Werner Voss

[Manfred von Richthofen HU]

Werner Voss, Germany's fourth ranking ace was born 13 April 1897 in Krefeld Germany. Krefeld is a located in Northwestern Germany, along the Rhine River, just North of Dusseldorf and South of Duisburg. It is approximately 30 Km or 19 miles from the Netherlands. While it has been reported that he was Jewish, official records claim that he was Lutheran. There is the possibility that either one of his parents or possibly a grandparent was Jewish, but there is no hard evidence to suggest this. The rumors that he was Jewish are from an unsubstantiated claim made by Arch Whitehouse. All sources agree that he came from a working class background. Most sources say his father owned or managed a commercial dye factory.

On 16 November, 1914, Voss joined the Westphalian Hussaren (Cavalry) Regiment Nr. 11. At the time he was just seventeen. His career in the Cavalry in not well known. The 11th Hussars were stationed on the Eastern Front. Within three month, Voss was promoted to Gefreiter and was awarded the Iron Cross, Second Class (EK2). By May, 1915 he held the rank of Unteroffizer. Because of his rapid climb in the ranks, we can assume that Voss was as good in the Hussars as he would later prove to be in the air.

Voss tired of the misery and the mud associated with Cavalry and volunteered for Flight School in August 1915. At that time, the air wing of the Imperial German Army was often seen as an extension of the cavalry so this was a more or less natural move on Voss's part.

He trained with Flieger Ersatz Abteilung No.7 at Köln (Cologne). After completing training he became an instructor with FEA7 until February, 1916.

On 2 March 1916, he was promoted to Vizefeldwebel and assigned to Kampsgeschwader 4 and the 20th Kampfstaffel.

Originally Voss flew as an observer but on 28 May he finally received his Pilots badge and he began his life as a combat pilot. a Few months later, on 9 September, he was commissioned a Leutnant.

While Voss proved to be an excellent pilot, he was not happy flying two seat observation planes and requested transfer to Jagdstaffel in hopes of becoming a fighter pilot. He was temporarily assigned to Jasta 2 (Boelke) on 21 November 1916. He quickly impressed his fellow fighter pilots. His first confirmed kill came just five days after joining the Jasta. It was a Nieuport17 Scout plane. To prove this was no fluke, Voss went up a second time that day and shot down an F.E.2b! He was quickly transferred to the Jasta 2 on a permanent basis. While with Jasta 2, Voss managed to shoot down an impressive 28 enemy aircraft, making him the third ranking ace for that Jasta at the War's end. It was here that Manfred von Richthofen, (The Red Baron) and Voss first crossed paths. Von Richthofen was impressed with the young flyer and on numerous occasions admitted that Voss was his chief competitor.

Upon von Richthofen's promotion to OberLeutnant, he was transferred from Jasta 2 to the newly formed Jagdgeschwader 1. JG1 was the formation of an elite German fighter squadron. which consisted of four Jastas. (Jasta, 4, 6, 10, 11).

Voss remained with Jasta 2 until 20 May, 1917, earning a total of 28 victories and the coveted Pour Le Mérite. He was then made acting Commander of Jasta 5 where he earned an additional 6 before being made commander of Jasta 29 for approximately five days before being transferred to command Jasta 14. In the meantime, von Richthofen was lobbying to have Voss transferred to the Flying Circus . Von Richthofen got his wish and Voss was transferred to Jasta 10, where he would eventually become commander and score 14 more victories before his destiny with B flight of No. 56 Squadron

His last dogfight:

A lone silver Dreidecker stalked the evening sky. Below him, a flight of unsuspecting British fighters supporting a reconnaissance mission. Patiently he waited for just the right moment. As the mission wore on, two British SE5a's became separated. The pilot was just two kills short of his fiftieth victory. Few pilots would consider tackling two enemy aircraft alone but Werner Voss was no ordinary pilot. He liked the odds. Like a hungry leopard his Dreidecker pounced on his would be prey with deadly precision, forcing the two British SE5s to the ground.

Suddenly and without warning, the predator became the prey as seven SE5a's Dropped down upon the unsuspecting ace from nowhere. Hopelessly outnumbered it seemed like the only choices were to turn and run or fight to the bitter end.


As McCudden put it:
"We were just on the point of engaging six Albatros Scouts away to our right, when we saw ahead of us, Just above Poelcapelle, an S.E. half spinning down closely pursued by a silvery blue triplane at very closed range. The S.E. certainly looked very unhappy, so we changed our minds about attacking the six V-strutters, and went to the rescue of the unfortunate S.E".
For whatever reason Voss chose to fight. Perhaps he was unaware of the odds. Perhaps the enemy had him so well surrounded that he was unable to put the superior climbing ability of the Fokker Dreidecker to use. For what ever reason he chose to fight and he couldn't have picked a more dangerous group to fight. His opponents were not just any British pilots. This was B Flight of 56 Squadron. All seven of the pilots were aces. For the next ten minutes Voss would fly circles around his adversaries as he emptied his Spandaus and managed to pepper every enemy plane with bullet holes. In the meantime his enemy tried in vain to bring down this most noble opponent but the silver-blue triplane was simply too agile and Voss too talented a flyer for the British.

Suddenly Voss's airplane went into a shallow dive, it's propeller no longer turning. No one knows for sure why. The dreidecker had been flying for almost 90 minutes, the limit of its fuel endurance, so Voss may have run out of fuel. Or perhaps the fuel tank had been punctured and Voss was forced to shut off the engine to prevent the plane from catching fire. Perhaps, after ten minutes of fighting Voss had run out of ammunition and was attempting to surrender. Or maybe Voss had been wounded and could no longer control the plane and was attempting to surrender. No one knows for sure.

As the Dreidecker banked into the shallow turn, Voss made the fatal error of crossing the path of Arthur Rhys Davids.

"Eventually I got east and slightly above the triplane and made for it, getting in a whole Lewis drum and a corresponding number of Vickers into him. He made no attempt to turn, until I was so close to him I was certain we would collide. He passed my right-hand wing by inches and went down."
Voss's Dreidecker then went into steep uncontrolled dive which Flight Leader James McCudden described as:

"I shall never forget my admiration for that German pilot, who single handed, fought seven of us for ten minutes . . . 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."
The dogfight would become one of the best known aerial battles of World War I. It would also end the streak of the Red Baron's closest rivals. Voss's plane crashed in No Man's Land, The battle still raging in the area. Unlike Von Richthofen, he would receive no funeral with full military honors. He was quickly buried and the remains of his dreidecker were shipped back to England for analysis. His death marked the end of an era, the end of the "lone wolf" pilots.
Arthur Rhys-Davids would fall to enemy fire himself on October 12, 1917 with 25 victories to his credit.

James McCudden would later die in a crash when his plane failed him on take off. He had 57 victories to his credit at the time.


"His flying was wonderful, his courage magnificent and in my opinion he is the bravest German airman whom it has been my privilege to see fight." James McCudden
"If I could only have brought him down alive..." Arthur Rhys-Davids to James McCudden


i found this photo what show Voss plane ture colour but i dont know it is a fake or not!!!!!





What do you know Werner Voss life?

MvR HU

[Ginger.]

I know he straffed downed and wounded victims, didn't see that mentioned in your glowing eulogy?

[Manfred von Richthofen HU]

This is Werner Voss sisters and MvR and Sheffer!



i dont know he is a butcher! i dont hear he strafed downed and wounded victims!

[Ginger.]

Great place for learning summat new innit?
On at least two occassions the Hun Lover's second favourite dwarf straffed downed and wounded airmen on his side of the lines.

[Laserlloyd]

...........

[tcrean7828]

Mate,
way to many errors to set straight - See my PM

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom

[Manfred von Richthofen HU]

sorry gentleman!

I'm new here and i dont know these rules! sorry!

Thanks for your help!


MvR HU

[tcrean7828]

Originally Posted by Manfred von Richthofen HU

sorry gentleman!

I'm new here and i dont know these rules! sorry!

Thanks for your help!


MvR HU

Mate,
No problem in asking questions, just ask away and someone will try to answer them for you.

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom

[Ginger.]

Originally Posted by Manfred von Richthofen HU

sorry gentleman!

I'm new here and i dont know these rules! sorry!

Thanks for your help!


MvR HU

Manny, don't ever apologise to the tykes round here mate. They're not rules, you're free to ask any questions you want... it's not as if you're forcing anyone to answer you!
Tom's your man for Werner Voss info.

[tcrean7828]

Originally Posted by Ginger.

Manny, don't ever apologise to the tykes round here mate. They're not rules, you're free to ask any questions you want... it's not as if you're forcing anyone to answer you!
Tom's your man for Werner Voss info.

Mate,
Thanks for the pat on the back Ginger, I need that today of all days.

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom