Officially credited with 80 air combat victories, 26 year old Manfred von Richthofen (“The Red Baron”) was not only Germany’s greatest Ace, but the greatest Ace of World War 2. Despite the fact that he was killed nearly 100 years ago on 21 April 1918, the question still remains: Who killed Manfred von Richthofen? While the kill was credited to be the work of Captain Roy Brown, a Canadian pilot, there are reasons to believe that the Baron was killed at the hands of a different soldier. Sergeant Cedric Popkin, of the 24th Australian Machine Gun Company is the man who was most likely to have shot his plane down. Not only was Cedric within the range the bullet was shot from, but bullet trajectory and evidence from the official autopsy comes …show more content…
into play as proof it was he who shot the fatal bullet. Sergeant Popkin also shot at von Richthofen’s plane within a reasonable time for him to have time to land his plane, and to say a few words before his death. With these facts brought out, it can be said that it was in fact Sgt Cedric Popkin who shot down the Red Baron, ultimately ending his life. During the first postmortem inspection of von Richthofen’s body, the bullet that killed him was found intact between his body and his clothing. Terminal Ballistics is the study of how a projectile will behave when it makes contact with the target. A bullet shot from under 600 yards would have not remained intact once hitting von Richthofen’s body, due to hydrostatic shock. A bullet fired from a closer range would have left much greater wound damage, while the wound found in von Richthofen’s body was not damaged at all- save for the probing done by medical staff in an effort to follow the path of the bullet. Therefore, the shooter would have to have been at least 600 yards away from the Red Baron’s plane. Sgt. Cedric Popkin was at a reasonable distance for him to be shooting from 600 metres. During the second, more official examination of von Richthofen’s body, the medical staff discovered that the round that killed him entered his body on the right hand side, and exited on the left.
The autopsy also revealed the bullet was travelling in an upward motion. Knowing this, it is obvious that it was not Roy Brown who killed the Red Baron, as he was shooting at von Richthofen from above, behind and to the left. Popkin was an “experienced AA gunner… and was the only machine gunner from the right.” This information makes it obvious that the soldier who killed the Red Baron was shooting from the ground, and from the right-the exact position Sergeant Popkin was in while he was firing rounds at von Richthofen’s …show more content…
plane. The injury that the Red Baron received was so severe that the medical staff who performed the autopsy determined he would have had only 12-20 seconds to live after he was shot. After Sergeant Popkin fired his last 70 shots, he saw the plane bank to the left and crash into a ridge less than 30 seconds after he had finished firing. It was also reported that the Red Baron appeared to have landed his plane, and mumbled a phrase in german to a soldier who came to check the wreckage of the plane. After the soldier said “ I don’t understand,” von Richthofen sighed, and then succumbed to his injuries. Due to the fact that von Richthofen had enough time to actually land his plane is compelling evidence towards saying that it was, in fact, Sergeant Cedric Popkin who shot down the Red Baron. Earning the title of World War One’s greatest Ace, only to be shot down two days before he was to go on leave, Manfred von Richthofen was undoubtedly the greatest Ace of World War One.
With controversy surrounding his death, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly who killed him. However, seeing as how the spent bullet was discovered inside the clothing he was wearing at the time of death- meaning the bullet was shot from a long range shot, the path the bullet travelled, and that von Richthofen actually had time to land his plane, it is safe to say that Sergeant Cedric Popkin was in fact the man who killed Manfred von
Richthofen.
World War one saw many great airmen, but there were two that stood out among the rest; Captain Edward Rickenbacker and 2nd Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr. These men both demonstrated courage and bravery that ultimately asked them for their life. Both men received the Congressional Medal of Honor for their deeds of bravery, as well as earning the title of Ace. An Ace is someone that has shot down at least five enemy planes. Rickenbacker was nicknamed “Ace of the Aces”, while Luke was the first of only two men to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. Luke honored his country through his actions. Frank Luke Jr demonstrated superior characteristics that lead him to make a valuable contribution to World War I through bravery, skilled flying skills, and selflessness.
Throughout the ages, death penalty has always been a controversial topic and triggered numerous insightful discussion. In Kroll’s Unquiet Death of Robert Harris, the writer employs pathos as an appeal throughout the whole article in order to convince the audiences that death penalty is “something indescribably ugly” and “nakedly barbaric”. While Mencken makes use of ethos and logos and builds his arguments in a more constructive and effective way to prove that death penalty is necessary and should exist in the social system.
An aggressive pilot, due to his daring nature, a young Canadian became a legend and inspired a new generation of aces. Billy Bishop was a courageous man and the greatest fighter pilot to serve Canada during the times of war. The purpose of this essay is to learn and recognize the different contributions made by Billy Bishop and his journey to rising above his peers through strength and courage. This is true because he would go on to won 16 medals and become the first Canadian to win the Victoria Cross. First the difficult path he faced to achieving his dream will be discussed. Secondly his amazing victories and contributions during the war will be discussed. Lastly the ordeal he faced by people who believe he lied about his fights and the controversies of whether he deserved the Victoria Cross will be discussed.
Throughout history, a Canadian by the name of William Avery “Billy” Bishop was considered one of the best fighter pilots of World War I. Bishop was a courageous, daring and dedicated hero, credited with 72 kills. However, the subject of his claims has always been a controversial topic for historians. Some say Bishop cheated and lied about the events that took place during the war, including his number of victories. The heart of this debate rests on the mission Bishop flew at the crack of dawn on June 2nd, 1917. After flying off on his own, he claims that he found a German aerodrome and took on seven planes on his own, shooting down three. The facts do not always add up, so it makes people wonder if and how he accomplished
In the summer of 1940, World War II had been in progress for nearly a year. Adolf Hitler was victorious and planning an invasion of England to seal Europe’s fate. Everyone in the United States of America knew it. The Germans were too powerful. Hitler's Luftwaffe had too many planes, too many pilots and too many bombs and since Hitler was Europe's problem, the United States claimed to be a neutral country (Neutrality Act of 1939). Seven Americans, however, did not remain neutral and that’s what this book is about. They joined Britain's Royal Air Force to help save Britain in its darkest hour to fight off the skilled pilots of Germany's Luftwaffe in the blue skies over England, the English Channel, and North Europe. By October 1940, they had helped England succeed in one of the greatest air battles in the history of aviation, the Battle of Britain. This book helps to show the impact of the few Americans who joined the Battle of Britain to fight off an evil that the United States didn’t acknowledge at the time. The name of Kershaw’s book was inspired from the quote, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to sow few,” which was said by British Officer and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The Greenland Natives were killed around 1000 A.D and many assumed that Leif Erikson was the murder. However, the time that this occurred Erikson was around the age of 8. How could an 8 year old kill all those natives? The answer is that he didn’t kill them, his father did. Erik the red was Leif’s father and the culprit of the Greenland Native’s deaths. Some people may have associated Leif with his father or just thought Leif did it all. But according to Saga Of Erik The Red, c. 1000 Red did it all.
Olds, Christina, and Ed Rasimus. Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2010. Print
Even though half of a century separates us from the unforgettable event, it left horrible memories especially in those who saw, felt and experienced World War II which was waged on land, on sea, and in the air all over the earth for approximately six years. Whether it’s a battle, hospital, or holocaust, there are so many stories from the survivors, who can teach us not only about the profession of arms, but also about military preparations, global strategies and combined operations in the coalition war against fascism.
2. Many people agree with the Warren Commission in that Lee Harvey Oswald is the lone gunman.
Although to most people it may just be a brand of good tasting pizza, The Red Barron was actually a German fighter ace of World War I. His full name was Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, who will be referred to as von Richthofen for simplicity’s sake. By the Germans, he was called “der rote Kampfflieger” (The Red Battle-Flyer), the French called him “le Diable Rouge” (Red Devil), and in the English-speaking world he is known as “The Red Barron.” In a time of ancient aircraft technology when twenty air victories insured a pilot legendary status, von Richthofen had eighty victories, and he is still considered even today as the ace of aces (The Red Barron).
Lawson, Robert L., and Barrett Tillman. U.S. Navy Air Combat: 1939-1946. Osceola, WI: MBI Pub., 2000. Print.
Detachment from reality is what the main characters in both Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” and Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” express. “The Things They Carried” is the collection of interrelated short stories of Lieutenant Cross and his experiences throughout the Vietnam War. “The Masque of the Red Death” is the story of a prince who fears the “Red Death” who hides himself, along with some townspeople, to escape from the terrible disease. Each character, despite having two very different roles in their lives, have to face reality. In order to fully understand the relationship between these two works, each of these factors in turn.
Throughout the short story “The Masque of the Red Death,” Edgar Allan Poe uses vivid symbolism, structure, and reoccurring details to paint a powerful image regarding the finality and inescapable reaches of death itself. “The ‘Red Death’ has long devastated the country,” yet the Prince Prospero continues to hold extravagant parties for his fellow elite members of society. Rather than merely telling a series of events, Poe carries his readers throughout the many rooms and scenes that hold the Prince’s masquerade, up until the clock strikes midnight and the partygoers can no longer hide behind their façade, and death comes in to take those that thought themselves invincible (Poe 438-442).
Upon hearing David and Betty’s refusal, the man pulled out a gun, and fired a round into the right rear window, shattering it with incredible force. He then moved to the front of the car and fired another round into the left tire. Stricken with panic, David and Betty rushed out of the car, but the man was there to meet them. Betty was able to scramble out, but David wasn’t so lucky, as he was met with the cold, hard barrel of a gun pressing behind his left ear. "The shot made a deafening blast, as the bullet entered David’s head at a horizontal angle, blowing it apart" (Tina 3).
Death is just one of the many things that are feared; however, it is inevitable. Throughout time there has been many deaths. Some might have lived a care free life, whereas others were constantly worried for their day to come. In “Masque of the Red Death” written by Edgar Allan Poe, the story shows death is a matter of time. Death comes to all those, either noble or poor. Many have come to accept death as a sign a life was well lived. However, there are others that believe their lives were not long enough for them to accept the afterlife. No matter how much a person tries to run or hide from death it cannot be escaped.