The Red Baron

On the Western Front in 1916, Richthofen drops a wreath over the funeral of an Allied pilot and is soon drawn into action with Voss and Sternberg when a Royal Flying Corps squadron led by Captain Lanoe Hawker appears. He shoots down Canadian pilot Arthur Roy Brown and, after pulling Brown from the wreckage, assists Nurse Käte Otersdorf by applying a tourniquet to Brown's leg.

After killing Hawker, Richthofen is awarded the Pour le Mérite and promoted to command a squadron. He is joined by his brother Lothar von Richthofen, and he orders his pilots to avoid unnecessary killings; he is dismayed when Lothar deliberately strafes and kills a British pilot who has already landed.

During an aerial dogfight, Richthofen again encounters Captain Brown, who has escaped from a German prisoner of war camp after Käte's nursing. The two are forced to ditch in no man's land, where they share a friendly drink, and Brown mentions that Käte has feelings for Richthofen.

Shortly after these events, Richthofen learns that his close friend Friedrich Sternberg, a Jewish pilot, has been shot down and killed. Over the following days, Richthofen withdraws from activity and refuses to leave his room, while Lothar reminds him that a leader cannot afford to mourn.

Richthofen suffers a skull wound during an aerial battle and is sent to be nursed by Käte. While recovering, they share a romantic dinner and a dance, and Käte admonishes him for treating the war as a game.

As they begin to make love, an Allied bombing raid interrupts. Richthofen orders Käte to hide and returns to the air with his men to defend the squadron. The wound reopens and he is shaken by the combat death of his protégé Kurt Wolff, fueling a fierce rage in combat.

During a visit, Richthofen is told he has been offered a rear echelon position in command of the entire Air Service. Käte is overjoyed, but Richthofen senses manipulation by the Kaiser and generals. He learns at Fokker Industries that Werner Voss has died, leaving the squadron short of experienced pilots.

On the eve of the Spring Offensive, Richthofen tells Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg that the war is unwinnable, but Hindenburg orders him back to his squadron and he returns to flying.

As the offensive begins, Richthofen's squadron goes after every Allied aeroplane and balloon. Käte tends the wounded on the ground and confronts him about risking everything; he refuses to betray his soldiers by remaining a symbolic immortal, telling Käte that she is his greatest victory.

On April 21, 1918, Richthofen wakes to news of a British formation approaching after making love to Käte. He briefs his pilots, cautions his inexperienced cousin Wolfram, and climbs into his cockpit with a sad smile for Käte, marking his last flight.

Käte travels to Richthofen's grave with Brown's help, apologizing for not visiting sooner and expressing her lasting love. A wreath left by Captain Brown reads a farewell to Manfred von Richthofen, both friend and enemy.