Why was Manfred Von Richtofen nicknamed”The red baron”?
Freiherr (literally “Free Lord”) is not a given name but a German aristocratic title, equivalent to a baron in other countries and the origin of Richthofen’s most famous nickname: “The Red Baron”. The German translation of Red Baron is “der Rote Baron”. Richthofen is today known under this nickname even in Germany, although during his lifetime he was more often described in German as Der Rote Kampfflieger, (variously translated as the The Red Battle Flyer or The Red Fighter Pilot). This name was used as the title of Richthofen’s 1917 “autobiography.” Richthofen’s other nicknames include “Le Diable Rouge” (“Red Devil”) or “Le Petit Rouge” (“Little Red”) in French, and the “Red Knight” in English. Following his return from convalescence in October, Richthofen was flying the celebrated Fokker Dr.I triplane, the distinctive three-winged aircraft with which he is most commonly associated, although he probably did not use the type exclusively until after it was reissued with strengthened win
