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.

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
Persons accorded the title Ace of aces
Person Country of service War Time Notes
Adolphe Pégoud Third Republic (France) World War I 28 April 1915 – 31 August 1915 The first flying ace in aerial warfare history.[1]
Jean Navarre Third Republic (France) World War I – 17 June 1916 Wounded in action on 17 June 1916.[2]
Georges Guynemer Third Republic (France) World War I – 11 September 1917 [2][3]
Charles Nungesser Third Republic (France) World War I 11 September 1917 – Succeeded Guynemer on his death.[3]
René Fonck Third Republic (France) World War I – end of World War I All-time Allied Ace of Aces, with 75 confirmed aerial victories.[4][5][6]
Oswald Boelcke Imperial Germany World War I 16 October 1915 – 15 December 1915[7][8]
Max Immelmann Imperial Germany World War I 16 October 1915-15 December 1915[9][10]
Oswald Boelcke 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.[9][11]
Max Immelmann and Oswald Boelcke Imperial Germany World War I 12 January 1916-14 January 1916 Immelmann tied Boelcke.[9][12]
Max Immelmann Imperial Germany World War I 1 January 1916-15 December 1915[13][14]
Erich Loewenhardt Imperial Germany World War I – 10 August 1918 [15]
Ernst Udet Imperial Germany World War I – end of World War I [16]
Manfred von Richthofen 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.
Raymond Collishaw Dominion of Canada (Canada) World War I 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.[17]
Frederick Libby  United States
( 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.[18]
Billy Bishop 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.[19] 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.[20]
Raoul Lufbery  United States
( Escadrille Lafayette)		 World War I 2 December 1917 – 15 May 1918 Succeeded Libby by scoring his 15th and 16th victories.[21]
Paul Frank Baer  United States
( Escadrille Lafayette)		 World War I 15 May 1918 – 18 May 1918 Succeeded Lufbery on his death. 9 victories.[22]
Frank Leaman Baylies  United States
( L'armee de l'air de France)		 World War I 18 May 1918 – 12 June 1918 Succeeded Baer on his death.[22]
David E. Putnam  United States
( Escadrille Lafayette)		 World War I 12 June 1918 – 12 September 1918 Succeeded Bayliss on his capture.[22]
Frank Luke  United States World War I 12 September 1918 – 29 September 1918 Succeeded Bayliss on his death.[22]
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[22]
Indra Lal Roy 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.[23]

World War II
Persons accorded the title Ace of aces
Person Country of service War Time Notes
Erich Hartmann Nazi 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)[24]
Pat Pattle South Africa World War II 1940–1944 Credited with 51 victories making him the most successful South African Ace of the Second World war.
Sailor Malan South Africa World War II 1940–1944 Commanded Biggin Hill at the height of the Battle of Britain, shooting down Werner Molders. Credited with >30 confirmed victories.
George Beurling  Canada World War II 1940–1944 Credited with 31 confirmed Victories. Making him the most successful Canadian Ace of the Second World war.[25]
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.[26]
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.[27][28]
William R. Dunn  United States
( Eagle Squadron)		 World War II August 1941 – First US ace of WWII, while flying with the RAF.[29]
Joe Foss  United States World War II 1942–1944 Credited with 26 confirmed downed Japanese aircraft. Awarded Congressional Medal of Honor.[30]
Werner Mölders Nazi Germany World War II – 22 November 1941 [31]
Alfred Schreiber Nazi Germany World War II 28 October 1944 First jet ace in aviation history[32]

Post World War II Era
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.[33]
George A. Davis  United States Korean War – Friday 13 March 1953 Was the ace of aces for jet versus jet combat.[34][35]
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.[34][36]
Joseph C. McConnell  United States Korean War – end of Korean War Was the ace of aces for Jet-vs-Jet combat.[37]
Muhammad Mahmood Alam Pakistan Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 1960-1982 Muhammad Mahmood Alam claimed and is credited to have shot down 5 Indian aircraft in less than a minute, the last four within 30 seconds.[38]
Giora Even Epstein 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.[39][40]
Randy H. Cunningham  United States Vietnam War 1968 – 1972 First American ace of the Vietnam War.[41]
Nguyen Van Coc Democratic Republic of Vietnam Vietnam War 1967-1969 From 7 to 9 victories on US-manned aircraft as well as two drones.[42][43]
Legesse Tefera 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. [44][45][46][47]
Shahram Rostami Iran Iran–Iraq War 1980–1988 [48][49]
Jalil Zandi 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.[50][51][52]
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.[53][54]

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 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.[55][56]
Dick O'Kane  United States World War II – 25 October 1944 Was captured and made Prisoner of war.[57]
Eugene Fluckey  United States World War II [58]
Malcolm David Wanklyn  United Kingdom World War II – 14 April 1942 Wanklyn was the British Ace of Aces in terms of tonnage.[58][59][60]
Benjamin Bryant  United Kingdom World War II – end of World War II Bryant was the British Ace of Aces.[61][62]
Reinhard Suhren Nazi Germany World War II A U-boat ace.[63]
Gianfranco Gazzana-Priaroggia Italy World War II The highest scoring Italian submarine commander, with 11 ships sunk for a total of 90,601 tons.[64]
Carlo Fecia di Cossato 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.[64]

Submarine hunters
Persons accorded the title ace of aces
Person Country of service War Time Notes
John Walker 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.[65]

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.[66]


Person Country of service War Time Tanks destroyed Notes
Kurt Knispel Nazi Germany World War II 1940 – 28 April 1945 168 168 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 World War II 1940 – 7 May 1945 150 Credited with over 150 tank kills and 1 aircraft shot down.[67]
Michael Wittmann Nazi Germany World War II 1941 – 8 August 1944 138 Credited with over 138 tank kills, in command of a Tiger 1 and Sturmgeschütz III [68]
Dmitry Lavrinenko Red 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.
Sydney Valphy Radley-Walters Canada World War II October 1942 - end of World War II 18 The top ace of the western Allies during World War II,[69] credited with 18 tank kills and many other armoured vehicles, whilst in command of a Sherman Firefly.[70] A unit 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 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.[71][72]
Zvika Greengold Israel Yom Kippur War 6 October 1974 – 25 October 1974 20 Personally claimed 20 tanks, though more were accredited to him (larger numbers were accredited to him, and his role was expanded on, as part of a propaganda effort by the Israeli Government). Greengold himself claims 20 Syrian tanks over the space of holding his position for 20 hours. He changed tanks 6 times. [73] [74]

See also

References
  1. Aviation History, "World's First Ace", Jon Guttman, Volume 20, Number 3, January 2010, pp.19
  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. New York Times, "A Talk With Boelcke On The Day Of His Death", Sunday 28 January 1917
  12. New York Times, "Immelmann Fell 6,000 Feet To Death", 25 June 1916
  13. Franks, Guest, pp=134-135
  14. New York Times, "Immelmann Fell 6,000 Feet To Death", 25 June 1916
  15. Osprey Publishing, "Richthofen's Circus", Greg VanWyngarden, 2005
  16. University of Nebraska Press, "Impossible missions?: German economic, military, and humanitarian efforts in Africa", Nina Berman, 2004
  17. "Raymond Collishaw World War I Fighter Ace". www.constable.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-04-06. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  18. Franks & Bailey 1992, p. 55.
  19. veterans.gc.ca (23 January 2020). "Billy Bishop Canada's finest Ace". veterans. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  20. McCaffery 1960, p. 143.
  21. Franks & Bailey 1992, pp. 56–57.
  22. Stokes, "Fighting the Flying Circus", Eddie Rickenbacker, 1919, (accessed 18 April 2009)
  23. "Indra Lal Roy". www.theaerodrome.com.
  24. Toliver & Constable 1998, pp. 385, 386.
  25. historicacanada.ca. "George "Buzz" Beurling". historicacanada. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  26. "Dick Bong: Ace Of Aces", General George C. Kenney, 1960
  27. 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
  28. "Николай Бодрихин. Советские асы. Очерки о советских летчиках". www.erlib.com (in Russian).
  29. "Fighter Pilot: The First American Ace of World War II", William R. Dunn
  30. The Telegraph (London), "Joe Foss", 2 January 2003, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  31. Toliver & Constable 1998, p. 385.
  32. Foreman & Harvey 1995, p. 81.
  33. National Museum of the USAF, "LT. COL. JAMES JABARA" Archived 2012-10-10 at the Wayback Machine, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  34. TIME, "Ace of Aces", Monday 23 March 1953, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  35. TIME, "Fallen Ace", Monday 18 February 1952, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  36. The Canberra Times, "Air Ace Ends Task", 16 March 1953, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  37. TIME, "Ace's End", 6 September 1954, (accessed 17 April 2009)
  38. "Fifth death anniversary of war hero MM Alam being observed today". Express Tribune. 18 March 2018.
  39. "Desert Aces". Dogfights. Season 2. Episode 5. 2007-08-10. The History Channel. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10.
  40. "CBSi". findarticles.com. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  41. 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
  42. "Vietnamese Air-to-Air Victories, Part 1". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  43. "Vietnamese Air-to-Air Victories, Part 2". Archived from the original on 2013-03-04. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  44. Boring, War Is (August 8, 2016). "Which is Better, the F-5E Tiger II or the MiG-21?".
  45. "Ethiopia : Hero Air Force General Passes Away". October 5, 2016.
  46. "Air Force hero General Tefera Legese dies in Washington, DC". www.geeskaafrika.com.
  47. "Jan J. Safarik: Air Aces Home Page". aces.safarikovi.org.
  48. "Welcome to the Air Combat Information Group". 1map.com.
  49. "Conflits Israelo-Arabes : 1948 / 1982". Archived from the original on 2013-10-17. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  50. Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat by Tom Cooper & Farzad Bishop, 2004, Osprey Publishing, pp. 23–24
  51. "IIAF - ANNOUNCEMENTS". www.iiaf.net.
  52. "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.
  53. "Iraqi Air-to-Air Victories since 1967". Archived from the original on 2013-08-05. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  54. Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat, by David Nicolle and Tom Cooper, (2004) Osprey Publishing, p.82
  55. Challenge Publications, "The U-Boat ACE of ACES", William H Langenberg, 2004
  56. "Kapitänleutnant Lothar von Arnauld1 Coulés ou endommagés par U 35 - Sunk or damaged by U 35". History Maritime (in French).
  57. Sutton Publishing, "The Bravest Man", William Tuohy, 2001
  58. The Times (London), "Rear-Admiral Eugene Fluckey", 20 July 2007 (accessed 2009 April 20)
  59. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Malcolm David Wanklyn VC, DSO, RN". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
  60. Naval Institute Press, "Soldiers Lost at Sea", James E. Wise, Scott Baron, 2003, ISBN 978-1-59114-966-8
  61. Helgason, Guðmundur. "Benjamin Bryant DSO, DSC, RN". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
  62. Bantam, "Submarine Commander", Rear Admiral Ben Bryant, 1960
  63. US Naval Institute Press, "Teddy Suhren: Ace of Aces: Memoirs of a U-boat Rebel", Teddy Suhren, ISBN 978-1-59114-851-7
  64. Giorgerini, Giorgio (2002). Uomini sul fondo : storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi. Milano: Mondadori. p. 691. ISBN 8804505370.
  65. "Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945 - W".
  66. Kershaw, Robert "Tank Men: the Human Story of Tanks at War", Hodder, p. 332.
  67. George Forty "Tiger Tank Battalions in World War II" p. 103.
  68. Forty, George "Tank Aces" Sutton Publishing, 1977 p 108
  69. theglobeandmail.com (23 April 2015). "career overview". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  70. Rose, Larry (April 23, 2015). "Tank Ace began stellar career at Normandy". The Globe and Mail.
  71. Forty, George (1997). Tank Aces: From Blitzkrieg to the Gulf War. Motorbooks Intl. ISBN 0750914475.
  72. Woolner, Frank (September 22, 1944). "THE TEXAS TANKER". YANK Magazine. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  73. Simon Dunstan, "British Battle Tanks: Post-war Tanks 1946–2016" - Page 108 2020
  74. Rabinovich, Abraham (2005). The Yom Kippur War. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 164. ISBN 0-8052-1124-1.

Bibliography
  • 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.
  • Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank (1993). 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 (1993). 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.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.