A single bullet through the heart ended the reign of history's deadliest fighter pilot — but a century later, we still don't know who pulled the trigger.

The Red Baron's Last Ride

How the World's Greatest Fighter Ace Met His End Over the Somme

The legendary Red Baron was shot down over Australia-held territory, sparking a century-long mystery about who fired the fatal bullet.

The morning of April 21, 1918, broke cold and gray over the Somme Valley, the French countryside scarred by four years of mechanized slaughter. At 10:30 AM, a blood-red Fokker Dr.I triplane lifted off from Cappy aerodrome, its pilot scanning the haze for prey. Manfred von Richthofen — the Red Baron — had already claimed 80 aerial victories. He needed just one more to complete another hunting day.

Below, Australian troops of the 53rd Battery looked up as the dogfight spilled across their positions. They had seen aerial combat before, but nothing like this — a swirling chaos of Sopwith Camels and German triplanes dancing at treetop level. The Baron had locked onto a young Canadian pilot, Lieutenant Wilfrid May, pursuing him with lethal focus down the river valley.

What Richthofen didn't see was Captain Arthur 'Roy' Brown diving from above, or the ground fire converging from multiple Australian gun positions. At approximately 10:45 AM, a single .303 bullet tore through the Baron's chest, piercing his heart. The red triplane glided down, bouncing once in a beet field near Vaux-sur-Somme.

Australian soldiers reached the wreckage within minutes. They found the 25-year-old pilot slumpe…

💡 Richthofen's iconic red aircraft wasn't solid red — by April 1918, it was painted with a purple-brown camouflage pattern with only red accents, contradicting the famous all-red image.