Major-General Maximillian Voss is a character in the Operation Market Garden and Tiger Ace campaigns of Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts and Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor. He is the tank commander of the Tiger tank "205" in France and later commands Kampfgruppe Lehr in Holland.
History[]
Likely a veteran of the First World War, Voss began to serve Germany again in the Panzer units of the Waffen SS. He participated in major campaigns against Poland in 1939 and later to France in 1940.
In 1941, he was relocated to the Eastern Front and participated in Operation Barbarossa against the Soviet Union. Then, in 1942, he joined the 502nd Heavy Panzer Battalion and was relocated to Leningrad. As Hauptmann, he was assigned to command a Tiger Tank, the latest advancement of German armor and one of the most awe-inspiring tanks of all time. Voss and his crew soon started to make a name for themselves, and Tiger Tank "205" become a legend as "Tiger Ace". Tiger 205 was redeployed to France in the spring of 1944.
Tiger Tank "205" crew[]
- Hauptmann Maximillian Voss (tank commander)
- Oberschutze Arno Schroif (driver)
- Feldwebel Joseph Shultz (gunner)
- Schutze Alfred Litzke (loader)
- Schutze Dieter Berndt (radio operator)
On June 13, 1944, still suffering mechanical trouble after an engine replacement, Voss and his crew arrived in the town of Villiers-Bocage and delayed the British 7th Armoured division by inflicting heavy casualties. During the fight, 205 was immobilized by a British 6-pounder anti-tank gun, forcing the crew to abandon the vehicle. Despite this, Voss and his crew were able to escape back to German headquarters on foot. The crew received another Tiger with infantry support, with which Germans recaptured Villiers-Bocage.
Not long after the victory, the Tiger Ace crew was factually disbanded as all members were reassigned. Voss was sent to Holland where he was promoted to Major-General, and took command of the newly created Kampfgruppe Lehr. During Operation Market Garden, Kampfgruppe Lehr successfully fended off the American airborne paratroopers by controlling three critical bridges, and later held off British 30th Corps's attempt to reinforce Arnhem.
Voss's military involvement after Operation Market Garden was not known. Voss survived the war, and retired somewhere in Germany.
Quotes[]
- "Ausgezeichnete Arbeit Panzertuppen"
- "Destroy the occupiers"
Behind the Scenes[]
- Voss is likely based on Michael Wittman and Fritz Bayerlein.
- Voss was a Hauptmann (Captain) by June 1944 and was promoted to Major General in less than 3 months. Historically, such promotion is not likely in German army.
Gallery[]
