„”This showed neither sportsmanship nor was it chivalrous, but it was the fastest way to honor and medals. The most popular tactic was, to creep up on the enemy plain, without being seen or while its pilot was following another plane, and then to open fire.” The British ace Jimmy McCudden frankly admitted this successful concept: “You’ll best get a German before he sees you. Obviously I think it is not right to shoot down a German before he sees me. It is against the little sportsmanship I feel, but it is a theory for combat that seems to work.” Even Richthofen admitted this “successful concept”: “The easiest way is to surprise a single-seater from behind. If he has paid attention he instantly will start to fly curves. Than it is important to fly narrower curves and to stay above the enemy.” Serious estimates are expecting that at least half of the pilots who were killed in air combat during the First World war never saw the attacking plane.“
Source: Joachim Castan, Der Rote Baron – Die ganze Geschichte des Manfred von Richthofen, Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart, 2. Auflage 2007.