Warbird Information Exchange

The photo of MVR and four of his pilots was published as Sanke postcard S511. The card was published with two different captions on the left. The date of the photo is most likely between 20 April 1917, when Brauneck arrived to join MVR's squadron and 24 April as Festner was killed the morning of 25 April. One source (below) suggests that the photo was taken on 23 April. Interestingly, the odd looking smile on Festner's face in the published photo seems to have been caused by retouching due to his mouth having been partly open in the original photo. Another photo showing 11 pilots of MVR's squadron posed with an Albatros seems to have been taken within days of the S511 photo.

A source for more info is The Imperial German Eagles in World War I, Their Postcards and Pictures, by Lance J. Bonnenkant, PhD., 2006, published by Schiffer Military History. The photos mentioned above are discussed on pages 258-260. Hope that helps.

Randy

Superstitions of flyers
One superstition may have been the most popular and strongest of them all. The notion that predicted doom for a pilot who allowed his photograph to be taken in front of his plane before takeoff. However, they would allow photographs after they had returned to record the flight. It seems that this superstition had considerable weight because it happened to Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the deadliest ace that air warfare had ever known. He was reported to have laughed at this superstition. On 21st April 1918, he stopped to play with a puppy at the door of a hangar, which housed his bright red Fokker Tri-plane, he also smiled into the lens of a camera held by a visitor and had his picture taken. The day before, he had shot down his 80th aircraft. However, this day was his last; he was shot down and killed. His luck had run out.

Anybody have a copy of this photo?

Are you talking about the photo with MVR holding Moritz (his dog) and Moritz is standing on his hind legs with a Dr.I Triplane in the background (von Richthofen and the "Flying Circus", by Nowarra and Brown, 1964, page 104 top left and also here http://www.frontflieger.de/ricma/1918_04_21_moritz.jpg)? If so, that image is not credited as on the day of his death, and the Triplane in the background does not seem to be colored and marked as Dr. I 425/17, which he flew for his last two victories and on the day he was lost. Information I have is that 425/17 had the Balkenkreuz national emblem overpainted with a white bordered Greek Cross before it was flown by MVR.

If that is not the photo in question, and it may not be as the Triplane is beside a tent/hangar and not in it, this is the closest match I can find in my MVR books. All the best.

Randy

Well, now I find in another source (Richthofen, A True History of the Red Baron by Burrows, 1969, in the photos between pages 112 and 113, a cropped version of the photo I noted above, with the following caption:

"Jinx" photograph taken of Richthofen playing with his dog, Moritz, five minutes before his last flight (Imperial War Museum, London)

I still don't think the Triplane in the photo is the one he was flying when he was shot down but I certainly could be wrong. The use of "jinx" in the caption goes along with trojandl's post. We may never know.

Randy