The young Prussian nobleman whose all-scarlet plane identified him as the Red Baron was Manfred von Richthofen, leader of Jagdstaffel 11 and the man destined to become Germany's greatest ace of World War I.

Von Richthofen scored his first victory on September 17, 1916. He celebrated with champagne, then ordered the first of a series of engraved silver cups that marked his victories. In less than two years, this calculating airman would score 80 kills and 126 unofficial victories.

Von Richthofen's fame grew fast. In the first half of 1917, Allied air losses were four times greater than those of Germany. Most of these losses were attributed to the Fokker Triplane. The triple-winged Dr.I compensated for its lack of speed with high maneuverability. It could climb quickly, turn sharply, and perform stunts in combat.

The first day Germany's Red Knight flew a Fokker Dr.I, he shot down a British plane with only 20 rounds of ammunition. The last day he flew a Fokker Dr.1 was April 21, 1918. Defying superstition, he posed for a picture, stepped into his flaming red triplane, and took off. During a dogfight over the Somme, a single bullet penetrated his chest. Von Richthofen was dead when his plane landed. The victory was credited to Captain A. Roy Brown, a 24-year old Canadian.

Gone forever was the German who had shot down 30 planes in a 30-day period during the spring of 1918. At home, his mother prized a collection of 80 cups—77 silver, 3 lead. Berlin had run out of silver.