Werner Voss (April 13rd 1897 &ndash - September 23rd 1917) is a German ace of aviation of the First World War died in the combat.
Biography
Beginnings
Born the April 13rd 1897 with Krefeld, in Rhineland-Westphalia, to about thirty kilometers the Netherlands, Werner Voss seems promised to follow the way of his/her father, dyer, when the First World War bursts. Being carried before voluntary to integrate the militia of Krefeld, it is assigned with the 11th company of the hussards of Westphalia the November 16th 1914 and is deployed with her on the face of the east. In less than seven months, it passes from the row of simple hussard to that of Sous-officier, glanant with the passage the Croix of iron of second class. But, wearied mud and sufferings inherent in the cavalry on the face, he asks and obtains his change in a flying school in August 1915. Courses of piloting follow in Krefeld and with Cologne then, after being become instructor of flight - young person - until February 1916 and observer thereafter, it obtains the invaluable badge of pilot on May 28th of the same year.
The take-off
First victories
The very new lieutenant (September 9th) quickly aspires to control another thing which a two-seater of observation and carries out a demand for this direction. November 21st, 1916 it is temporarily assigned with the Jasta 2, the squadron of fire Oswald Boelcke, based with Lagnicourt between Cambrai and Arras. Very quickly Voss impresses his/her comrades, with the number of which are the aces Manfred von Richthofen and Erwin Böhme. As of on November 27th, it obtains its first victory confirmed by cutting down a Nieuport 17 and in order to show that the chance did not owe anything with that it took the air again this same day and cut down a FE2b. Its assignment quickly became final.
Commander de Jasta
Voss obtained 28 victories with Jasta 2 as well as the Croix of iron of first class, the Croix of Knight with the Swords about the House of Hohenzollern and the very coveted medal For the merit. Having received the command of the Jasta 5 based with Cappy-on-Nap, it adds 6 new victories to its prize list. Sure of him, the young pilot does not have any state of heart, going until discharging his machine-guns on a shot down plane moving towards the ground in order to make sure that the unfavourable pilot did not feintait. He however multiplies the acts of temerity and one briefly entrusts the command of the Jasta to him 29 then that of the Jasta 14.
Integration with the " Volant" circus; of Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen, celebrates it red baron into which the dregs frank and solid friendship since their meeting in Jasta 2, make any possible sound in order to integrate Voss within its " Volant" circus; , the Jagdgeschwader 1, a formation of elite including/understanding Jastas 4,6,10 and 11, and it is quite naturally that Werner Voss ends up joining the Jasta 10, on July 30th, 1917, that it orders in fact. It registers 14 other victories with its prize list of which 10 on famous the Fokker Triplan Dr1 of which it receives officially the 3rd prototype the August 28th 1917 and to which it gives its first noble letters. Voss had in fact be the first to test the new apparatus and had even controlled it 2 days earlier during a demonstration made in the presence of the généralissime Ludendorff which was extremely impressed.
Last mission
September 23rd, 1917, shortly after 18:00, Werner Voss decides to take off for a last mission, without escort, determined to track stray battles of the afternoon. It holds seems it to obtain its 50e victory before taking the rest which the German high-command had ordered to him to observe and for which his/her father and his brothers had come to seek it. Having seen at the end of a few minutes a solitary SE5 which regained its base, the German ace took it in hunting. Obnubilated by its target, he did not see six others SE5 pertaining to the 56è Squadron to melt on him.These frightening apparatuses were not with the hands of beginners since appeared the British aces James McCudden, Arthur Rhys Davids, reg. Hoidge and Gerald Bowman among the pilots. With the first shots, Voss faced its adversaries. Although numerically unbalanced, the combat of ten minutes was never broken by Voss which, with the dires one of the British pilots present, could however have made it when it wished it. Major McCudden, ordering 56è Squadron, declared later that it seemed to be always shooting at us all at the same time and that its operations were so fast that we are not able to hold it in our sight . However, in spite of the intervention of the German ace Carl Menckhoff with the orders of its Albatross which turns course quickly, Voss is mortally reached by a gust released by Rhys Davids.
Its apparatus is crushed after long piqué with approximately 800m inside the English lines, in the north of St Julien. The English apparatuses returned at the base because of the falling night and it is only the following day that they learned the identity from their shot down adversary. Quickly buried by the British troops, the site of its tomb was upset forever by violent one later combat. Of the 7 allied apparatuses having taken share with the combat, all returned reached by the machine-guns of German including 4 seriously damaged.
Many German and allied pilots regarded Voss as being the best fighter pilot of the Great War. Rhys Davids regretted a little later having killed him by cutting down it and McCudden wrote this word in connection with “crowned catch” that its men and had fought to him: As long as I will live I will never forget admiration that I carry to this pilot who only fought 7 among us lasting 10 minutes and touched all our machines. Its flight was marvellous, its splendid courage, and it is according to me more the brave man controls German that I had the privilege to see fighting .
See too
Internal bonds
External bonds
- http://blindkat.hegewisch.net/voss/voss.html
- http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/voss.php
- Biography and photographs
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