List of aces of aces

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Ace of aces is a title accorded to the top active ace within a branch of service in a nation's military in time of war.[citation needed] The title is most closely associated with fighter aces, though there are other types, such as tank aces and submarine aces.[citation needed]

Flying aces[]

Ace of aces is a title accorded to the top flying ace of a nation's air force during time of war.[citation needed]

World War I[]

Persons accorded the title Ace of aces
Person Country of service War Time Notes
Adolphe Pégoud France Third Republic (France) World War I 28 April 1915 – 31 August 1915 The first flying ace in aerial warfare history.[1]
Jean Navarre France Third Republic (France) World War I – 17 June 1916 Wounded in action on 17 June 1916.[2][better source needed]
Georges Guynemer France Third Republic (France) World War I – 11 September 1917 [2][better source needed][3][better source needed]
Charles Nungesser France Third Republic (France) World War I 11 September 1917 – Succeeded Guynemer on his death.[3][better source needed]
René Fonck France Third Republic (France) World War I – end of World War I All-time Allied Ace of Aces, with 75 confirmed aerial victories.[4][page needed][5][6][page needed][better source needed]
Max Immelmann German Empire Imperial Germany World War I – 18 June 1916 Before his death, Boelcke and Immelmann swapped the title several times.[7][better source needed]
Oswald Boelcke German Empire Imperial Germany World War I 18 June 1916 – 28 October 1916 Before the death of Immelmann, Boelcke and Immelmann swapped the title several times. Succeeded Immelmann on his death.[8][better source needed]
Erich Loewenhardt German Empire Imperial Germany World War I – 10 August 1918 [9][page needed]
Ernst Udet German Empire Imperial Germany World War I – end of World War I [10][page needed][better source needed]
Manfred von Richthofen German Empire Imperial Germany World War I 26 April 1916 – 21 April 1918 The most widely recognized fighter aces of all time, Richthofen, also called "The Red Baron", achieved 80 air combat victories, highest score in World War I.
Frederick Libby  United States
(United Kingdom No. 23 Squadron RFC, No. 11 Squadron RFC, No. 43 Squadron RFC), No. 25 Squadron RFC))) 		World War I 2 December 1916 – 2 December 1917 The first American ace. 14 victories.[11]
Billy Bishop Canada Dominion of Canada (Canada) World War I April 1917 – end of World War I Credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian and British Empire ace of the war.[12] In 1917 he became (temporarily) the highest scoring ace in the RFC and the third top ace of the war, behind only the Red Baron and René Fonck.[13]
Raoul Lufbery  United States
(France Escadrille Lafayette) 		World War I 2 December 1917 – 15 May 1918 Succeeded Libby by scoring his 15th and 16th victories.[14]
Paul Frank Baer  United States
(France Escadrille Lafayette) 		World War I 15 May 1918 – 18 May 1918 Succeeded Lufbery on his death. 9 victories.[15][better source needed]
Frank Leaman Baylies  United States
(France L'armee de l'air de France) 		World War I 18 May 1918 – 12 June 1918 Succeeded Baer on his death.[15][better source needed]
David E. Putnam  United States
(France Escadrille Lafayette) 		World War I 12 June 1918 – 12 September 1918 Succeeded Bayliss on his capture.[15][better source needed]
Frank Luke  United States World War I 12 September 1918 – 29 September 1918 Succeeded Bayliss on his death.[15][better source needed]
Eddie Rickenbacker  United States World War I 29 September 1918 – end of World War I Succeeded Luke on his death. Was the US ace of aces for overall aerial victories[15][better source needed]
Indra Lal Roy India British Empire World War I 1917–1918 India's most successful fighter pilot, with 12 kills (2 shared). He remains the only Indian fighter ace to this day.[16]

World War II[]

Persons accorded the title Ace of aces
Person Country of service War Time Notes
Erich Hartmann Nazi Germany Third Reich (Germany) World War II – end of World War II Hartmann is the highest scoring ace of all time, with 352 aerial victories, the first pilot to achieve 300 aerial victories (on 24 August 1944) and first to achieve 350 aerial victories (on 17 April 1945)[17]
James Edgar 'Johnnie' Johnson  United Kingdom World War II 1941-1945 Highest scoring RAF ace of WWII, 34 confirmed kills.
Richard Bong  United States World War II 1941–1945 Top US flying ace of WWII, credited with 40 confirmed downed Japanese aircraft. Awarded Medal of Honor.[18]
Ivan Kozhedub  Soviet Union World War II 26 March 1943 – 16 April 1945 Credited with 64 victories, Kozhedub is the top scoring Allied ace of World War II. One of the few pilots to shoot down Messerschmitt Me 262.[19][20]
William R. Dunn  United States
(United Kingdom Eagle Squadron) 		World War II August 1941 – First US ace of WWII, while flying with the RAF.[21][page needed]
Joe Foss  United States World War II 1942–1944 Credited with 26 confirmed downed Japanese aircraft. Awarded Congressional Medal of Honor.[22][better source needed]
Werner Mölders Nazi Germany Third Reich (Germany) World War II – 22 November 1941 [23]
Alfred Schreiber Nazi Germany Third Reich (Germany) World War II 28 October 1944 First jet ace in aviation history[24]
Persons accorded the title Ace of aces
Person Country of service War Time Notes
James Jabara  United States Korean War 20 May 1951 – First American Jet ace for Jet-vs-Jet combat.[25][better source needed]
George A. Davis  United States Korean War – Friday 13 March 1953 Was the ace of aces for Jet-vs-Jet combat.[26][better source needed][27][better source needed]
Royal N. Baker  United States Korean War Friday 13 March 1953 – Was the ace of aces for Jet-vs-Jet combat. Succeeded Davis on his death.[26][better source needed][28][better source needed]
Joseph C. McConnell  United States Korean War – end of Korean War Was the ace of aces for Jet-vs-Jet combat.[29][better source needed]
Muhammad Mahmood Alam Pakistan Pakistan Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 1960-1982 Muhammad Mahmood Alam claimed and is credited to have shot down 5 Indian aircraft.[30] Though his unverified claim was rubbished by his own comrade Commodore Sajad S Haider.
Giora Even Epstein Israel Israel Six-Day War – Tuesday 6 June 1967 A retired colonel in the Israeli Air Force (IAF) and a fighter ace credited with 17 victories, 16 against Egyptian jets, making Epstein the ace of aces of supersonic fighter jets and of the Israeli Air Force.[31][32]
Randy H. Cunningham  United States Vietnam War 1968 – 1972 First American ace of the Vietnam War.[33]
Nguyen Van Coc Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Vietnam War 1967-1969 From 7 to 9 victories on US-manned aircraft as well as two drones.[34][35]
Ethiopia Ethiopian Air Force Ogaden War 1977-1978 Ethiopia's most successful pilot, and the most successful Northrop F-5 pilot, with 6 or 7 kills. [36][37][38][39]
Shahram Rostami Iran Iran Iran–Iraq War 1980–1988 [40][41][42]
Jalil Zandi Iran Iran Iran–Iraq War 1980–1988 Iran's most successful fighter pilot ever, with eight confirmed aerial victories. The most successful F-14 Tomcat pilot.[43][44][better source needed][45]
Mohommed "Sky Falcon" Rayyan Iraq Iran–Iraq War 1980–1986 Iraq's most successful fighter pilot ever, with 5 confirmed aerial victories. The most successful MiG-25 pilot.[46][47]

Submarine aces[]

Ace of the Deep is a title accorded[according to whom?] to the top subsea ace/undersea ace/submarine ace of a nation's submarine force during time of war.[citation needed]

Persons accorded the title ace of aces
Person Country of service War Time Notes
Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière German Empire Imperial Germany World War I 1915–18 The commander of U-35, de la Periere sank a total of 194 merchant vessels and gunboats totaling 453,716 gross metric tons.[48][49]
Dick O'Kane  United States World War II – 25 October 1944 Was captured and made Prisoner of war.[50][page needed]
Eugene Fluckey  United States World War II [51]
Malcolm David Wanklyn  United Kingdom World War II – 14 April 1942 Wanklyn was the British Ace of Aces in terms of tonnage.[51][52][better source needed][53][page needed]
Benjamin Bryant  United Kingdom World War II – end of World War II Bryant was the British Ace of Aces.[54][55][page needed]
Reinhard Suhren Nazi Germany Third Reich (Germany) World War II A U-boat ace.[56][page needed]
Gianfranco Gazzana-Priaroggia Kingdom of Italy Italy World War II The highest scoring Italian submarine commander, with 11 ships sunk for a total of 90,601 tons.[57]
Carlo Fecia di Cossato Kingdom of Italy Italy World War II With 16 sinkings, he is credited with the most kills in the Regia Marina, as well as the second most successful Italian submarine commander with 86,545 tons.[57]

Submarine hunters[]

Persons accorded[according to whom?] the title ace of aces[citation needed]
Person Country of service War Time Notes
John Walker United Kingdom United Kingdom World War II Walker sank more U-boats (12 confirmed) during the Battle of the Atlantic than any other British or Allied commander.[58][better source needed]

Tank aces[]

A "tank ace" or Panzer ace has been described by Historian Robert Kershaw, as being the minority of tank commanders that accounted for the most destroyed enemy armour, saying it is roughly analogous with a flying ace.[59]


Person Country of service War Time Tanks destroyed Notes
Kurt Knispel Nazi Germany Third Reich (Germany) World War II 1940 – 28 April 1945 168 The most successful tank commander in history with a claimed 168 tanks destroyed, mainly using a Tiger 1.[60][61]
Otto Carius Nazi Germany Third Reich (Germany) World War II 1940 – 7 May 1945 150 Credited with over 150 tank kills and 1 aircraft shot down.[62]
Michael Wittmann Nazi Germany Third Reich (Germany) World War II 1941 – 8 August 1944 138 Credited with over 138 tank kills, in command of a Tiger 1 and Sturmgechütz III [63]
Dmitry Lavrinenko Red Army flag.svgRed Army (USSR) World War II 1941 52 Dmitry Fyodorovich Lavrinenko was a Soviet tank commander and Hero of the Soviet Union. He was the highest scoring tank ace of the Allies during World War II. Lavrinenko destroyed 52 tanks in just 2.5 months of fierce fighting in 1941.
Lafayette G. Pool  United States World War II 27 June 1944 – 15 September 1944 12 Widely recognised as the American tank ace of aces, with 12 confirmed tank kills and 258 armoured vehicle kills, whist in command of a Sherman tank.[64][65]
Sydney Valphy Radley-Walters Canada Canada World War II October 1942 - end of World War II 18 The top ace of the western Allies during World War II,[66] credited with 18 tank kills and many other armoured vehicles, whilst in command of a Sherman Firefly.[67] A unit under his command may have been responsible for the death of German tank ace Michael Wittmann.

References[]

  1. ^ Aviation History, "World's First Ace", Jon Guttman, Volume 20, Number 3, January 2010, pp.19
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b New York Times, "Saw 40 Air Foes After Guynemer", Thursday 27 September 1917
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation, "Hispano-Suiza Aeronautical Engines", Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation, 1918
  4. ^ Taylor & Francis, "The European Powers in the First World War", Spencer Tucker, Laura Matysek Wood, Justin D. Murphy, ISBN 0-8153-0399-8
  5. ^ The Lowell Sun, "Record by French "Ace Of Aces" Never Equalled", Associated Press, Friday 21 June 1918
  6. ^ Doubleday, "Ace of Aces", René Fonck, 1967
  7. ^ New York Times, "Immelmann Fell 6,000 Feet To Death", 25 June 1916
  8. ^ New York Times, "A Talk With Boelcke On The Day Of His Death", Sunday 28 January 1917
  9. ^ Osprey Publishing, "Richthofen's Circus", Greg VanWyngarden, 2005
  10. ^ University of Nebraska Press, "Impossible missions?: German economic, military, and humanitarian efforts in Africa", Nina Berman, 2004
  11. ^ Franks & Bailey 1992, p. 55.
  12. ^ veterans.gc.ca. "Billy Bishop Canada's finest Ace". veterans. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  13. ^ McCaffery 1960, p. 143.
  14. ^ Franks & Bailey 1992, pp. 56–57.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Stokes, "Fighting the Flying Circus", Eddie Rickenbacker, 1919, (accessed 18 April 2009)
  16. ^ http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/india/roy.php
  17. ^ Toliver & Constable 1998, pp. 385, 386.
  18. ^ "Dick Bong: Ace Of Aces", General George C. Kenney, 1960
  19. ^ Polak, Tomas with Christopher Shores. Stalin’s Falcon – The Aces of the Red Star. Brub Street, London, 1999. ISBN 1-902304-01-2, p.189
  20. ^ Николай Бодрихин. Советские асы. Очерки о советских летчиках
  21. ^ "Fighter Pilot: The First American Ace of World War II", William R. Dunn
  22. ^ The Telegraph (London), "Joe Foss", 2 January 2003, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  23. ^ Toliver & Constable 1998, p. 385.
  24. ^ Foreman & Harvey 1995, p. 81.
  25. ^ National Museum of the USAF, "LT. COL. JAMES JABARA" Archived 2012-10-10 at the Wayback Machine, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b TIME, "Ace of Aces", Monday 23 March 1953, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  27. ^ TIME, "Fallen Ace", Monday 18 February 1952, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  28. ^ The Canberra Times, "Air Ace Ends Task", 16 March 1953, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  29. ^ TIME, "Ace's End", 6 September 1954, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  30. ^ "Fifth death anniversary of war hero MM Alam being observed today". Express Tribune. 18 March 2018.
  31. ^ "Desert Aces". Dogfights. Season 2. Episode 5. 2007-08-10. The History Channel. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10.
  32. ^ "CBSi". findarticles.com. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  33. ^ Texas A&M University Press, "Striving for air superiority: the Tactical Air Command in Vietnam", Craig C. Hannah, 2002, ISBN 978-1-58544-146-4
  34. ^ "Vietnamese Air-to-Air Victories, Part 1". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  35. ^ "Vietnamese Air-to-Air Victories, Part 2". Archived from the original on 2013-03-04. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  36. ^ Which is Better, the F-5E Tiger II or the MiG-21? by Tom Cooper
  37. ^ Ethiopia : Hero Air Force General Passes Away
  38. ^ Air Force hero General Tefera Legese dies in Washington, DC
  39. ^ Ogaden War (Ethiopian-Somalia Conflict) 1977-1978
  40. ^ http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_210.shtml
  41. ^ http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_211.shtml
  42. ^ "Conflits Israelo-Arabes : 1948 / 1982". Archived from the original on 2013-10-17. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  43. ^ Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat by Tom Cooper & Farzad Bishop, 2004, Osprey Publishing, pp. 23–24
  44. ^ Imperial Iranian Air Force: Samurai in the skies
  45. ^ "Fire in the Hills: Iranian and Iraqi Battles of Autumn 1982, by Tom Cooper & Farzad Bishop, Sept. 9, 2003". Archived from the original on 2014-08-22. Retrieved 2013-07-27.
  46. ^ "Iraqi Air-to-Air Victories since 1967". Archived from the original on 2013-08-05. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  47. ^ Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat, by David Nicolle and Tom Cooper, (2004) Osprey Publishing, p.82
  48. ^ Challenge Publications, "The U-Boat ACE of ACES", William H Langenberg, 2004
  49. ^ "Kapitänleutnant Lothar von Arnauld1 Coulés ou endommagés par U 35 - Sunk or damaged by U 35". History Maritime (in French).
  50. ^ Sutton Publishing, "The Bravest Man", William Tuohy, 2001
  51. ^ Jump up to: a b The Times (London), "Rear-Admiral Eugene Fluckey", 20 July 2007 (accessed 2009 April 20)
  52. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Malcolm David Wanklyn VC, DSO, RN". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
  53. ^ Naval Institute Press, "Soldiers Lost at Sea", James E. Wise, Scott Baron, 2003, ISBN 978-1-59114-966-8
  54. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Benjamin Bryant DSO, DSC, RN". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
  55. ^ Bantam, "Submarine Commander", Rear Admiral Ben Bryant, 1960
  56. ^ US Naval Institute Press, "Teddy Suhren: Ace of Aces: Memoirs of a U-boat Rebel", Teddy Suhren, ISBN 978-1-59114-851-7
  57. ^ Jump up to: a b Giorgerini, Giorgio (2002). Uomini sul fondo : storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi. Milano: Mondadori. p. 691. ISBN 8804505370.
  58. ^ http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RN_officersW.html#Walker_FJ
  59. ^ Kershaw, Robert "Tank Men: the Human Story of Tanks at War", Hodder, p. 332.
  60. ^ Ganz, A.Harding "Ghost Division: The 11th "Gespenster" Panzer Division and the German Armored" Stackpole Books 2016
  61. ^ Clodfelter, Micheal. "Warfare and Armed Conflicts: A Statistical Encyclopedia of Casualty" McFarland, 2017 p 456
  62. ^ George Forty "Tiger Tank Battalions in World War II" p. 103.
  63. ^ Forty, George "Tank Aces" Sutton Publishing, 1977 p 108
  64. ^ Forty, George (1997). Tank Aces: From Blitzkrieg to the Gulf War. Motorbooks Intl. ISBN 0750914475.
  65. ^ Woolner, Frank (September 22, 1944). "THE TEXAS TANKER". YANK Magazine. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  66. ^ theglobeandmail.com. "career overview". theglobeandmail. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  67. ^ Rose, Larry (April 23, 2015). "Tank Ace began stellar career at Normandy". The Globe and Mail.

Bibliography[]

  • http://www.acesofww2.com/
  • Foreman, John; Harvey, S.E. (1995), Messerschmitt Combat Diary Me.262, Crecy Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-871187-30-3.
  • Toliver, Raymond F. and Trevor J. Constable (1998). Die deutschen Jagdflieger-Asse 1939 – 1945. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-193-0.
  • Samuel, Wolfgang W.E. (2004). American Raiders — The Race to Capture the Luftwaffe's Secrets. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 1-57806-649-2.
  • Franks, Norman & Bailey, Frank W. (1992). Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-54-0.
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