The Red Baron Case

April 21st, 1918. A day of dogfights, death and controversy. Particularly the death of Manfred von Richthofen, Also known as “The Red Baron”. The death of the famous World War 1 pilot has sparked controversy from the days after his death to even present day. It is not known for sure who shot down Richthofen. The man credited with the kill was Roy Brown of the 209th squadron. Who chased the Baron in a dogfight which ended in the death of the Baron Based on where the Baron was shot and the angle, The time frame from the shot to his death, and that the bullet was found intact. It was not Roy Brown who shot down the Red Baron. But it was in fact the Australian machine gunner, Sgt. Cedric Popkin.
After the body of Richthofen was recovered and autopsy was performed. The conclusion of this autopsy showed that “the round that killed von Richthofen had entered the right side of his chest “about the level of the ninth rib...just in front of the posterior axillary line. The bullet appears to have passed obliquely backwards through the chest, striking the spinal column, from which it glanced in a forward direction and issued on the left side of the chest at a level about two inches …show more content…
Popkin was stationed on the ground and was capable of producing a shot on an upward angle. He was also the only pilot to fire at the Baron on his right side. The two other possible shooters, Capt. Roy Brown, and gunner Robert Buie both shot from the left side. Two pieces of evidence concluded that the shooter shot at the right side. The wound in Richthofen, and damage to the plane itself “the only obvious bullet hole was on the right-hand side of the fuselage, below the cockpit rim. No bullet holes were found on the opposite side of the fuselage” Because of the angle and side the Baron was shot on. it can be clearly shown the Sgt. popkin was the killer of von