Born in Krefeld, Voss was the youngest of three sons of an industrial dyer. In 1914 he enlisted at the age of 17 in the 2nd Westphalian Hussar Regiment Nr. 11, serving on the Eastern Front.He transferred to the Luftstreitkräfte (German Air Service), learning to fly at Egelsberg. A gifted pilot, he was immediately enrolled as an instructor upon graduating, before finally departing to the front.
Voss served with Kampfstaffel 20 of Kampfgeschwader IV as an observer before he was allowed to fly as a pilot. He then transferred to scout aircraft and was posted to Oswald Boelcke's Jasta (Jagdstaffel) 2, where he flew as Manfred von Richthofen's wingman. He scored his first victory at the age of 18 on November 27, 1916. He was credited with 38 confirmed victories in his Albatros D.III scout aircraft decorated with a swastika and heart motifs (for good luck).
Voss was subsequently promoted to temporary commands at Jastas 5, 29, and 14, before moving to a permanent command at 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, squadron leader.
Voss was shot down in an historic dogfight on September 23, 1917 in which he single-handedly engaged as many as eight Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5s of 60 and 56 Squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps over Poelcappelle. The SE5s were flown by the Royal Flying Corps' top aces: James T.B. McCudden, Richard A. Maybery, Keith K. Muspratt, Reginald T.C. Hoidge, Arthur Rhys-Davids, Gerald Bowman, and Verschoyle P. Cronyn.
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 pelted with bullets on his starboardside by the guns of Hoidge. One round pierced his right side and passed through his lungs.
Nearing death, Voss did not see Rhys Davids get on his 6. Rhys Davids opened fire as McCudden watched Voss go into a steep dive from which he never recovered. Recalled McCudden, "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."
Werner Voss, crashed near Plum Farm north of Frezenberg in Belgium. Only the rudder, cowling, and parts of the undercarriage were salvaged; the aircraft was the subject of a report by 2nd Lieutenant G. Barfoot-Saunt.
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"). 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.
