R.I.P. Werner Voss

I think of Werner Voss every September 23. Werner Voss was one of the greatest of the World War One German flying aces. He was a better pilot than the Red Baron even though the Red Baron was a better leader and teacher. On this date in 1917, Werner Voss was killed in one of the epic dogfights of that war when he fought alone against a flight of some of the best pilots in the British Royal Flying Corps.

Voss was in one of the prototype Fokker triplanes with a whimsical face painted on the engine cowling. He could have gotten away more than once in the prolonged combat, but always dove back in to engage them. All the British machines were damaged, but eventually something happened where Voss's triplane flew straight long enough for Lieutenant Rhys-Davids to shoot it down.

According to the Wikipedia article on Werner Voss, after a head on pass against the British ace McCudden, the side of Voss's triplane was hit by a machine-gun burst by Hoidge and Voss took a bullet in his lungs before Rhys-Davids came in from behind and below him. I just read this a few minutes ago and it is the first time I heard these details of the end. I will do some checking to see what sources they found that I hadn't seen before.