?
Hate?
I don't hate you.
Hate is men's business.
But you are angry aren't you?
There is somebody else's blood on your scarf.
But it seems not to bother you.
I'm scared of men like you because I can't
understand why you are like that.
And when I'm scared I get angry.
And now I'd like you to leave me alone.
Wait, WAIT.
Imagine you were there now.
Like a falcon.
And you look down.
The wind is blowing in your face.
The smell and the noise of the engine and propeller.
There you can let yourself fall.
You can climb, do a barrell roll...
Freedom
That's what humans always dreamed of.
I already dreamed about it as a little dude.
But the best thing is:
Hunting!
The battle.
The GAME!
It's like a match.
A tournament, just like in sports.
Tennis won't kill you.
Your silly dreams were the reason
for your friend's death.
No, I don't hate you, Baron.
I just pity you.
Give me a break, Gentlemen!
It can't be that hard...
to paint a fucking plane!
It was an order!
Reuber!
Manfred...
What's the matter with you?
What do you want with this stupid coloring?
The High Army Command will crucify you!
I don't care about the High Command.
And you better stop questioning my orders.
I just think it's a mistake.
They will see you already from 100 km away.
We are completely losing our element of surprise.
I don't want to surprise anybody, Sternberg.
I want them to be scared.
Captain! Lieutenant Kurt Wolff reporting in.
Are you planning to take a nap up there?
I never fly without this cap.
It's my lucky charm.
I also have one.
My mother keeps ordering new jackets.
But I never pick them up.
See you later.
Six weeks later.
The general!
General von Hppner!
Look in this direction. Don't move.
Thank you.
You are quickly getting famous, Captain.
You are in the headlines.
The Kaiser himself has mentioned your name
after he heard about your 29th victory.
So...
I brought you a little surprise present...
aren't you becoming short of medals already?
Well, it's not really a medal.
Lieutenant...
It wasn't my idea.
After all it is good propaganda.
"The Richthofen Bros are flying together."
Welcome.
Your brother is a decent fellow.
He has all the right stuff that our Fatherland
needs at the moment.
One question...
the people keep inventing strange names for you...
"Le Diable Rouge"
Or "The Red Baron"
How come?
I see.
Impressive
Really impressive.
The sun always behind you...
Keep the wind direction in mind...
And don't forget:
The most important virtue of a good pilot is
to know when to retreat.
What. Is that supposed to be a joke?
Just do as we say, Lothar.
Avoid the battle?
That's right.
-If you can't win you turn back.
-Immediately!
Intelligence and cowardice are very close.
It's true.
Listen to him!
Good morning, gentlemen.
It's a good idea.
I heard that the stupid French believe
the colour to be bullet proof.
I wouldn't take this with you.
It might be in your way up there.
Looks much better now.
The riding crop stays here, bro.
-That was pretty damn close.
-That was fun, wasn't it?
Let's have dinner together tonight.
-Werner feels ronery huh?
-Yes.
Have you transferred him here?
Who?
Your brother Lothar.
Have you seen him? Where is he anyway?
He was behind me.
You should keep an eye on him.
He has got a very unhealthy attitude.
Oh my god. Let him land.
Let him land!
Goddamnit, Lothar!
You have massacred the poor guy!
You think you can make our
father proud of you this way?
Dad had lost his sense of hearing
while saving the life of an enemy.
So you want to win the war without killing anybody?
I have watched Voss and you and
I don't like what I have seen.
You are all brilliant pilots.
But you have the wrong attitude.
What a stupid idea! Painting the plane in bright red...
Stop fantasizing!
This is no playgound.
We are no children, we are men.
And this is a fucking war.
I know that.
I know that very well!
But we can still fight with decency!
What now?
You heard it?
Even Paris has heard it
- ...and Berlin.
- Come on, he was just over-ambitious.
Then tell him to pull himself together in the future.
I don't want to die only because your
brother is too ambitious.
And I also don't want
to see you kick the bucket.
Berlin, German imperial capital, May 1917
Good morning dear Hindenburg.
Ach, and my friend von Hppner.
Welcome to Berlin.
It seems the young man
is already more famous than...
what was his name?
-Oswald Boelcke, your majesty.
-Yes.
We need men like him.
I think...
we should promote you once again.
You are a real hero.
I guess he can hardly keep
the young Fruleins at bay?
There aren't many fans
at 3000 meters altitude, your majesty.
Company, attention!
Are you ready, gentlemen?
Douai, Military Train Station,
German Occupied Territory
Move on!
Don't be so slow.
Move on.
Captain!
What shall we do now?
I could run them over.
Put the fucking gun away.
What did he say?
He wants the Captain's signature.
Ready!
Go!
-Ready!
-Go!
How did you know?
I thought you lost yours recently.
Good morning, gentlemen.
Bodenschatz! Welcome!
My new adjutant.
Kurt Wolff
-Pleased to meet you.
-I've heard much about you.
Thanks.
Orders, Sternberg, orders.
My new commanding officer is the same man
whom I commanded myself not too long ago.
How are the flying conditions over here?
I've heard that you have to deal
with massive allied forces here?
More than massive.
While we produce 10 German planes
they unload 100 planes at the french coast.
Let them come.
We'll have to shoot them by the hundreds.
Our bro Lothar...
British offensive near Ypres, Belgium
No! Damn!
Bastards!
Fucking moles.
I consider myself lucky that
I didn't get caught in one of their holes, too.
Your sense of tact is flattering me.
You perfect landing with shredded rudders
is already shameful enough for me.
I wanted to take a look at your Sopwith.
Brand new huh?
It was, earlier...
The infamous Red Baron, I assume?
Haven't I shot you down already last year?
Yes, you have.
How come that you fly again?
Your prison camps are pretty comfortable
but they have no airfields.
I would have died without your help last year.
Thank you.
I didn't save your live.
True.
Without her help I would have never
made it back into a plane.
She's an awesome woman.
She nursed me for weeks.
Did you get your scarf back?
What now?
We could fight a duel with our pistols.
If I shot you I would become famous, too.
I haven't got my pistol with me.
But you better close your holster
or you might lose your pistol, too.
How long have you already been in Europe?
Since Mother England asked her children for help.
I mean us, the English Colonies.
Well, the whole war seems to be a family affair.
Especially you aristocrats seem to love it.
The russian Tsar, the German Kaiser, the English Monarchy.
France, Austria, Germany
Everybody is somebody's nephew, brother or uncle.
Your love life certainly doesn't know borders.
And to secure these borders
we have to annihilate each other.
And some silly reasons can always be found.
You haven't opened your holster
because you were afraid?
You have very good eyes.
Did you plan to shoot me?
Aren't we here to shoot at each other?
True.
See you soon.
Don't get me wrong but I'd rather not.
True.
It was nice to meet you.
Good luck.
Speaking of family affairs...
One day this war will hopefully be over.
So keep in touch with this nurse.
I think she has a crush on you.
How do you know that?
She kept cursing you for weeks.
Stop the car!
Stop the car!
There you are, we just found him.
Sterni.
He needs a doctor!
He doesn't need a doctor, he needs a priest.
A rabbi.
Oh really?
He's dead, Manfred.
Richthofen's Fighter Wing 1, Marcke, Belgium
I'm catching up slowly.
His funeral is now days ago.
Why are you not happy that I was promoted?
I am your brother.
I know that he was your friend.
But he was also a fighter pilot.
He knew the risks.
Every soldier is proudly taking these risks.
But you are more than a soldier,
you are a commanding officer!
You have the responsibility for the men out there!
And your country, and your people!
You know what dad used to say.
"An officer is not allowed to mourn."
You have a nice odor.
Much better than all the flowers here.
German field hospital St. Nicholas, July 1917
You are still a little boy with silly ideas.
You haven't changed.
I'm not so sure.
I wouldn't have let them shoot
me down a while ago.
Turn over.
So much about "Germany's greatest Hero"
I have enough of the bad news everyday.
I'm just trying to act for you.
You are sending out single fighter wings.
Doering.
They cannot stand against the enemy
formations on their own!
Lieutenant Doering has got his orders.
The High Army Command has ordered us
to fly with fixed schedules.
They are all idiots and retards.
They want us to fly routine border patrols.
We have to be flexible.
Free.
Being able to fight the enemy everywhere.
The British and the French are controlling
the air wherever and whenever they like.
We.
We are hardly shooting
any of their fucking planes at all.
I order you to ignore
the orders of High Command, Doering.
Mademoiselle Otersdorf?
What are you doing here?
I just follow my orders, Baron.
You were ordered to follow us?
Yes.
Hey Captain, nice to have you back again!
Welcome back.
The red ones belong to the 11th squadron.
Yellow ones are the 10th squadron.
Zebras are Nr 6.
Blacks are Nr 4.
You have in front of you
the most successful fighter wing of the war.
And over there you see the best pilots ever.
I never thought that this would happen.
What?
That you would smile.
I thought you were not allowed to fly.
Your little nurse looks really cute.
I may have a hole in the head but I'm not blind.
And I am already fit enough to punch you.
What are you writing?
A book.
About flying.
What are you reading?
I never see you without a book.
At the moment:
Oscar Wilde
Do you know his books?
No...
I can't find British literature in there.
Try this:
There must be
Shakespeare somewhere...
My father used to read it to us.
Lear
Comedy of Errors
Perhaps you can find some songs
and a bunch of billard related stuff
hunting, flying, horse-riding
how to flirt.
It is easy to read the mind of somebody
who has a hole in his head, Baron.
so...
go on... ask.
Would you...
Would you like to have a dinner with me?
Yes.
German occupied town of Lille, France
So?
I have to admit...
I had expected something else.
Something else?
What you write
is amusing
You thought it was boring.
Stupid
and deadly serious.
No
But you write about the war.
I had expected some patriotism.
Patriotism.
"...the virtue of the vicious."
So you did read Wilde.
Even a bit of Dante.
It would be helpful at the moment.
I mean...
knowing a bit about Infernos.
Dance with me.
No.
Better not.
I am an awfully bad dancer.
Just imagine that we are flying.
Marvellous.
To have such a hole in the head.
Without it I wouldn't sit beside you now.
Right?
At the moment I am grounded.
Mentzke?
Could you turn around?
There are so many hospitals
they have to number them all the way through.
This is Nr 76
There are 500 men here.
Most of them will die.
The rest will never be able to see again.
Or walk.
taste anything
love
No, it is not marvellous to have
a hole in the head.
Consider yourself lucky to be alive.
Only because of your origin you gain
benefits that the others don't have.
They have no choice.
This isn't a game.
Never before the world has seen bigger beasts.
Never before was there greater horror.
Come in.
I need something for my headaches.
Go in the basement!
Immediately!
You also fly at night?
Take you gas mask.
You fly at night?
No, we don't.
Here.
Find a save place.
Turn off all lights.
Give me that.
The Army High Command, Sir.
Bodenschatz here.
Turn off all the lights!
Night bombers!
Good morning Captain!
Four of them already passed.
Four others incoming.
Overall only eight, it could be worse.
They didn't just accidentally a few bombs,
Doering.
They know about this airfield and there will be
more than eight.
Many more!
Good morning.
Good morning.
Wolff, how are you?
It's ok.
All MG-Emplacements are manned.
More can't be done to secure our
planes on the ground
Mentzke, bring my gear!
Prepare for take-off!
You are injured, you can't fly yet!
I won't let them butcher us like that.
I have wings.
Captain?
Are you mad? You attacked them head-on!
Bring me to her...
Don't move.
Go and search for her.
I want to know if she's alright.
You are gorgeous.
Fokker has built us a very good new plane.
Fast and maneuverable like the devil.
They climb like monkeys.
I know you are angry with me.
I was ordered to return to St. Nicholas.
I know.
I'm sorry for what happened
to Kurt Wolff.
He was a charming young man.
He had forgotten his bed cap, you know.
It was his lucky charm.
Baron...
Yes?
Have dinner with me again some day.
And promise that you will always
wear your good-luck jacket.
German fortification, Siegfried-Position,
northern France, November 1917
We aren't late I hope.
No, we aren't.
The toilet?
Down the stairs to the right, Sir.
Just a minute.
Attention!
Everything is going just as planned.
-Yes
-Really satisfactory.
Oh.
Our famous Fighter Ace
is visiting us at the frontline!
Thank you for accepting my invitation.
A magnificient sight, isn't it.
Richthofen.
Your majesty...
Your majesty!
The little brother.
You look unwell, my dear Baron.
Yes, your majesty.
But I'm fine.
As always.
Sometimes perhaps disconcertingly.
How is it possible to be "disconcertingly fine"?!
It sometimes happens around here.
We kill some of their men.
And while they go down in flames we are fine.
I find that irritating.
My soldiers, Richthofen...
don't kill other men.
They are simply destroying the enemy.
Well,
the outcome seems to be the same.
Richthofen's Fighter Wing 1, Avesnes-Le-Sec, France
Yes, Mentzke?
You have a guest, Captain.
I thought we should celebrate.
They published your book!
It will be read in the whole of Europe.
So...
are we having dinner tonight?
And dance?
The "Metropole" was closed.
Yes, because of their kitchen.
An English bomb destroyed it.
These bloody Englishmen.
They will only stop when everything
will taste as bad as their own food.
They don't want me to fly.
They do everything possible to keep me grounded.
Really?
I am supposed to command the whole Air Force.
It's an order by the Kaiser.
That is wonderful.
I woke up so often during the night
and read
the lists of pilots who are missing in action.
It is so good to know that you are grounded.
In safety.
Good.
Your dancing skills are already much better,
Baron.
I have to look out for alternatives anyway.
-Good evening guys.
-Good evening Captain.
-Pretty cold huh?
-Too right.
A brand new Bentley Engine...
Where did you find that?
Bentleys don't simply fall from the sky.
Believe me, the guy didn't give it
to me by choice.
You always wanted to be the Ace of Aces.
Now they offer it to you and you hesitate.
Yes...
I always wanted to be like him.
Werner?
Would you ever be able to quit flying?
Never.
But if you want to hear my advice...
accept the offer.
You just want me to quit
so that you will become number one.
Finally you realize.
Alright.
-I quit.
-Good.
If you quit first.
Forget it.
I am married to my plane.
I pass every free minute with her.
Fokker Factory, Schwerin, Germany.
You are constructing
marvellous Planes here, Fokker.
-The best.
-Thank you.
But somehow our own pilots think
they could build even better ones.
Well,
sometimes we tune them a bit.
-Here and there.
- Tuning is one thing...
...but replacing our engines with enemy engines...
Where did you hear that?
Just recently we got a report
about the recovery of a triplane that had been shot down.
Well, the British found it very interesting
that there was a Bentley Engine in a Fokker.
-I want to see it.
-Of course.
I want to see it immediately.
Show me this fucking report immediately.
Schweidnitz, Germany
Only three weeks left, Manfred.
I already got my marching orders.
I will be in your fighter squadron!
And what happened to this guy?
Killed in action.
And this one?
His name is Voss, right?
They are all dead.
I will fight on your and Lothar's side!
Our great offensive is prepared with full intensity.
They are calling it "Operation Michael".
We will win this war, right?
Wolfram, please...
It's ok, dad.
Of course we are winning.
The allies have no clue what is awaiting them.
We flew on patrol for weeks.
And we shot down their recon planes.
They have no clue where we will break through.
We are prepared optimally.
This offensive will finally annihilate them.
German position, western front, France
February 1918
Good morning Captain!
Captain!
Follow us!
Take cover!
Now that's an unexpected pleasure!
You came to witness another British defeat, Captain?
Adjutant!
Find somebody with a photo-camera.
It's good propaganda.
Our fighter ace down here with us.
On the day of victory.
Your excellency,
we should talk.
You wouldn't want to have me down here.
If you want me to have strategic competence
you won't like it afterwards.
And why not?
We have the greatest confidence
in your abilites, Baron.
Then let us surrender.
I don't have enough time for jokes.
I've had 73 aerial victories.
Do you know how I managed to do that?
If I couldn't win a dogfight
I would turn around and flee.
And why do you believe that
we can't win this war?
And our Fatherland?
Our German values?
Our men out there in the battlefield.
Do you want to leave them to the enemy?
Throw them at the feet of the enemy?
French ones...
the best cigarettes
Why do we presume
that our values are better than French ones?
Or better than the British or American values?
They aren't better.
There isn't even a difference.
We all just need an excuse
for what we are doing.
or else
we would see who we really are.
Put this guy in a plane again!
With a parachute.
I can't afford to lose another hero.
Avesnes-Le-Sec, France, March 1918
Operation Michael
Our infantry is attacking from two directions
At St. Quentin, here and here.
The main battle line would be 70 km long.
That's right.
Three armies.
The 2nd Army and the 17th Army
start the offensive here.
The 18th army is going to advance here.
Our task is to win aerial superiority of
the airspace and remain in control of it.
That's no problem at all, or is it Bodenschatz?
They have four times more planes than us, Udet.
We were struggling with them already for months.
It will be worse than ever.
They will send everything they have.
Fucking cold.
What the hell are you doing?
Excuse the disturbance, Lieutenant.
What do you want with the picture of my brother?
He ordered me to take them off.
All of his pictures.
Sir.
Move out!
May god help us.
Gentlemen.
Let's go!
Ignition!
He really returned.
His Flying Circus has swept
the Brits out of the sky!
He passed over us.
He waved at us.
Richthofen's Fighter Squadron1, Cappy, France
Captain!
Gentlemen!
The High Command in northern sector wants to thank us.
I want to thank you, too.
You fought outstandingly.
Thank you.
Thank you Captain.
That's not how you pictured your
famous cousin, am i right?
The glorious Captain that
you have seen on photos.
The biggest hero of the Fatherland.
The ace of aces with 80 victories.
Nobody else has shot down so many of them.
I am really proud to be his brother.
You don't have a chance against this family, Udet.
Peace?
Is that one of yours?
I don't remember anymore.
You are flying again, right?
Why did you hide it.
Why did you lie to me again?
I didn't want to worry you.
I just want that you are happy.
Kthe, I can't do what they want from me.
They offered you security.
Your life.
When I was a little boy...
I could hit every target with
the rifle of my father.
Targets that the others couldn't see anymore.
I dreamed of seeing everything.
Like a bird.
Falcon eye.
"Eagle eye" was my nickname.
When I became a pilot
I really thought that I could see
everything from above
I saw nothing.
I was blind before I met you.
You opened my eyes.
You showed me what I didn't want to see.
We all just wanted to fly.
Voss, Sternberg...
Lehmann, Wolff...
Hawker
No matter which side, we all knew the risks.
I wanted to be the best.
I wanted to win and I assumed I had won.
But now I can see, Kthe.
I can see now that we turned the world into a slaughterhouse.
And I have already contributed too much
They are faking hope with my photo
where there is no hope left.
They use my name.
To pretend that there is immortality
although there is only pain and death left.
You said it yourself:
"The men who die out there have no choice."
I have.
I can't simply order them into battle.
I can perhaps lead them out there.
Help them.
Die with them.
But I will never betray them or hide the truth.
by playing an immortal God in Berlin.
You
You are my biggest victory.
Captain?
Excuse me please.
Capt...
Captain, an enemy squadron is approaching the front line
Thank you.
Sir.
Yes, thank you.
They were sighted a Lagnycourt.
That means...
They are coming from north west.
Thank you.
Brother.
How about me leading Nr 11 and you fly to my right?
It will be my pleasure.
Wolfram
You avoid every dogfight!
Stay near to Lothar.
If you are attacked you fly back!
And fast.
Intelligence and cowardice are very close.
A nice day to fly.
You are a courageous man, Baron.
A very courageous man...
Ignition!
Allied territory, northern France
two weeks later
Thank you.
You are welcome.
Mademoiselle.
I wanted to visit you much earlier.
But it wasn't easy to get into allied territory.
But then our friend helped me.
He asked me why it is important for me to come here?
I told him I love you.
Did I ever tell you?
Manfred von Richthofen
The most successful pilot
of ww1 with 80 victories
Shot down on 21. April 1918
being 25 years old.
He was buried with military
honors by the allies.
Kate Otersdorf, nothing is known about her life after the war
Captain Roy Brown. He was then believed
to be the one who shot down Richthofen
But until now nobody knows exactly how the Red Baron died.
Captain Brown died of a heart attack in 1944
Lothar von Richthofen survived ww1
He had a fatal accident on July 4 1922
while landing a transport plan in Hamburg.
Werner Voss, Fighter Ace and one of
Richthofen's best friends
He got 48 victories before he was shot down
on September 23 1917
Kurt Wolff, 33 Kills, shot down on September 15 1917.
He forgot to take his bedcap on his last flight.
Many jewish pilots fought for the German Reich in ww1
They are all represented by the fictional
character of Friedrich Sternberg
Wolfram von Richthofen, Richthofen's cousin fought during
the last months of ww1 as a pilot
until Germany surrendered on November 1918