Final answer:
The greatest flying ace during WWI was the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, with 80 victories. Canadian pilot Captain Arthur Roy Brown was credited with shooting him down, although there is debate over the validity of this claim with possible ground fire involvement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The greatest flying ace during WWI was Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, more famously known as the Red Baron. He was credited with 80 air combat victories. The Red Baron was ultimately shot down on April 21, 1918, by a single bullet while flying over Morlancourt Ridge, near the River Somme.
There is some controversy over who fired the fatal shot, but the most widely accepted account attributes the shot to Canadian pilot Captain Arthur Roy Brown. However, some historical debate continues regarding whether it was actually anti-aircraft ground fire from Australian troops that caused von Richthofen's death.
During the time of WWI, aircraft pilots were a symbol of chivalric heroism amidst the grime and horror of trench warfare. They were revered as knights of the sky, and the dogfights became legendary tales of individual prowess in a war otherwise dominated by industrial-scale slaughter.
Skillful aviators, or "aces," such as the Red Baron played a crucial role in early air combat, elevating the significance of aerial reconnaissance, and contributing to the legacy of the First World War as it increased the war's global impact and highlighted the use of developing technologies in warfare.