Werner Voss (13 April 1897-23 September 1917) was an Imperial German Air Service fighter ace during World War I who was credited with 48 aerial victories.
Biography[]
Werner Voss was born in Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, German Empire in 1897, the son of a dyer. He joined the Imperial German Army in November 1914 as a hussar, and he later turned to aviation, proving to be a natural pilot. On 21 November 1916, he joined Manfred von Richthofen's squadron, becoming a close friend of his. By 6 April 1917, he had scored 24 victories and was awarded the Pour le Merite, and Richthofen regarded Voss as his only rival as top scoring ace of the war. On 30 July, he was given command of his own fighter squadron, and, on 23 September 1917, he scored his 48th victory. Hours later, he engaged in his last stand against several British planes over Frezenberg, Belgium, hitting almost all of his opponents before he was shot down. His plane exploded into a thousand fragments, killing him.