View source for List of flying aces from Greece

{{Short description|none}}
This is a list of [[fighter ace]]s from [[Greece]].

==World War I==
Greece provided only one flying ace in [[World War I]]:
 {| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="215" |Name !! Kills !!  width="120"| Awards !! Notes
|- 
| [[Aristeidis Moraitinis (aviator)|Aristeidis Moraitinis]]
|| 9<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historynet.com/air-attack-over-the-dardanelles-sidebar-september-98-aviation-history-feature.htm |title=Air Attack Over the Dardanelles |first=Jon |last=Guttman |work=History Net |date=23 September 1998 |accessdate=21 January 2016}}</ref>
|| [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]], [[War Cross (Greece)|War Cross]] (Greece)
|| Flew partly with the [[Hellenic Naval Air Service]] and partly with the British [[Royal Navy Air Service]].
|-
|}

==World War II==
Greece had six flying aces in [[World War II]].
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="215" |Name!! Kills !! width="120"| Awards !! Notes
|-
| Andreas Antoniou || 6 ||  || Greek Squadron Leader, fought during the [[Greco-Italian War]] of 1940-41. Served with the 22nd Pursuit Squadron. Flew the [[PZL P-24]].
|-
| Panagiotis Argyropoulos || 5 || || 
|-
| [[Marinos Mitralexis]] 
| 5 
| [[Cross of Valour (Greece)|Cross of Valour]] (Greece)
| Fought in the Greco-Italian War in the 22nd Pursuit Squadron. Bringing an Italian bomber down by ramming its tail made him a popular hero figure. After the fall of Greece, escaped to North Africa and fought with Greek squadron under the Allied [[Desert Air Force]].  
|-
| [[Steve Pisanos|Spiros Nickolas "Steve" Pisanos]] || 10
| [[Croix de guerre 1939–1945 (France)|Croix de Guerre]] (France)
| Greek immigrant to the United States, fought with RAF and USAAF, and credited with 10 kills with the US [[4th Fighter Group]] (European Theater).  Remained with this RAF [[Eagle Squadron]] fighter unit rather than join the [[Royal Hellenic Air Force]] fighting with the RAF.  In March 1944, bailed out over France and was rescued by the [[French Resistance]].  As a [[test pilot]] post he flew the jet [[Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star]].  After a stint as a pilot with [[TWA]] je returned to USAAF.  Flew the [[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfire]] V, [[Republic P-47 Thunderbolt]] and [[North American P-51 Mustang]]. In 2008 he published ''The Flying Greek'', his autobiography and war memoir.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://imansolas.freeservers.com/Aces/Pisanos_english.html
 |title=Spiros "Steve" Pisanos: The Flying Greek
 |first=Yiannis & Angelos
 |last=Mansolas
 |work=imansolas.freeservers.com
 |year=2014
 |accessdate=21 January 2016
 |archive-date=8 July 2016
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708022845/http://imansolas.freeservers.com/Aces/Pisanos_english.html
 |url-status=dead
 }}</ref>
|-
|  [[John Plagis|Ioannis Agorastos "John" Plagis]] || 16 
| DSO,<ref>{{London Gazette |date=31 October 1944 |supp=y |issue=36777 |page=5034 |nolink=yes}}</ref> DFC<ref>{{London Gazette |date=28 April 1942 |supp=y |issue=35542 |page=1904 |nolink=yes}}</ref> & Bar,<ref>{{London Gazette |date=3 July 1942 |supp=y |issue=35621 |page=2979 |nolink=yes}}</ref> [[Airman's Cross|DFC]] (Netherlands)<ref>{{London Gazette |date=11 October 1946 |supp=y |issue=37758 |pages=5079–5080  |nolink=yes}}</ref>
| As a child of Greek immigrants in [[Rhodesia]], he flew with the Royal Air Force, 1940-1945.  Joined No. 249 Squadron and flew the [[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfire V]] in [[Siege of Malta (World War II)|defence of Malta]].  After a period of rest he again flew the Spitfire and later the [[North American Mustang III]] in action over Europe.  He was the highest-scoring ace of Greek nationality.  Post-war he adopted British nationality and remained in the RAF flying the [[Gloster Meteor]].  After retirement he returned to Rhodesia where he later committed suicide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://acesofww2.com/rhodesia/plagis/ |title=Johnny Plagis |work=Aces of WW2.com |year=2015 |accessdate=21 January 2016}}</ref>
|-
| Basilios Michael Vassilios "Vass" Vassiliades || 10 || DFC, DFM || A Greek from the island of [[Chios]], born in 1920. He was a student in UK at the time war broke out and unable to return home he volunteered for the RAF. Credited with 11+1/2 victories, awarded the DFC and DFM. Fought over Europe (France, D-Day, Germany) and killed in action 25 March 1945 during a ground attack. His death is mentioned in ''The Big Show (Le Grand Cirque)'' written by the French ace [[Pierre Clostermann]] with whom he occasionally shared a plane while based in Volkel, the Netherlands. He flew Spitfire Mk.V, the Mustang III and [[Hawker Tempest]] V. He became the second Greek ace retaining Greek nationality. He is also the only Greek pilot to have his name remembered on the [[Air Forces Memorial]], [[Runnymede]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://imansolas.freeservers.com/Aces/Vassiliades%20Vassilios.html |title=Vassiliades Vassilios  |first=Yiannis & Angelos |last=Mansolas |work=imansolas.freeservers.com |year=2007 |accessdate=21 January 2016}}</ref>
|-
| John Lolos
| 5 
| [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|DFC]], [[Air Medal|AM]]
| Fought in the South West Pacific flying P-47 Thunderbolts with [[341st Fighter Squadron]], [[348th Fighter Group]]. He claimed five Japanese [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero|Zeros and Hamps]] in New Guinea.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/p-47/42-8081/index.html |title=John Lolos – 348th Fighter Group P-47 Pilot |work=Pacific Wrecks |year=2015 |accessdate=21 January 2016}}</ref>
|-
|}

==See also==
*[[List of World War I flying aces]]
*[[List of World War II aces by country]]

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://imansolas.freeservers.com/Aces/The%20Greek%20PZL%20fighters.html The Greek PZL fighters] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624202332/http://imansolas.freeservers.com/Aces/The%20Greek%20PZL%20fighters.html |date=2021-06-24 }}
*[http://imansolas.freeservers.com/Aces/Greeks%20in%20Spitfires.html Greeks in Spitfires]
*[http://imansolas.freeservers.com/Aces/John_Plagis.html Plagis Yiannis] {{in lang|el}}

{{Lists of flying aces}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flying Aces From Greece, List Of}}
[[Category:Lists of World War II flying aces|Greece]]
[[Category:Lists of Greek military personnel|World War II Aces]]
[[Category:Greek World War II flying aces| ]]
[[Category:Greek World War I flying aces| ]]
[[Category:Greek flying aces| ]]
[[Category:Lists of flying aces|Greece]]
[[Category:Lists of World War I flying aces|Flying aces from Greece]]