| Werner Voss | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 13, 1897 Krefeld |
| Died | September 23, 1917 (aged 20) North of Frezenberg, West Flanders |
| Allegiance | German Empire |
| Service/branch | Luftstreitkräfte |
| Years of service | 1914-1917 |
| Rank | Leutnant |
| Unit | KG 4, Jastas 2, 5, 10, 14, 29 |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite, Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class, House Order of Hohenzollern |
Werner Voss (German: Werner Voß) (April 13, 1897–September 23, 1917) was a World War I German flying ace, a friend and rival of the famous Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen.
A brilliant pilot and aggressive fighter, he was considered by some to be the one pilot who could match von Richthofen.[1] Described as "the bravest German airman" by James McCudden.
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Born in Krefeld in 1897, Voss was the youngest of three sons and two daughters of an industrial dyer.
Voss enlisted in 1914 at the age of 17 in the 2nd Westphalian Hussar Regiment Nr. 11, serving on the Eastern Front.[2]
When his regiment was disbanded[1] he transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte (German Air Service) in August 1915, joining FEA7 in Cologne. In September he was sent to Egelsberg to learn to fly. A gifted pilot, he was immediately enrolled as an instructor at FEA 7 upon graduating in February 1916, before finally departing to the front on 10 March.
Vizefeldwebel Voss was posted to Kampfstaffel 20 of Kampfgeschwader IV, and served as an observer before he was allowed to fly as a pilot, receiving his pilot's badge in May 1916. Commissioned in September, he then transferred to scout aircraft and was posted to Oswald Boelcke's Jasta (Jagdstaffel) 2 in November 1916.
He scored his first two victories at the age of 18 on 27 November 1916. Scoring rapidly during February - March 1917, he was awarded the Pour le Merite on 8 April 1917, with his score already 24.
After 28 claims, he was sent to command Jasta 5 on 20 May, then briefly posted to Jasta 29 as temporary commander, before a similar posting to Jasta 14 on 3 July. On 30 July, Voss moved to permanent command of Jasta 10 in Richthofen's Jagdgeschwader I (JG I) (or the "Flying Circus" as it became called by the Allies).
Voss was known as a loner and an inspirational, rather than effective, unit leader. Modern writers often describe him as 'mercurial'. He was a casual dresser, but when flying would wear full uniform, in case of a forced landing.
He had a gift for mechanical engineering, and was an avid rider of motorcycles. Voss also mechanically 'tweaked' his aircraft, often being found in the hangar working on his machine or its guns.
He was wounded on 6 June 1917 during a dogfight with 6 Naval Squadron Royal Naval Air Service, (possibly by Flt Sub-Lt Christopher Draper) but soon returned to duty. He was by now credited with 38 confirmed victories in his Albatros D.III, at the time decorated with a swastika and heart motif (for good luck).
In August, having tested a F.I prototype (103/17, Wk. Nr.1730) of the Fokker Dr.I triplane Voss adopted the rotary engine triplane as his personal aircraft. Voss had flown kites with his cousins in Krefeld and the kites gave him the inspiration to paint the nose of his Fokker Dr.I with two eyes, eyebrows and a moustache.
He rapidly claimed 10 more victories between 3 and 23 September to raise his total to 48, second only to the Red Baron.[1]
After shooting down a No. 57 Squadron DH 4 bomber on 23 September, he went out on a further patrol and was engaged by six Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5s of the elite 56 Squadron. Voss fought an epic single-handed dogfight against several aces: Capt. James McCudden (57 victories), Lt. Richard Maybery (21), Lt. Geoffrey Hilton Bowman (32), Capt. Reginald Hoidge (28), Lt. Arthur Rhys Davids (23).[3] Keith Muspratt (8) and Lt V.P. Cronyn, with Lt. Harold A. Hamersley (13) and Lt. Robert L. Chidlaw-Roberts (10) of 60 Squadron.[4][5] The dogfight developed over Poelkapelle. Another German ace, Karl Menckhoff, attempted to assist Voss but was downed by Rhys-Davids, (though surviving). Voss fought the RFC aces for 10 minutes, eluding them and putting bullets into every SE5.[3] Using the triplane's superior rate of climb and its ability to slip turn (using the rudder to turn quickly), Voss continually outflew his opponents. He was able to turn at high speeds and attack those behind him. After flying past McCudden in a head-on confrontation however, Voss's Fokker was hit with bullets on the starboard side by Hoidge. One round pierced his right side and passed through his lungs. Nearing death, Voss did not see Rhys-Davids approach from the 6 O'clock position, directly behind his tail.
Rhys-Davids got below him and poured two drums of Lewis fire into the underside of the triplane, then attacked again with both guns. The Fokker fell away, stalled and crashed into the British line.[3] McCudden recalled: "I saw him go into a fairly steep dive and so I continued to watch, and then saw the triplane hit the ground and disappear into a thousand fragments, for it seemed to me that it literally went into powder."[6]
Voss crashed near Plum Farm north of Frezenberg in Belgium. Only the rudder, cowling, and parts of the undercarriage were salvaged; the new type of aircraft was the subject of a intelligence report by 2nd Lieutenant G. Barfoot-Saunt.
One of the British pilots he fought that day, then-Captain James McCudden, a recipient of the Victoria Cross and who would become a leading English ace of the war, expressed sincere regret at Voss's death: "His flying was wonderful, his courage magnificent and in my opinion he was the bravest German airman whom it has been my privilege to see fight." Lieutenant Arthur Rhys-Davids, who himself would fall in combat just one month later, had said to McCudden, "If I could only have brought him down alive."[6][7]
Voss did much damage to B Flight of 56 Squadron ; Muspratt force-landed at No. 1 Squadron's aerodrome with a bullet in his radiator. Mayberry's SE5 was hit in the upper right hand longeron and badly damaged, force landing at St Marie Cappel. Hamersley and Chidlaw-Roberts' SE5s were badly damaged, whereas Hamersley's machine was eventually sent to No.1 Air Depot for repair. Cronyn's airplane was also damaged, as related in a letter he wrote to his father:
| “ | After Mess I went up to the hangar to have a look at my machine. It was a write-off and no mistake. The right lower longeron had a bullet hole through it, while the left lower was nearly cut in two, either by "Archie" or bullets, but there was only about a quarter of an inch thickness left in one place, while about 18 inches further along three bullets had cut right through. The main spars were shot through, and one of the ribs of the tailplane was fractured, by the only bullet he had got into me while on or nearly on my tail. There were also several other bullet holes in wings and fuselage. Besides these few details, the machine was all OK! It was a miracle he didn't hit me in the engine. As a matter of fact he got one in my prop. I went to bed as soon as I had a good look over the machine, but could hardly sleep a wink. I just lay in bed perspiring, though it was quite a cold night. | ” |
| Participant | Nationality | Victories during engagement | Total Victories |
|---|---|---|---|
| James McCudden | English | 12 | 57 |
| Geoffrey Hilton Bowman | English | 16 | 32 |
| Reginald Hoidge | Canadian | 22 | 28 |
| Arthur Rhys-Davids | English | 18 | 25 |
| Richard Maybery | Welsh | 13 | 21 |
| Harold A. Hamersley | English | 2 | 13 |
| Robert L. Chidlaw-Roberts | English | 5 | 10 |
| Keith Muspratt | English | 6 | 8 |
| Verschoyle P. Cronyn | Canadian | 3 | 4 |
Voss' decorations and awards include: the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, the Knights Cross with Swords of the Hohenzollern House Order, the Prussian Pilot Badge, and the Orden Pour le Mérite (the "Blue Max"). Although only 1 uncomfirmed victory his final total was 48 confirmed victories.
Voss is one of 44,292 German soldiers buried in the Langemark German war cemetery, some 6 km northeast of Ypres, Belgium. He has been the subject of numerous biographies.
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