List of aces of aces

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. The title is most closely associated with fighter aces, though there are other types, such as tank aces and submarine aces.

Look up ace of aces in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Flying aces

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

World War I
See also: Lists of World War I flying aces

The concept of aces emerged in 1915 during World War I.

Person Country of service Time Notes
Adolphe Pégoud France French Third Republic 28 April 1915 – 31 August 1915 The first flying ace in history.[1]
Jean Navarre France French Third Republic – 17 June 1916 Wounded in action on 17 June 1916.[2]
Georges Guynemer France French Third Republic – 11 September 1917 [2][3]
Charles Nungesser France French Third Republic 11 September 1917 – Succeeded Guynemer on his death.[3]
René Fonck France French Third Republic – end of World War I All-time Allied ace of aces, with 75 confirmed aerial victories.[4][5][6]
Oswald Boelcke German Empire Imperial Germany 16 October 1915 – 15 December 1915[7][8]
Max Immelmann German Empire Imperial Germany 16 October 1915 – 12 January 1916[9][10]
Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke German Empire Imperial Germany 12 January 1916 – 14 January 1916 Immelmann tied Boelcke.[9][10]
Oswald Boelcke German Empire Imperial Germany 14 January 1916 – 13 March 1916[7][8]
Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke German Empire Imperial Germany 13 March 1916 – 19 March 1916 Immelmann tied Boelcke.[9]
Oswald Boelcke German Empire Imperial Germany 19 March 1916 – 23 April 1916[7]
Max Immelmann German Empire Imperial Germany 23 April 1916 – 11 May 1916[9]
Oswald Boelcke German Empire Imperial Germany 11 May 1916 – 26 October 1916[7]
Werner Voss German Empire Imperial Germany – 22 September 1917 48 confirmed victories, tied with Josef Jacobs
Erich Loewenhardt German Empire Imperial Germany – 10 August 1918 54 confirmed victories, third after Manfred von Richthofen and Ernst Udet[11]
Manfred von Richthofen German Empire Imperial Germany – 21 April 1918 The ace of aces von Richthofen, also called "The Red Baron", achieved 80 air combat victories, the highest score in World War I.
Ernst Udet German Empire Imperial Germany – end of World War I 62 confirmed victories, second after Manfred von Richthofen[12]
Raymond Collishaw Canada Dominion of Canada (Canada) August 1916 – end of World War I Credited with 60 victories, making him the second highest scoring Canadian ace of the war, behind Billy Bishop.[13]
Frederick Libby  United States
(United Kingdom No. 23 Squadron RFC, No. 11 Squadron RFC, No. 43 Squadron RFC), No. 25 Squadron RFC)))		 2 December 1916 – 2 December 1917 The first American ace. Fourteen victories.[14]
Billy Bishop Canada Dominion of Canada (Canada) April 1917 – end of World War I Credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian and British Empire ace of the war.[15] In 1917 he became the highest scoring ace in the RFC and the third top ace of the war, behind only the Red Baron and René Fonck.[16]
Raoul Lufbery  United States
(France Escadrille Lafayette)		 2 December 1917 – 15 May 1918 Succeeded Libby by scoring his 15th and 16th victories.[17]
Paul Frank Baer  United States
(France Escadrille Lafayette)		 15 May 1918 – 18 May 1918 Succeeded Lufbery on his death. Nine victories.[18]
Frank Leaman Baylies  United States
(France L'armee de l'air de France)		 18 May 1918 – 12 June 1918 Succeeded Baer on his death.[18]
David E. Putnam  United States
(France Escadrille Lafayette)		 12 June 1918 – 12 September 1918 Succeeded Bayliss on his capture.[18]
Frank Luke  United States 12 September 1918 – 29 September 1918 Succeeded Bayliss on his death.[18]
Eddie Rickenbacker  United States 29 September 1918 – end of World War I Succeeded Luke on his death. Was the American ace of aces for overall aerial victories (26).[18]
Indra Lal Roy India British India 1917–1918 India's most successful fighter pilot, with 12 kills (two shared). He remains the only Indian fighter ace to this day.[19]

World War II
See also: List of World War II flying aces

World War II had more planes than any other war.

Person Country of service Time Notes
Erich Hartmann Nazi Germany Nazi Germany 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 350 aerial victories (on 17 April 1945)[20]
Ilmari Juutilainen  Finland 1939–1944 The top scoring Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air Force), and the top scoring non-German fighter pilot of all time. The top flying ace of the Finnish Air Force with 94 confirmed aerial combat victories[21]
Pat Pattle South Africa 1940–1944 Credited with 51 victories, making him the most successful South African Ace of the Second World War.
Sailor Malan South Africa 1940–1944 Commanded Biggin Hill at the height of the Battle of Britain, shooting down Werner Molders. Credited with over 30 confirmed victories.
George 'Buzz' Beurling  Canada 1940–1944 Credited with 31 confirmed victories, making him the most successful Canadian ace of the Second World War.[22]
James Edgar 'Johnnie' Johnson  United Kingdom 1941–1945 Highest scoring RAF ace of the war, with 34 confirmed kills.
Richard Bong  United States 1941–1945 Top US flying ace of the war, credited with 40 confirmed downed Japanese aircraft. Awarded the Medal of Honor.[23]
Ivan Kozhedub  Soviet Union 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 a Messerschmitt Me 262.[24][25]
William R. Dunn  United States
(United Kingdom Eagle Squadron)		 August 1941 – First US ace of the war, while flying with the RAF.[26]
Joe Foss  United States 1942–1944 Credited with 26 confirmed downed Japanese aircraft. Awarded the Medal of Honor.[27]
Werner Mölders Nazi Germany Nazi Germany – 22 November 1941 [28]
Alfred Schreiber Nazi Germany Nazi Germany 28 October 1944 First jet ace in aviation history.[29]
Robin Olds  United States 1943–1945 Triple ace - Olds was the only pilot to "make ace" in both the P-38 (five victories) and the P-51 (eight) in the war. In addition, he obtained four more kills in the F4D Phantom in Southeast Asia, for a total of 17.

Post-World War II era
Person Country of service War Time Notes
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.[30][31]
Joseph C. McConnell  United States Korean War – end of Korean War Was the ace of aces for jet-vs-jet combat.[32]
Muhammad Mahmood Alam Pakistan Pakistan Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 1960–1982 Muhammad Mahmood Alam is credited with having shot down five Indian aircraft in less than a minute, the last four within 30 seconds.[33]
Giora Even Epstein Israel Israel Six-Day War – Tuesday 6 June 1967 Credited with 17 victories, 16 against Egyptian jets, making Epstein the ace of aces of supersonic fighter jets and of the Israeli Air Force.[34][35]
Randy H. Cunningham  United States Vietnam War 1968–  1972 First American ace of the Vietnam War.[36]
Nguyen Van Coc Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Vietnam War 1967–1969 From seven to nine victories on US-crewed aircraft, as well as two drones.[37][38]
Legesse Tefera Ethiopia Ethiopian Air Force Ogaden War 1977–1978 Ethiopia's most successful pilot, and the most successful Northrop F-5 pilot, with six or seven kills.[39][40][41][42]
Shahram Rostami Iran Iran Iran–Iraq War 1980–1988 [43][44]
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.[45][46][47]
Mohommed "Sky Falcon" Rayyan Iraq Iran–Iraq War 1980–1986 Iraq's most successful fighter pilot ever, with five confirmed aerial victories. The most successful MiG-25 pilot.[48][49]

Submarine aces

Ace of the Deep is a title accorded to the top subsea ace/undersea ace/submarine ace of a nation's submarine force during time of war.

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, Arnauld de la Perière sank a total of 194 merchant vessels and gunboats totaling 453,716 gross metric tons.[50][51]
Dick O'Kane  United States World War II – 25 October 1944 Was captured and made Prisoner of war.[52]
Eugene Fluckey  United States World War II [53]
Malcolm David Wanklyn  United Kingdom World War II – 14 April 1942 Wanklyn was the British Ace of Aces in terms of tonnage.[53][54][55]
Benjamin Bryant  United Kingdom World War II – end of World War II Bryant was the British Ace of Aces.[56][57]
Reinhard Suhren Nazi Germany Nazi Germany World War II A U-boat ace.[58]
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.[59]
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.[59]

Submarine hunters
Persons accorded the title ace of aces
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.[60]

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 armor, saying it is roughly analogous with a flying ace.[61]

Person Country of service War Time Tanks destroyed Tank type crewed Notes
Kurt Knispel Nazi Germany Nazi Germany World War II 1940 – 28 April 1945 168 Tiger 1 and Tiger 2 168 confirmed and 195 unconfirmed tank kills. He fought in nearly every type of German tank, working as a loader, gunner, or commander. He is credited with destroying a T-34 tank from 3,000 meters.
Otto Carius Nazi Germany Nazi Germany World War II 1940 – 7 May 1945 150 Tiger 1, various others Credited with over 150 tank kills and 1 aircraft shot down, mostly in various Tiger tanks.[62]
Johannes Bölter Nazi Germany Nazi Germany World War II 1940 – 28 April 1945 139 Tiger 1 Destroyed 139 enemy tanks, including 16 tanks in one action. Referenced in Wolfgang Schneider's "Tigers in Combat, Volume 1" [63]
Michael Wittmann Nazi Germany Nazi Germany World War II 1941 – 8 August 1944 138 Tiger 1 and Sturmgeschütz III Credited with over 138 tank kills [64]
Paul Egger Nazi Germany Nazi Germany World War II 1941 – 3 May 1945 113 Tiger 1 SS obershafuehrer Credited with 113 tank kills [65]
Fritz lang Nazi Germany Nazi Germany World War II 1941 – ???? 111 Stug III Germany's WW2 top assault gun ace.[66]
Albert Kerscher Nazi Germany Nazi Germany World War II ???? – 19 April 1945 100 Tiger 1 Feldwebel Albert Kerscher, a member of Schwere Panzer Abeteilung 502. Credited with 100 tanks destroyed [67][68]
Zvika Greengold Israel Israel Yom Kippur War 6 October 1973 – 25 October 1973 60 Centurion In total 60 tanks were accredited to him.[69] Greengold himself claims 20 Syrian tanks over the space of holding his position for 20 hours. He changed tanks six times.[70][71]
Dmitry Lavrinenko Soviet Union USSR World War II 1941 52 T-34 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.
Alfred Nickolls United Kingdom United Kingdom World War II 1940 – 1943 30 M4 Sherman According to the 22nd November 1942 citation,[72] Corporal Nickolls, in a Sherman tank at El Alemain destroyed 14 tanks, including destroying 9 German tanks in one single engagement.[72] He destroyed 30 tank during the entire North Africa campaign, making him the top tank ace of the United Kingdom and the top tank ace of the western Allies during World War II [73] Awarded the Military Medal by Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery[74]
Zinovy Grigoryevich Kolobanov Soviet Union USSR World War II 1941 25 KV-1 Destroyed 22 tanks and 2 artillery pieces before running out of ammunition, while leading a unit of 5 KV-1Es in an ambush near Leningrad on 20 August 1941. His unit destroyed a total of 43 German tanks that day.[75]
Sydney Valphy Radley-Walters Canada Canada World War II October 1942 - end of World War II 18 M4 Sherman Credited with 18 tank kills and many other armoured vehicles, whilst in command of three Sherman tanks, named Caribou.[76] The tank squadron under his command may have been responsible for the death of German tank ace Michael Wittmann.
Lafayette G. Pool  United States World War II 27 June 1944 – 15 September 1944 12 M4 Sherman Widely recognised as the American tank ace of aces, with 12 confirmed tank kills and 258 armoured vehicle kills, whilst in command of a Sherman tank.[77][78]
Börje Bror Brotell Finland Finland World War II 1943 – 1944 11 Sturmgeschütz III Recognised as the Finnish tank ace of aces, with 11 confirmed and 4 unconfirmed tank kills during World War II. Brotell’s role during The Battle of Tali–Ihantala was decisive and his Sturmgeschütz III destroyed multiple enemy tanks which had achieved a breakthrough.[79]
Arun Khetarpal India India Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Battle of Basantar 9 December 1971 - 16 December 1971 10 Centurion Indian Tank ace. Personally responsible for destroying 10 tanks before he was killed in action in Battle of Basantar[80]

See also

References

Citations
  1. Franks & Bailey (2008), pp. 201–202.
  2. New York Times, "Saw 40 Air Foes After Guynemer", Thursday 27 September 1917
  3. 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. Franks, Guest, p=76
  8. New York Times, "A Talk With Boelcke On The Day Of His Death", Sunday 28 January 1917
  9. Franks, Guest, pp=76, 134-135
  10. New York Times, "Immelmann Fell 6,000 Feet To Death", 25 June 1916
  11. Osprey Publishing, "Richthofen's Circus", Greg VanWyngarden, 2005
  12. University of Nebraska Press, "Impossible missions?: German economic, military, and humanitarian efforts in Africa", Nina Berman, 2004
  13. "Raymond Collishaw World War I Fighter Ace". www.constable.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-04-06. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  14. Franks & Bailey 1992, p. 55.
  15. veterans.gc.ca (23 January 2020). "Billy Bishop Canada's finest Ace". veterans. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  16. McCaffery 1960, p. 143.
  17. Franks & Bailey 1992, pp. 56–57.
  18. Stokes, "Fighting the Flying Circus", Eddie Rickenbacker, 1919, (accessed 18 April 2009)
  19. "Indra Lal Roy". www.theaerodrome.com.
  20. Toliver & Constable 1998, pp. 385, 386.
  21. "Keskinen, Kalevi; Stenman, Kari and Niska, Klaus. Hävittäjä-ässät (Finnish Fighter Aces). Espoo, Finland: Tietoteas, 1978. ISBN 951-9035-37-0.
  22. historicacanada.ca. "George "Buzz" Beurling". historicacanada. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  23. "Dick Bong: Ace Of Aces", General George C. Kenney, 1960
  24. 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
  25. "Николай Бодрихин. Советские асы. Очерки о советских летчиках". www.erlib.com (in Russian).
  26. "Fighter Pilot: The First American Ace of World War II", William R. Dunn
  27. The Telegraph (London), "Joe Foss", 2 January 2003, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  28. Toliver & Constable 1998, p. 385.
  29. Foreman & Harvey 1995, p. 81.
  30. TIME, "Ace of Aces", Monday 23 March 1953, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  31. The Canberra Times, "Air Ace Ends Task", 16 March 1953, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  32. TIME, "Ace's End", 6 September 1954, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  33. "Fifth death anniversary of war hero MM Alam being observed today". Express Tribune. 18 March 2018.
  34. "Desert Aces". Dogfights. Season 2. Episode 5. 2007-08-10. The History Channel. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10.
  35. "CBSi". findarticles.com. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  36. 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
  37. "Vietnamese Air-to-Air Victories, Part 1". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  38. "Vietnamese Air-to-Air Victories, Part 2". Archived from the original on 2013-03-04. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  39. Boring, War Is (August 8, 2016). "Which is Better, the F-5E Tiger II or the MiG-21?".
  40. "Ethiopia : Hero Air Force General Passes Away". October 5, 2016.
  41. "Air Force hero General Tefera Legese dies in Washington, DC". www.geeskaafrika.com.
  42. "Jan J. Safarik: Air Aces Home Page". aces.safarikovi.org.
  43. "Welcome to the Air Combat Information Group". 1map.com.
  44. "Conflits Israelo-Arabes : 1948 / 1982". Archived from the original on 2013-10-17. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  45. Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat by Tom Cooper & Farzad Bishop, 2004, Osprey Publishing, pp. 23–24
  46. "IIAF - ANNOUNCEMENTS". www.iiaf.net.
  47. "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.
  48. "Iraqi Air-to-Air Victories since 1967". Archived from the original on 2013-08-05. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  49. Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat, by David Nicolle and Tom Cooper, (2004) Osprey Publishing, p.82
  50. Challenge Publications, "The U-Boat ACE of ACES", William H Langenberg, 2004
  51. "Kapitänleutnant Lothar von Arnauld1 Coulés ou endommagés par U 35 - Sunk or damaged by U 35". History Maritime (in French).
  52. Sutton Publishing, "The Bravest Man", William Tuohy, 2001
  53. The Times (London), "Rear-Admiral Eugene Fluckey", 20 July 2007 (accessed 2009 April 20)
  54. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Malcolm David Wanklyn VC, DSO, RN". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
  55. Naval Institute Press, "Soldiers Lost at Sea", James E. Wise, Scott Baron, 2003, ISBN 978-1-59114-966-8
  56. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Benjamin Bryant DSO, DSC, RN". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
  57. Bantam, "Submarine Commander", Rear Admiral Ben Bryant, 1960
  58. US Naval Institute Press, "Teddy Suhren: Ace of Aces: Memoirs of a U-boat Rebel", Teddy Suhren, ISBN 978-1-59114-851-7
  59. Giorgerini, Giorgio (2002). Uomini sul fondo : storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi. Milano: Mondadori. p. 691. ISBN 8804505370.
  60. "Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945 - W".
  61. Kershaw, Robert. Tank Men: the Human Story of Tanks at War, Hodder, p. 332.
  62. George Forty "Tiger Tank Battalions in World War II" p. 103.
  63. Wolfgang Schneider "Tigers in Combat, Volume 1" 2004 page 81
  64. Forty, George "Tank Aces" Sutton Publishing, 1977 p 108
  65. Schneider, Wolfgang, "Tigers in Combat, Volume II,", 2020 p 275
  66. Raymond Bagdonas, "The Devil's General: The Life of Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz, ...,", Casemate Publishers 2014
  67. Wolfgang Schneider "Tigers in Combat, Volume 1" 2004 page 91
  68. Traces of War Military Bio Resource https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/39707/Kerscher-Albert.htm
  69. "Zvika's Story". The Department for Jewish Zionist Education. Archived from the original on June 3, 2004. Retrieved 20 August 2006.
  70. Simon Dunstan, "British Battle Tanks: Post-war Tanks 1946–2016" - Page 108, 2020
  71. Rabinovich, Abraham (2005). The Yom Kippur War. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 164. ISBN 0-8052-1124-1.
  72. Bright, Joan "The Ninth Queens Royal Lancer, 1939 - 1945." The Naval and Military Press page 308
  73. Bright, Joan "The Ninth Queens Royal Lancer, 1939 - 1945." The Naval and Military Press page 117
  74. The National archives catalogue "Recommendation for Award for Nicholls, Alfred Rank: Lance Corporal Service" https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7360171
  75. "Monument to veteran of Great Patriotic War Zinoviy Kolobanov to be unveiled in Minsk". Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 7 September 2006. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  76. Rose, Larry (April 23, 2015). "Tank Ace began stellar career at Normandy". The Globe and Mail.
  77. Forty, George (1997). Tank Aces: From Blitzkrieg to the Gulf War. Motorbooks Intl. ISBN 0750914475.
  78. Woolner, Frank (September 22, 1944). "THE TEXAS TANKER". YANK Magazine. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  79. Brantberg, Robert (2000). Sotasankarit. 21 suomalaisen sotasankarin elämäntarina (in Finnish). Gummerus (1st ed.). [Tampere]: Revontuli. pp. 9–19. ISBN 952-5170-11-X. OCLC 58273901.
  80. The Param Vir Chakra Winners (PVC), Official Website of the Indian Army, retrieved 28 August 2014 "Profile" and "Citation" tabs.

General and cited references

World War I sources
  • Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank (2008). Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918. London, UK: Grub Street Publishing. ISBN 978-0-948817-54-0.
  • Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank; Guest, Russell (2008). Above the Lines: A Complete Record of the Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914–1918. London, UK: Grub Street Publishing. ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.

Later wars
  • Aces of WWII
  • 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.
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