Red Baron flick in the works!

[Spino]

http://www.redbaron-themovie.com/

I sincerely hope the script and performances match the costumes and art direction because this movie looks first rate!

[Zalmoxis]

Awesome! By the way, was he machine-gunned by the guy on the ground, or that pilot?

[Spino]

Awesome! By the way, was he machine-gunned by the guy on the ground, or that pilot?

To this day no one can say for sure but according to the Baron's Wiki entry a recent analysis of the event places the credit with the Australian machine gunner or one of the riflemen in the area. Based on the decision to cast Joe Fiennes as Capt. Roy Brown we must assume the movie believes he was responsible for taking the Baron down.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Baron

Most experts believe that the shot probably came from Sergeant Cedric Popkin of the Australian 24th Machine Gun Company.[3] Popkin, uisng a Vickers gun, was the only ground-based machine gunner known to have fired at Richthofen from the right, immediately before he landed. Many Australian riflemen were also shooting at the Baron at the time, so it is possible that one of them may well have fired the fatal shot. The Royal Air Force gave official credit to Roy Brown. However, it has been calculated that Richthofen could have lived for only 20–30 seconds after he was hit and that Brown had not fired at him within that time frame. It was reported that a spent 0.303 bullet was found inside Richthofen's clothing, which would also support a low-velocity shot from a long distance.

Tactically speaking the Baron was second to none so it is rather surprising that he would risk the hazards of a low level pursuit over enemy territory to get a single kill. The Wiki entry also mentions the possibility that the Baron might have been suffering from brain damage or combat fatigue (aka post-traumatic stress disorder) at the time he was shot down which might help explain his poor judgment.