Gathering of Aces

Oil 40"x50"

September 23, 1917, twenty-year-old Werner Voss, commander of the Yellow Nosed Jasta 10, was about to go home on leave, but decides to go on a lone wolf-patrol, probably hoping to achieve the half-century mark in victories. Earlier that day, he shot down a DH4 from squadron 57 which brought the young Werner’s tally to 48 victories. His commander and friend, Baron Manfred Von Richtofen, when faced with a similiar situation, went on such a mission and reached 52 victories.Was Werner thinking of this? We will never know, but we do know that he flew off and faced the famous 56th squadron, the very squadron of aces that was formed to bring down the “Red Baron” and his Jastas.
Voss took off alone and came upon SE5’s of Squadron 60 escorting a two seater. He swooped down upon the straggling R. Chidlaw-Roberts in his SE. Captain H. A. Hamersley saw his squadron mate in trouble and turned to help. Voss, already anticipating the rescue maneuver, met Hamersley head-on and severly shot-up his craft, forcing him down in a spinning dive. Chidlaw-Roberts tried to intervene, only to find Voss had once again anticipated the move, and turned his plane in an “impossible way,” and sent a stream of bullets which ripped into his aircraft, leaving Chidlaw-Roberts only option to dive away. Voss followed to finish them off. Taking notice from above was Squadron 56 leader, James “Mac” McCudden. Mac saw the SE’s plight and lead his squadron to join the fight. The 56th started out organized in pairs, but that soon broke- down, due to the tight turns and the superb flying skills of Voss. For a short time, a red-nosed Albatross, flown by Carl Menckhoff of Jasta 3, joined in the fight and performed well with Voss, but was shot-down by Rye Davis. He made it back to his own lines to fly again for Germany.
With B and C flight of the 56th Squadron, plus what was on hand of the 60th, it is uncertain the number of planes Voss flew against in the duration of the fight. (It was no less than nine, and possibly twelve.) With it being said, Voss holed every plane in the sky against him. Every time the British felt they had a shot at Voss, he would turn his plane in an unexpected way and would shoot them before they could get-off a well-aimed shot. In fact, it was stated Voss had times where he could have broken off the fight, but would keep coming down upon them. At one point, Mac thought of braking off the fight himself, due to gathering darkness. At 6:05, in fading light, Rhye Davis was credited with ending the life of probably the most gifted pilot of the war, or even of all time, Werner Voss.
By war’s end, the aces in this “Gathering of Aces” totaled 281 victories. The aces where;
Robert Chidlaw-Roberts (10vic.), H. A. Hamersley (13vic)., James McCudden (57vic.),
Rye Davis (25vic.), R A Maybery (21vic.), Keith Muspratt (8vic.), Gerald Bowman ( 32vic.),
Reg Hoidge (28vic.), Carl Menckhoff (39vic.) and Werner Voss (48vic.)