View source for List of aces of aces

{{Short description|List of leading military aces}}
{{Wiktionary|ace of aces}}

'''Ace of aces''' is a title accorded to the top active [[ace (military)|ace]] within a branch of service in a nation's military in time of war. The term ''ace'' is used for a highly successful military professional that has been accredited with: multiple enemy aircraft shot down, tanks destroyed, or ships sunk; by number or tonnage.{{sfn|Robertson|2003|p={{pn|date=February 2025}}}} The term was widely used for propaganda purposes during [[World War I]], and mainly applied to a pilot who was credited with shooting down five enemy aicraft.{{sfn|Robertson|2003|pp=87–113}} The title is most closely associated with [[fighter aces]], though there are other types, such as [[Panzer ace|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===
{{See also|Lists of World War I flying aces}}
The concept of aces emerged in 1915 during [[World War I]].

{{legend2|#e3d9ff|This with the * indicates that the pilot was either [[killed in action]] or killed in a training event during the war.|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}<br>
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Person
! Country
! WWI years active
! Overall years active
! Aerial victories
!Plane flown
!Notes
|-
| [[René Fonck]]
| {{Flag icon|France}} [[French Third Republic]]
| May 1915 – 1 November 1918
|1914–1918<br>
1937–1940
|75
|[[Caudron G III]], [[SPAD VII]], [[SPAD XII]] and [[SPAD XIII]]
| All-time Allied ace of aces, with 75 confirmed aerial victories.{{sfn|Tucker|Wood|Murphy|1996|p={{Page needed|date=September 2010}}}}<ref>The Lowell Sun, "Record by French "Ace Of Aces" Never Equalled", '''Associated Press''', ''Friday 21 June 1918''</ref><ref name=Fonck>Doubleday, "Ace of Aces", '''[[René Fonck]]''', ''1967''</ref>
|-
|style="background:#e3d9ff;"| [[Manfred von Richthofen]]
| {{Flag icon|German Empire}} [[German Empire]]
| 17 September 1916 – 21 April 1918
| 1911–1918
| 80
| [[Albatros D.V]], [[Fokker Dr.I]] and others
| Ace of Aces, the highest score in World War I. Richthofen, also called "The Red Baron", achieved 80 air combat victories. Killed on 21 April 1918 by a Canadian fighter.
|-
| [[Billy Bishop]]
| {{Flag icon|Canada|1921}} [[Dominion of Canada]]
|  April 1917 – end of World War I
| 1914–1918<br>1936–1944
| 72
| [[Nieuport 17]]
| Credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian and British Empire ace of the war.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/people-and-stories/billy-bishop|title=Billy Bishop Canada's finest Ace|last=veterans.gc.ca|website=veterans|date=23 January 2020|access-date=2021-05-25}}</ref> 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.<ref>McCaffery 1960, p. 143.</ref>
|-
| [[Eddie Rickenbacker]]
| {{USA}}
| 29&nbsp;September&nbsp;1918 – end of World War I
| 1917–1919
|26
| [[Nieuport 17]], [[SPAD S.XIII]]
| American Ace of Aces, 26 aerial victories.<ref>Robert Widener,  "[http://digitaledition.qwinc.com/article/WWI+Most+Decorated/2738542/392999/article.html WWI Most Decorated]", ''VFW Magazine'', April 2017</ref>
|-
|style="background:#e3d9ff;"| [[Indra Lal Roy]]
| {{Flag icon|British India}} [[British India]]
| 1917–22 July 1918
| 1917–1918
| 10
| [[Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5|S.E.5]]
| India's most successful fighter pilot, with 10 kills.{{sfn|Shores|Franks|Guest|1990|p=328}}<ref name=Wire>{{cite web |url=https://thewire.in/history/indra-lal-roy-ace-flanders-india-failed-celebrate |title=Remembering Indra Lal Roy, India's 'Ace' Over Flanders |author=K. S. Nair |date=22 July 2017 |publisher=[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]]}}</ref> Killed during a dogfight with German aircraft
|-
|}

===World War II===
{{See also|List of World War II flying aces}}
[[World War II]] had more aces than any other war.
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Person
! Country
! WWII years active
! Overall years active
! Aerial victories
!Plane flown
!Notes
|-
| [[Erich Hartmann]]
| {{Flag icon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
| 19 September 1942 – 8 May 1945
|1940–1945
1956–1970
|352
|[[Messerschmitt Bf 109|Bf 109]]
| 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)<ref name="Toliver & Constable p385,386">{{harvnb|Toliver|Constable|1998|pp=385, 386}}.</ref>
|- 
| [[Kurt Welter]]
| {{Flag icon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
| 1939 – 1945
|1934–1945
|20{{refn|According to Hinchliffe, Kurt Welter is credited in excess of 20 aerial victories while flying the Me 262, but the exact number is disputed.{{sfn|Hinchliffe|1998|pp=210, 294}}|group="Note"}}
|[[Messerschmitt 262|Me 262]]
| All-time leading jet ace during World War II.{{sfn|Samuel|2004|p=46}}
|- 
| [[Ilmari Juutilainen]]
| {{FIN}}
| 1939–1944
|1932–1947
|94
|[[Fokker D.XXI]], [[Brewster Buffalo]] and [[Messerschmitt Bf 109|Bf 109]]
| 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<ref>"Keskinen, Kalevi; Stenman, Kari and Niska, Klaus. ''Hävittäjä-ässät (Finnish Fighter Aces''). Espoo, Finland: Tietoteas, 1978. {{ISBN|951-9035-37-0}}.</ref>
|-
|-
|style="background:#e3d9ff;"| [[Teresio Vittorio Martinoli]]
| {{Flag icon|Kingdom of Italy}} [[Kingdom of Italy|Italy]]
| 1940–1944
| 1938–1944
| 22
|[[Fiat CR.42 Falco|CR.42]], [[Macchi C.202 Folgore|C.202]]
| 22 air victories, 21 on Allied aircraft and 1 on German aircraft after Italian [[Armistice of Cassibile]]. Killed in a accident flying of behalve of [[Italian Co-belligerent Air Force]].
|-
|style="background:#e3d9ff;"| [[Pat Pattle]]
| {{UK}}
| 4 August 1940– 20 April 1941
| 1936–1941
|50
|[[Hawker Hurricanes|Hurricanes]] and [[Gloster Gladiators|Gladiators]]
| Credited with 51 victories, making him the most successful South African Ace of the Second World War. Killed in adogfight with a German Bf 110s.
|-
| [[George Beurling|George 'Buzz' Beurling]]
| {{flag|Canada|1921}}
| 1940–1944
|1940–1944, 1948
|31
|[[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfire]] and [[P-51 Mustang]]
| Credited with 31 confirmed victories, making him the most successful Canadian ace of the Second World War.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://education.historicacanada.ca/en/tools/163|title=George "Buzz" Beurling|last=historicacanada.ca|website=historicacanada|access-date=2021-09-28}}</ref>
|- 
|style="background:#e3d9ff;"| [[Richard Bong]]
| {{flag|United States|1912}}
|19 January 1942 – 6 August 1945
|1941–1945
|40
|[[P-38 Lightning]] and [[P-80 Shooting Star]]
|Top US flying ace of the war, credited with 40 confirmed downed Japanese aircraft. Awarded the Medal of Honor.{{sfn|Kenney|2014|p={{pn|date=March 2025}}}} Killed in a flying accident before the war end. 
|-
| [[Ivan Kozhedub]]
| {{USSR}} 
| 6 July 1943 – 17 April 1945
|1940–1985
|64
| [[Lavochkin La-5|La-5]] and [[La-7]]
| Credited with 64 victories, Kozhedub is the [[List of World War II flying aces|top scoring Allied ace]] of World War II. One of the few pilots to shoot down a [[Messerschmitt Me 262]].{{sfn|Polak|Shores|1999|p=189}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.erlib.com/Николай_Бодрихин/Советские_асы._Очерки_о_советских_летчиках/12/|title=Николай Бодрихин. Советские асы. Очерки о советских летчиках|website=www.erlib.com|language=RU}}</ref>
|-
|}

===Post-World War II era===
{{See also|List of Korean War flying aces|List of Vietnam War flying aces|List of Egyptian flying aces|List of Israeli flying aces|List of Syrian flying aces}}
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Person
! Country
! Wars
! Years active
!Aerial victories
!Plane flown
!Notes
|-
| [[Nikolai Sutyagin]]
| {{USSR}}
| [[Korean War]]
| 1941–1978
| 22
|[[Mig-15]]
| The 'Ace of Aces' in the Korean War, with the highest number of kills for any pilot. Awarded Hero of the Soviet Union.{{Sfn|Seidov|2016|p=221}}
|-
| [[Joseph C. McConnell]]
| {{USA}}
| [[Korean War]]
| 1940–1954
| 16
|[[F-86 Sabre]]
| First US Jet ace, also top scoring American ace.<ref name="JWar">Farris, Phillip. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120730193325/http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/1990/June%201990/0690jetwar.aspx 1990/0690jetwar.aspx "Jet War."] ''Air Force Magazine,'' [[Air Force Association]], Volume 73, Number 6, June 1990. Archival retrieval: 10 July 2011.</ref>
|-
| [[Zhao Baotong]]
| {{PRC}}
| [[Korean War]]
| 1950–1983
| 9<ref name="Var44">{{harvnb|Varhola|2000|p=44}}</ref>
|[[Mig-15]]
| Highest scoring People's Liberation Army Air Force Ace
|-
| [[Muhammad Mahmood Alam]]
| {{Flag icon|Pakistan}} [[Pakistan]]
| [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
| 1953–1982
| 5
|[[F-86 Sabre]]
|Muhammad Mahmood Alam is credited with having shot down five Indian aircraft in less than a minute, the last four within 30 seconds.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1663364/9-fifth-death-anniversary-war-hero-mm-alam-observed-today/|title=Fifth death anniversary of war hero MM Alam being observed today|date=18 March 2018|work=Express Tribune}}</ref> 
|-
| [[Saiful Azam]]
| {{Flag icon|Pakistan}} [[Pakistan]] & {{Flag icon|Jordan}} [[Jordan]]
| [[Six-Day War]], [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
| 1960–1988
| 5
|[[F-86 Sabre]] and [[Hawker Hunter]]
|Saiful Azam flew for the Pakistan Air force (1 Victory) and for Arab Armies during the Six day War (4 Victories).<ref>{{cite web |author=[[Kaiser Tufail]] |website=DefenceJournal.com |archive-date=19 August 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030819202259/http://defencejournal.com/2003/june/swordofhusein.htm |url=http://defencejournal.com/2003/june/swordofhusein.htm |title=Sword for Hussein}}</ref>{{sfn|Hensel|2020|p={{pn|date=March 2025}}}}<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.paf.gov.pk/air_warriors.html |title=Pakistan Air Force (PAF) heroes |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717050259/http://www.paf.gov.pk/air_warriors.html |archive-date=2017-07-17}}</ref>
|-
|[[Giora Epstein|Giora Even Epstein]]
| {{Flag icon|Israel}} [[Israel]]
| [[Six-Day War]]<br>[[War of Attrition]]<br>[[Yom Kippur War]]
| 1956–1997
| 17
|[[Mirage III]], [[Mirage 5]], [[IAI Kfir|Kfir]] and [[F-16]]
| Credited with 17 victories, 16 against Egyptian jets, making Epstein the ace of aces of supersonic fighter jets and of the [[Israeli Air Force]].<ref>{{cite episode
 |title=Desert Aces 
 |series=Dogfights 
 |series-link=Dogfights (TV series) 
 |url=http://www.history.com/minisites/dogfights/ 
 |network=[[History (U.S. TV channel)|The History Channel]] 
 |airdate=2007-08-10 
 |season=2 
 |number=5 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010045635/http://www.history.com/minisites/dogfights/ 
 |archive-date=2007-10-10 
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3897/is_199812/ai_n8809020 |title=CBSi|website=findarticles.com|access-date=6 May 2018}}</ref>
|-
|-
| [[Nguyễn Văn Cốc|Nguyen Van Coc]]
| {{Flag icon|Vietnam}} [[Democratic Republic of Vietnam]]
| {{nowrap|[[Vietnam War]]}}
| 1961–2002
| 7–9
|[[MiG-17]] and [[MiG-21]]
| From seven to nine victories on US-crewed aircraft, as well as two drones.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_245.shtml |title=Vietnamese Air-to-Air Victories, Part 1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209163433/http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_245.shtml |archive-date=2013-02-09 |url-status=usurped |access-date=2019-08-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_246.shtml |title=Vietnamese Air-to-Air Victories, Part 2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130304225827/http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_246.shtml |archive-date=2013-03-04 |url-status=usurped |access-date=2019-08-21}}</ref>
|-
| [[Duke Cunningham|Randy H. Cunningham]]
| {{USA}}
| {{nowrap|[[Vietnam War]]}}
| 1967–1987
| 5
|[[F-4 Phantom II]]
| First American ace of the Vietnam War.{{sfn|Hannah|2002|p={{pn|date=March 2025}}}}
|-
| [[Legesse Tefera]]
| {{Flag icon|Ethiopia}} [[Ethiopia]]
| {{nowrap|[[Ogaden War]]}}
|
| 7
|[[Northrop F-5 Tiger]]
| Ethiopia's most successful pilot, and the most successful [[Northrop F-5]] pilot, with six or seven kills.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/war-is-boring/which-is-better-the-f-5e-tiger-ii-or-the-mig-21-e92e5c5a1ef3|title=Which is Better, the F-5E Tiger II or the MiG-21?|first=War Is|last=Boring|date=August 8, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://borkena.com/2016/10/05/ethiopia-hero-air-force-general-passes-away/|title=Ethiopia : Hero Air Force General Passes Away|date=October 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geeskaafrika.com/air-force-hero-general-tefera-legese-dies-in-washington-dc/|title=Air Force hero General Tefera Legese dies in Washington, DC|website=www.geeskaafrika.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://aces.safarikovi.org/victories/ethiopia-1977-1978.html|title=Jan J. Safarik: Air Aces Home Page|website=aces.safarikovi.org}}</ref>
|-
| [[Jalil Zandi]]
| {{Flag icon|Iran}} [[Iran]]
| {{nowrap|[[Iran–Iraq War]]}}
| 1970–2001
| 8-11
|[[F-14 Tomcat]]
| Iran's most successful fighter pilot ever, with eight confirmed aerial victories. The most successful [[F-14 Tomcat]] pilot.<ref name="Combat 2004, pp. 85">{{harvnb|Cooper|Bishop|2004|pp=85–88}}.</ref><ref name="Fire">{{Cite web |url=http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_214.shtml |title=Fire in the Hills: Iranian and Iraqi Battles of Autumn 1982, by Tom Cooper & Farzad Bishop, Sept. 9, 2003 |access-date=2013-07-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822073723/http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_214.shtml |archive-date=2014-08-22 |url-status=usurped}}</ref>
|-
|style="background:#e3d9ff;"| [[Mohommed Rayyan|Mohommed "Sky Falcon" Rayyan]]
| {{Flagicon image|Flag of Iraq (1963-1991).svg}} [[Iraq]]
| {{nowrap|[[Iran–Iraq War]]}}
| 1977–1986
| 5
|[[MiG-21]] and [[MiG-25]]
| Iraq's most successful fighter pilot ever, with five confirmed aerial victories. The most successful [[MiG-25]] pilot. Shot down on July 1986.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_404.shtml |title=Iraqi Air-to-Air Victories since 1967 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130805052018/http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_404.shtml |archive-date=2013-08-05 |url-status=usurped |access-date=2019-08-21}}</ref>{{sfn|Nicolle|Cooper|2004|p=82}}
|}

=== 21st Century era ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Person
! Country
! Wars
! Years active
!Aerial victories
!Plane flown
!Notes
|-
|[[:ru:Сизов, Илья Андреевич|Ilya Andreevich Sizov]]
|{{Flag icon|Russia}} [[Russia]]
|[[Russian invasion of Ukraine]]
|2022 to Present
|11
|[[Sukhoi Su-30|Sukhoi Su-30SM]]
|Shot down 11 Ukrainian aircraft (3 Su-24s, 3 Su-27s, 2 MiG-29s, 2 Mi-24s, and 1 Mi-14) and destroyed two Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile systems. According to the [[Russian Ministry of Defense]], he is currently the highest scoring ace of the 21st century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Сизов Илья Андреевич |url=https://warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=32707 |access-date=2023-01-16 |website=warheroes.ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ОДНИМ ВЫСТРЕЛОМ ЗАЩИТИЛ ОСТРОВ: ПОДПОЛКОВНИК СИЗОВ СБИЛ ВЕРТОЛЁТ ЗАМКОМАНДУЮЩЕГО ВМС УКРАИНЫ|url=https://tsargrad.tv/articles/odnim-vystrelom-zashhitil-ostrov-podpolkovnik-sizov-sbil-vertoljot-zamkomandujushhego-vms-ukrainy_633304|website=tsargrad.tv|date=27 September 2022}}</ref>
|-
|}

==Submarine aces==
Top subsea ace/undersea ace/submarine ace of a nation's submarine force during time of war.
 
{|class=wikitable
|+Persons accorded the title ''ace of aces''
|-
! Person
! Country
! War
! Period
!Notes
|- 
| [[Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière]]
| {{Flag icon|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.<ref>Challenge Publications, "The U-Boat ACE of ACES", William H Langenberg, 2004.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.histomar.net/arnauld/htm/palmares.htm|title=Kapitänleutnant Lothar von Arnauld1 Coulés ou endommagés par U 35 - Sunk or damaged by U 35 |language=French|work=History Maritime}}</ref>
|-
| [[Georg von Trapp]]
| {{Flag icon|Austro-Hungary}} [[Austro Hungary]]
| [[World War I]]
| 1915–18
| Most successful Austro-Hungarian Empire submarine commander with 13 enemy ships sunk including two warships.<ref name="uboat.net">{{cite web |title=Korvettenkapitän Georg Ritter von Trapp|url=https://uboat.net/wwi/men/commanders/542.html |website=uboat.net}}</ref>
|-
| [[Wolfgang Lüth]]
| {{Flag icon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
| [[World War II]]
| 1933–1945
| Sunk 46 enemy merchant ships and a [[French submarine Doris (Q135)|french submarine]]. Total [[Gross register tonnage|GRT]] sunk of 225,204.{{sfn|Hadley|1995|pp=169–170}}
|-
| [[Otto Kretschmer]]
| {{Flag icon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
| [[World War II]]
| 1939–1941
| 46{{sfn|Stockert|2012|p=51}} or 47{{sfn|Dixon|2019|p=12}} enemy ships sunk with 274,418 [[Gross register tonnage|GRT]]. The most successful German Submarine ace in GRT sunk.
|-
| [[Dick O'Kane]]
| {{USA}}
| [[World War II]]
| 1943–1944
| 31 Japanese merchant ships sunk.<ref name=roscoe>{{Harvnb|Roscoe|1949|p=558}}</ref> Captured and made Prisoner of war.{{sfn|O'Kane|1978|pp=462–466}}
|-
|style="background:#e3d9ff;"| [[Malcolm David Wanklyn]]
| {{UK}}
| [[World War II]]
| – 14&nbsp;April&nbsp;1942
| 16 enemy ships sunk.{{sfn|Hart|2008|p=161}} Wanklyn was the British Ace of Aces in terms of tonnage, disappeared during 28th patrol on board HMS Upholder.<ref name=Uboat.net>{{cite web
|url=http://www.uboat.net/allies/commanders/2578.html
|title=Malcolm David Wanklyn VC, DSO, RN
|last=Helgason
|first=Guðmundur
|website=German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net
}}</ref>
|-
| [[Gianfranco Gazzana-Priaroggia]]
| {{Flag icon|Kingdom of Italy}} [[Italy]]
| [[World War II]]
|
| The highest scoring Italian submarine commander, with 11 ships sunk for a total of 90,601 tons.<ref name="Giorgerini 2002 691">{{harvnb|Giorgerini|2002|p=691}}.</ref> 
|-
| [[Carlo Fecia di Cossato]]
| {{Flag icon|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.<ref name="Giorgerini 2002 691"/>
|}

==Submarine hunters==

{|class=wikitable
|+Persons accorded the title ''ace of aces'''''{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}'''
|-
! Person
! Country
! War
! Period
! Notes
|-
| [[Frederic John Walker|John Walker]]
| {{Flag icon|UK}} [[United Kingdom]]
| [[World War II]]
| 1909–1944
| Walker sank more U-boats (12 confirmed) during the Battle of the Atlantic than any other British or Allied commander.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RN_officersW.html#Walker_FJ|title = Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945 - W}}</ref> Died July 9th, 1944 by [[cerebral thrombosis]].
|}

== 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.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=332}}
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Person
! Country
! War
! Period
!Tanks destroyed
!Tank type crewed
!Notes
|-
|[[Edmund Roman Orlik]]
|{{flag icon|Poland}}[[Poland]]
|[[Invasion of Poland]]
|1 September 1939 – 28 September 1939
|10 (official)
|[[TKS|TKS (20mm variant)]]
|Polish "tank ace of aces". During the [[Invasion of Poland]] by [[Nazi Germany]] in September 1939 he claimed to have destroyed ten German tanks, including one [[Panzer IV#Ausf. A to Ausf. F1|Panzer IV Ausf. B]], the largest tank then fielded by Germany, with a 2.6 tonne [[TKS]] [[tankette]] armed with a [[Nkm wz.38 FK|20mm autocannon]]. The unofficial claim is that he destroyed 13 tanks, although this has not been confirmed by any trustworthy sources to date.
|-
|{{interlanguage link|Ervin Tarczay|hu|Tarczay Ervin}}
|{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Hungary (1920-46)}}
| [[World War II]]
|January 1943 – 18 March 1945
|10 
| [[40M Turán|41M Turán II]], [[Tiger I]], [[Panther tank|Panther]] and [[Panzer IV|Panzer IV Ausf. H]] 
|10 confirmed and 15 unconfirmed tank kills during [[World War II]].<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=2309 |date= 9 December 2010|access-date=22 October 2024|title=Föhadnagy Ervin Tarczay |publisher=Battlefront Miniatures NZ Ltd}}.</ref><ref>{{citation|url=https://indierockclimber.blogspot.com/2014/08/ervin-tarczay-hungarian-tank-ace.html |date=27 August 2014 |access-date=22 October 2024|title=Bolt Action - Ervin Tarczay, Hungarian Tank Ace |first = Steven |last= Labels|publisher= WWPD.}}</ref> 
On March 15, 1945, he was knighted and took medical leave. He returned to service quickly and was officially declared missing in action on March 18, 1945, after having been left behind while wounded in [[Söréd]].<ref>{{citation|url= http://szentkoronaradio.com/kultura/2010_03_31_az-orosz-pancelosok-magyar-vadasza|access-date=22 October 2024|title=Az orosz páncélosok magyar vadásza|publisher=Szent Korona Radio |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111020060332/http://szentkoronaradio.com/kultura/2010_03_31_az-orosz-pancelosok-magyar-vadasza |archive-date=20 October 2011}}</ref>  
|-
|[[Kurt Knispel]]
|{{Flag icon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
|[[World War II]]
|1940 – 28 April 1945
|168
|[[Tiger I]] and [[Tiger II]]
|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 three kilometers away.
|-
|[[Otto Carius]]
|{{Flag icon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
|[[World War II]]
|1940 – 7 May 1945
|150 
|[[Tiger I]], various others
|Credited with over 150 tank kills and 1 aircraft shot down, mostly in various Tiger tanks.{{sfn|Forty|2009|p=103}}
|-
|[[Johannes Bölter]]
|{{Flag icon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
|[[World War II]]
|1940 – 28 April 1945
|139
|[[Tiger I]]
|Destroyed 139 enemy tanks, including 16 tanks in one action. Referenced in Wolfgang Schneider's "Tigers in Combat, Volume 1"{{sfn|Schneider|2000|p=81}}
|-
|[[Michael Wittmann]]
|{{Flag icon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
|[[World War II]]
|1941 – 8 August 1944
|138 
|[[Tiger I]] and [[Sturmgeschütz III]]
|Credited with over 138 tank kills{{sfn|Forty|1997|p=108}}
|-
|[[Walter Kniep]]
|{{Flag icon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
|[[World War II]]
| 5 July 1943 to 17 January 1944
|129
|[[Stug]] 
|Awarded the [[Iron Cross]], commander of the assault gun battalion of SS-Das Reich{{sfn|Tucker-Jones|2020|p=144}}
|-
|[[Paul Egger]]
|{{Flag icon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
|[[World War II]]
|1941 – 3 May 1945
|113
|[[Tiger I]] 
|SS Oberscharfuehrer Credited with 113 tank kills{{sfn|Schneider|2005|p=275}}
|-
|[[Fritz Lang]]
|{{Flag icon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
|[[World War II]]
|1941 – ????
|111
|[[Sturmgeschütz III|Stug III]]
|Germany's WW2 top assault gun ace.{{sfn|Bagdonas|2014|p={{pn|date=March 2025}}}}
|-
|[[Albert Kerscher]]
|{{Flag icon|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
|[[World War II]]
|???? – 19 April 1945
|100 
|[[Tiger I]]
|Feldwebel Albert Kerscher, a member of ''Schwere Panzer Abteilung 502''. Credited with 100 tanks destroyed{{sfn|Schneider|2000|p=91}}<ref>Traces of War Military Bio Resource https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/39707/Kerscher-Albert.htm</ref>
|-
|[[Dmitry Lavrinenko]]
|{{Flagicon|USSR}} [[USSR]]
|[[World War II]]
|1941
|52 
|[[T-34]]
|Dmitry Fyodorovich Lavrinenko was a [[Soviet Union|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]]
|{{Flag icon|UK}} [[United Kingdom]]
|[[World War II]]
|1940 – 1943
|30
|[[M4 Sherman]]
|According to the 22nd November 1942 citation,<ref name="Bright 1945. page 308">Bright, Joan "The Ninth Queens Royal Lancer, 1939 - 1945." The Naval and Military Press page 308</ref> Corporal Nickolls, in a Sherman tank at El Alemain destroyed 14 tanks, including destroying 9 German tanks in one single engagement.<ref name="Bright 1945. page 308"/> 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<ref>Bright, Joan "The Ninth Queens Royal Lancer, 1939 - 1945." The Naval and Military Press page 117</ref> Awarded the [[Military Medal]] by [[Bernard Montgomery|Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery]]<ref>The National archives catalogue "Recommendation for Award for Nicholls, Alfred Rank: Lance Corporal Service" https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7360171</ref> 
|-
|[[Zinoviy Kolobanov|Zinovy Grigoryevich Kolobanov]]
|{{Flagicon|USSR}} [[USSR]]
|[[World War II]]
|1941
|25
|[[KV-1]]
|During an ambush on German units on 20 August 1941 as part of the battle for Leningrad, region of Voyskovitski, his KV-1 destroyed 22 tanks and 2 artillery pieces before running out of ammunition. His unit of 5 KV-1Es destroyed a total of 43 German tanks that day.<ref>"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.</ref>
|-
|[[Sydney Valpy Radley-Walters]]
|{{Flagicon|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 [[M4 Sherman|Sherman tanks]], named 'Caribou'.{{sfn|Rose|2015}} The tank squadron under his command may have been responsible for the death of German tank ace [[Michael Wittmann]].
|-
|[[Lafayette G. Pool]]
|{{USA}}
|[[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.{{sfn|Forty|1997|p={{pn|date=March 2025}}}}{{sfn|Woolner|1944}} 
|-
|[[Börje Bror Brotell]]
|{{Flagicon|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 [[Battle of Tali–Ihantala|The Battle of Tali–Ihantala]] was decisive and his [[Sturmgeschütz III]] destroyed multiple enemy tanks which had achieved a breakthrough.{{sfn|Brantberg|2000||pp=9–19}}
|-
|[[Arun Khetarpal]]
|{{Flagicon|India}} [[India]]
|[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]] [[Battle of Basantar]]
|9 December 1971 - 16 December 1971
|10
|[[Centurion (tank)|Centurion]]
|Indian tank ace. Personally responsible for destroying 10 tanks before he was killed in action in [[Battle of Basantar]]<ref name=PVC>{{citation|url=http://www.indianarmy.gov.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmPhotoGalleryWithMenuWithTitle.aspx?MnId=NCvnix4zLfQhf90l3OuEBw%3d%3d&ParentID=1tHir3NYQjroCJ9AgypEwg%3d%3d|access-date=28 August 2014|title=The Param Vir Chakra Winners (PVC) |publisher=Official Website of the Indian Army}} "Profile" and "Citation" tabs.</ref>
|-
|[[Zvika Greengold]]
|{{Flagicon|Israel}} [[Israel]]
|[[Yom Kippur War]]
|6 October 1973 – 25 October 1973
|60 
|[[Centurion (tank)|Centurion]] (more specifically [[Sho't]])
|In total 60 tanks were accredited to him.<ref name="zstory">{{Cite web|url=http://www.jafi.org.il/education/actual/ykippur/4-6.html |title=Zvika's Story |access-date=20 August 2006 |publisher=The Department for Jewish Zionist Education |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040603162627/http://www.jafi.org.il/education/actual/ykippur/4-6.html |archive-date=June 3, 2004}}</ref> Greengold himself claims 20 Syrian tanks over the space of holding his position for 20 hours. He changed tanks six times.{{sfn|Dunstan|2020|p=108}}{{sfn|Rabinovich|2005|p=164}}
|}

==See also==
*[[Ace (military)]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|2}}

== General and cited references ==
===World War I sources===
* {{cite book
  |last1=Franks
  |first1=Norman
  |author-link1=Norman Franks
  |last2=Bailey
  |first2=Frank
  |year=2008
  |title=Over the Front: The Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918
  |publisher=Grub Street Publishing
  |location=London, UK
  |isbn=978-0-948817-54-0
}}
* {{cite book
  |last1=Franks
  |first1=Norman
  |author-link1=Norman Franks
  |last2=Bailey
  |first2=Frank
  |last3=Guest
  |first3=Russell
  |year=2008
  |title=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
  |publisher=Grub Street Publishing
  |location=London, UK
  |isbn=978-0-948817-73-1
}}
* {{cite book |first1=Christopher F. |last1=Shores |first2=Norman |last2=Franks |author-link2=Norman Franks |first3=Russell F. |last3=Guest |title=Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920 |location=London, UK |publisher=Grub Street |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-948817-19-9}}

=== Later wars ===
* [http://www.acesofww2.com/ Aces of WWII]
* {{Cite book
  |last=Bagdonas
  |first=Raymond
  |year=2014
  |title=The Devil's General: The Life of Hyazinth Graf Strachwitz – the "Panzer Graf"
  |location=Philadelphia; Oxford
  |publisher=[[Casemate Publishers]]
  |isbn=978-1-61200-222-4
}}
* {{Cite book |last=Brantberg |first=Robert |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/58273901 |title=Sotasankarit. 21 suomalaisen sotasankarin elämäntarina |publisher=Revontuli |others=Gummerus |year=2000 |isbn=952-5170-11-X |edition=1st |location=[Tampere] |language=fi |oclc=58273901}}
* {{citation|last1=Cooper|first1=Tom|last2=Bishop|first2=Farzad|editor-last1=Holmes|editor-first1=Tony|editor-last2=Hales-Dutton|editor-first2=Bruce|title=Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat|date=2004|publisher=Osprey Publishing|location=Oxford|isbn=1-84176-787-5|series=Osprey Combat Aircraft|volume=49}}
* {{Cite book
  |last=Dixon
  |first=Jeremy
  |year=2019
  |title=The U-Boat Commanders — Knight's Cross Holders 1939–1945
  |location=Yorkshire, UK
  |publisher=[[Pen and Sword Books]]
  |isbn=978-1-52671-873-0
}}
* {{cite book |last1=Dunstan|first1=Simon |title=British Battle Tanks: Post-war Tanks 1946–2016 |date=2020|publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1472833365}}
* {{citation|surname=Foreman|given=John|surname2=Harvey|given2=S.E.|title=Messerschmitt Combat Diary Me.262|publisher=Crecy Publishing Ltd|year=1995|isbn=1-871187-30-3}}.
* {{cite book|last1=Forty|first1=George|author-link=George Forty|date=1997|title=Tank Aces: From Blitzkrieg to the Gulf War|publisher=Motorbooks Intl|isbn=0750914475}}
* {{cite book |last=Forty |first=George|author-link=George Forty|year=2009 |title=Tiger Tank Battalions in World War II |publisher=Zenith Imprint |isbn=978-1616732622 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LsxJHQFbPSgC}}
* {{cite book|last=Giorgerini|first=Giorgio|title=Uomini sul fondo : storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi|date=2002|publisher=Mondadori|location=Milano|isbn=8804505370}}
* {{Cite book
 |last1=Hadley 
 |first1=Michael L.
 |year=1995
 |title=Count Not the Dead: The Popular Image of the German Submarine
 |location= Montreal
 |url=http://www.mqup.ca/count-not-the-dead-products-9780773512825.php
 |publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press
 |isbn=	9780773512825
}}
* {{Cite book
  |last=Hannah
  |first=Craig C.
  |year=2002
  |title=Striving for air superiority: the Tactical Air Command in Vietnam
  |publisher=Texas A&M University Press
  |isbn=978-1-58544-146-4
}}
* {{Cite book
  |last=Hart
  |first=Sydney
  |year=2008
  |title=Submarine Upholder
  |publisher=Amberley
  |location=Gloucester
  |isbn=978-1-84868-116-3
}}
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OHnpDwAAQBAJ&q=saiful+azam&pg=PT251 |title=Air Power in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific: Understanding Regional Security Dynamics |first=Howard M. |last=Hensel |year=2020 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781000091779}}
* {{Cite book
  |last=Hinchliffe
  |first=Peter
  |year=1998
  |title=Luftkrieg bei Nacht 1939–1945
  |trans-title=Air War at Night 1939–1945
  |language=de
  |location=Stuttgart, Germany
  |publisher=Motorbuch Verlag
  |isbn=978-3-613-01861-7
}}
* {{cite book|last=Kenney|first=General George C. |author-link=George Kenney |title=Dick Bong: Ace Of Aces|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xChvCwAAQBAJ|date=15 August 2014|orig-date=1960|publisher=Verdun Press|isbn=978-1-78289-909-9}}
* {{cite book
| last1     = Kershaw
| first1    = Robert J.
| title     = Tank Men: the Human Story of Tanks at War
| date      = 2008
| publisher = Hodder & Stoughton
| location  = London
| isbn=9780340923474
}}
* {{cite book|last1=Nicolle|first1=David|last2=Cooper|first2=Tom|title=Arab MiG-19 and MiG-21 Units in Combat|series=Combat Aircraft|year=2004|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]|location=UK|isbn=978-1-84176-655-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iyk3_aYWUMMC}}
* {{Cite book| last = O'Kane | first = Richard H. | title = Clear the Bridge! The War Patrols of the USS Tang | location = London | publisher = Macdonald & Jane's | year = 1978 | isbn = 0354011855}}
* {{Cite book
  |last1=Polak
  |first1=Tomas
  |last2=Shores
  |first2=Christopher
  |year=1999
  |title=Stalin's Falcon – The Aces of the Red Star
  |publisher=Grub Street
  |location=London
  |isbn=1-902304-01-2
}}
* {{Cite book| last = Rabinovich | first = Abraham | title = The Yom Kippur War | publisher = McGraw-Hill | location = New York | year = 2005 | isbn = 0-8052-1124-1}}
* {{Cite book
  |last= Robertson
  |first=Linda R.
  |year=2003
  |title=The Dream of Civilized Warfare: World War I Flying Aces and the American Imagination
  |location=Minneapolis
  |publisher=University of Minneapolis Press
  |isbn=978-0-8166-4270-0
}}
* {{Cite book
  |last=Roscoe
  |first=Theodore
  |author-link=Theodore Roscoe 
  |year=1949
  |title=[[United States Submarine Operations in World War II]]
  |publisher=United States Naval Institute
  |location=Annapolis, Maryland
}}
* {{cite news|last=Rose|first=Larry|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/tank-ace-captain-radley-walters-began-stellar-career-at-normandy/article24093726/|title=Tank Ace began stellar career at Normandy|date=April 23, 2015|newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]}}
* {{Cite book
  |last=Samuel
  |first=Wolfgang W.E.
  |year=2004
  |title=American Raiders – The Race to Capture the Luftwaffe's Secrets
  |location=Jackson
  |publisher=University Press of Mississippi
  |isbn=978-1-57806-649-0
}}
* {{cite book | last = Schneider | first = Wolfgang | title = Tigers in Combat I | publisher = Stackpole Books | location = Mechanicsburg | year = 2000 | isbn = 978-0-8117-3171-3 }}
* {{cite book | last = Schneider | first = Wolfgang | title = Tigers in Combat II | publisher = Stackpole Books | location = Mechanicsburg | year = 2005 | isbn = 978-0-8117-3203-1 }}
* {{Cite book
  |last=Seidov
  |first=Igor
  |title=Советские асы корейской войны
  |publisher=Фонд содействия авиации «Русские витязи»
  |year=2016
  |isbn=978-5-903389-35-3
  |location=Moscow
  |oclc=970400945
}}
* {{Cite book
  |last=Stockert
  |first=Peter
  |year=2012
  |orig-year=1996
  |title=Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1
  |trans-title=The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1
  |language=de
  |edition=4th
  |location=Bad Friedrichshall, Germany
  |publisher=Friedrichshaller Rundblick
  |isbn=978-3-9802222-7-3
}}
* {{Cite book
  |last1=Toliver
  |first1=Raymond F.
  |last2=Constable
  |first2=Trevor J.
  |author-link2=Trevor James Constable
  |year=1998
  |orig-date=1977
  |title=Die deutschen Jagdflieger-Asse 1939–1945
  |trans-title=The German Fighter Aces 1939-1945
  |language=de
  |location=Stuttgart, Germany
  |publisher=Motorbuch Verlag
  |isbn=978-3-87943-193-9
}}
* {{cite book
  |last1=Tucker
  |first1=Spencer C.
  |author-link1=Spencer C. Tucker
  |last2=Wood
  |first2=Laura Matysek
  |last3=Murphy
  |first3=Justin D.
  |year=1996
  |title=The European Powers in the First World War
  |publisher=Garland Pub.
  |location=New York
  |isbn=0-8153-0399-8
}}
*{{cite book |last1=Tucker-Jones |first1=Anthony |title=Hitler's Panzers: The Complete History 1933–1945 |date=2020 |publisher=Pen and Sword Military |isbn=978-1-5267-4161-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i17BEAAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last=Tuohy |first=William |title=The Bravest Man |publisher=Random House |date=2009 |isbn =978-0307554871 }}
* {{citation|first=Michael J. |last=Varhola |author-link=Michael J. Varhola |title=Fire and Ice: The Korean War, 1950–1953 |publisher=[[Da Capo Press]] |year=2000 |isbn=978-1-882810-44-4|location=[[Mason City, Iowa]]}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Woolner|first1=Frank|date=September 22, 1944|title=THE TEXAS TANKER|url=http://www.3ad.org/wwii_heroes/pool_lafayette/pool_texas_tanker.htm|journal=YANK Magazine|access-date=10 March 2017}}

{{Lists of flying aces}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aces Of Aces}}
[[Category:Aces (military)|+]]
[[Category:Lists of military personnel]]