Von Ritchofen

[MartinKnight1333]

A book I have at home, 1925 fifty war stories on escapes, bravery, spying, evasions but  the one that stood out and I went WOW when I read it was;

The Australians have been credited with shooting down Von Ritchoven in a program a while back, but no one mentioned the Autopsy, the Doctor who did that act said the bullet that killed him did not come upwards into the body but downwards from above.

Ball the pilot says he saw him turn around to look at him as his MGs tore into his aircraft, therefore has credit been taken away from the Pilot, it looks like it to me.

[FierceKitty]

I don't believe I know the name....

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

It was Snoopy! 

[mollinary]

I don't believe I know the name....

A little unkind, FK, a pretty average example of fat finger syndrome! Von Richtofen, of course......... ring a bell?

[jimduncanuk]

I believe the Baron was in a tight bank at the time so 'up' isn't necessarily up and a bullet could easily come down into the body from below.

Nobody flew straight and level and lived long in that air war.

[MartinKnight1333]

jimduncanuk
sorry the evidence is clear for the round to have entered hed have to be inverted, no sorry ball got him!

I believe Ball and his statement, why would you not ?

[Ithoriel]

jimduncanuk
sorry the evidence is clear for the round to have entered hed have to be inverted, no sorry ball got him!

I believe Ball and his statement, why would you not ?

Because "kill" claims are notoriously unreliable?

Because, as Jim says, flying straight and level is a good way to get killed?

Because bullets come down as well as going up?

Not saying Ball didn't get him, just that it's far from clear cut.

[Terry37]

There has been a dispute since it happened if the Australian ground gunners shot him down or Roy Brown, 209 squadron, actually shot him down. We do know that the Baron was on the tail of "Wop" May for his expected to be 81st kill. I am committed to the kill going to Roy Brown. And if it wasn't him, then it was definitely Snoopy!!!

Terry

[MartinKnight1333]

I second Snoopy.

Because he was shot through the back  !!!!       

[FierceKitty]

A little unkind, FK, a pretty average example of fat finger syndrome! Von Richtofen, of course......... ring a bell?

Two bells, in fact. Lothar was no teddy bear in the cockpit himself.

[mollinary]

Two bells, in fact. Lothar was no teddy bear in the cockpit himself.

Very true!

[MartinKnight1333]

It was all Balls anyway as it was Brown, I reread the piece the autopsy was carried out by several Doctors all came to the same conclsions the bullet that killed him cam from above, Brown was the last to see him turn after the MGs on the ground had shot.

[John Cook]

The autopsy of von Richthofen showed that the single .303 bullet that killed him coursed left top right through his chest.  The damage was consistent with a range of about 600 meters and he would have survived the wound for between 15 to 20 seconds.  The only candidate was the Australian Sgt Popkin with his Vickers MG firing for a ground position.

[FierceKitty]

I won't try to shout anyone down, but my reading on the subject some years ago left me persuaded it was probably the ground MG that did him in.

[MartinKnight1333]

The autopsy of von Richthofen showed that the single .303 bullet that killed him coursed left top right through his chest.  The damage was consistent with a range of about 600 meters and he would have survived the wound for between 15 to 20 seconds.  The only candidate was the Australian Sgt Popkin with his Vickers MG firing for a ground position.

Where is this conflicting data, it was stated that the bullet penertrated from above, and the' quote' several Doctors all confirm it was not possible for it to be from the ground but above ?  So where does this autopsy revord say this?