(Photo courtesy of Gareth Collins)
Generalfeldmarschall Dr.ing. Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen
Born: 10 Oct 1895 on Gut Barzdorf, District Striegau, Silesia (Schlesien)
Died: 12 Jul 1945 in Bad Ischl, Austria
Diploma In Engineering: 10 May 1924
Doctorate In Engineering: 1929
Promotions:
Fähnrich (22 Mar 1913); Leutnant (19 Jun 1914); Charakter als Oberleutnant (29 Feb 1920); Leutnant (01 Nov 1923); Oberleutnant (31 Jul 1925); Hauptmann (01 Feb 1929); Major (01 Jun 1934); Oberstleutnant (20 Apr 1936); Oberst (23 Jan 1938); Generalmajor (01 Nov 1938); General der Flieger (19 Jul 1940); Generaloberst (01 Feb 1942); Generalfeldmarschall (16 Feb 1943)
Career:
Entered the Army as Squadron-Officer and Platoon-Leader in the 4th Hussar-Regiment (22 Mar 1913-05 Sep 1917)
Detached to the War School in Kassel (14 Sep 1913-19 Jun 1914)
At the same time, Leader of the Horse-Depot of the 12th Cavalry-Brigade (20 Nov 1916-27 Dec 1916)
At the same time, Squadron-Leader in the 4th Hussar-Regiment (04 Jun 1917-27 Jun 1917)
Training with the 14th Flying-Replacement-Regiment (05 Sep 1917-20 Dec 1917)
Training with the 11th Flying-Replacement-Battalion (21 Dec 1917-13 Mar 1918)
Detached to Army-Flight-Park 2 (14 Mar 1918-18 Mar 1918)
Detached to Fighter-Flying-Squadron-School 1 (19 Mar 1918-26 Mar 1918)
Pilot in Fighter-Wing 1 ‘Richthofen’ (27 Mar 1918-00 Nov 1918)
With Air-Base Gotha (00 Nov 1918-09 May 1919)
Placed to the Disposal of the 4th Hussar-Regiment and Granted Leave (10 May 1919-29 Feb 1920)
Retired (29 Feb 1920)
Reactivated to Army Service and Assigned with the 11th Mounted-Regiment and Detached to the Commander Berlin (01 Nov 1923-30 Sep 1927)
Transferred into the 13th Mounted-Regiment and Detached to the Commander Berlin (01 Oct 1927-31 Oct 1928)
Company-Leader in the 5th Motor-Transport-Battalion (01 Nov 1928-10 Feb 1929)
Detached to the Army-Statistical Department (T 3), RWM (11 Feb 1929-07 Apr 1929)
Granted Leave to the German Embassy in Rome for Studying of the Italian Air Force (08 Apr 1929-30 Sep 1932)
Company-Chief in the 6th Motor-Transport-Battalion (01 Oct 1932-30 Apr 1933)
Detached to the Tactical-Technical Officers-Course with the Motor-Transport-Instruction-Staff Berlin (10 Jan 1933-31 Mar 1933)
Company-Chief in the 6th Fighting-Vehicle-Battalion (01 May 1933-30 Sep 1933)
Transferred into the Luftwaffe and Advisor LA III in the RLM (01 Oct 1933-31 May 1934)
Leader of the Department for Tests-Affairs, L C, RLM (01 Jun 1934-05 Nov 1936)
Leader of Experimental-Command 88 (Legion Condor) (06 Nov 1936-00 Jan 1937)
Chief Of Staff of Legion Condor (00 Jan 1937-30 Sep 1937)
Officer with Special Duties of the RLM and C-in-C Luftwaffe (01 Oct 1937-31 Mar 1938)
Commodore of Bomber-Wing 257 (01 Apr 1938-31 Oct 1938)
Commander of the Operations-Staff of Legion Condor (01 Nov 1938-18 Jul 1939)
Special-Purpose-Flying-Leader, Berlin (19 Jul 1939-30 Sep 1939)
Commander of the Special-Purpose-Flying-Division (01 Oct 1939-02 Oct 1939)
Commanding General of the VIII. Flying-Corps (03 Oct 1939-30 Jun 1942)
Chief of Air-Fleet 4 and Commander South-East (04 Jul 1942-03 Sep 1943)
At the same time, Delegated with the Leadership of Air-Fleet 2 (26 Jun 1943-03 Sep 1943)
Commander-in-Chief of Air-Fleet 2 (04 Sep 1943-27 Oct 1944)
Taken ill and Granted Leave (27 Oct 1944-27 Nov 1944)
Führer-Reserve OKL – Special-Staff Field-Marshal von Richthofen and then in US Captivity (28 Nov 1944-12 Jul 1945)
Died in US Captivity (12 Jul 1945)

Decorations & Awards:
- Ritterkreuz (31): am 17.05.1940 als Generalmajor und Kommandierender General des VIII. Flieger-Korps
- Eichenlaub (26): am 17.07.1941 als General der Flieger und Kommandierender General des VIII. Flieger-Korps
- 1914 EK I : 00.06.1918
- 1914 EK II : 21.09.1914
- Kgl. Preuss. Flugzeugführer-Abzeichen
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Gemeinsames Flugzeugführer-und Beobachterabzeichen in Gold mit Brillanten
- Medalla de la Campaña de España
- Kgl. Spanische Flugzeugführer-Abzeichen
- Medalla Militar Individual de España con Diamantes: 06.06.1939
- Spanienkreuz mit Schwertern in Gold mit Brillanten: 06.06.1939 (Richthofen erhält des Spanienkreuz aus der Hand des Reichsmarschall Göring)
- Kriegserinnerungs-Ärmelband “Jagdgeschwader Freiherr von Richthofen Nr. 1 1917/1918”
- Spange zum EK I: 25.09.1939
- Spange zum EK II: 12.09.1939
- Kgl. Rumän. Orden “Michael der Tapfere” III Klasse: 29.07.1942
- Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/1942”
- Krimschild
- Ärmelband "Kreta"
- Kgl. Rumän. Orden “Michael der Tapfere” II Klasse: 15.02.1943
- Wehrmachtsbericht: 20.06.1940; 21.10.1941; 19.05.1942; 20.05.1942; 02.07.1942; 12.08.1942; 20.03.1943



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