Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen ( May 2 , 1892 - April 21 , 1918 ) , nicknamed the `` Red Baron '' , was a plane controller , or pilot in World War I , a really big and bad war . Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen ( 2 May 1892 â `` 21 April 1918 ) , widely known as the Red Baron , was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service ( LuftstreitkrÃ fte ) during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of that war , being officially credited with 80 air combat victories , more than any other pilot .