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. 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.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn 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

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Person Country WWI years active Overall years active Aerial victories Plane flown Notes
René Fonck FranceScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". French Third Republic May 1915 – 1 November 1918 1914–1918

1937–1940

75 Caudron G III, SPAD VII, SPAD XII and SPAD XIII All-time Allied ace of aces, with 75 confirmed aerial victories.Template:Sfn[1][2]
Manfred von Richthofen German EmpireScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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 CanadaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Dominion of Canada April 1917 – end of World War I 1914–1918
1936–1944 		72 Nieuport 17 Credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian and British Empire ace of the war.[3] 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.[4]
Eddie Rickenbacker Script error: No such module "flag". 29 September 1918 – end of World War I 1917–1919 26 Nieuport 17, SPAD S.XIII American Ace of Aces, 26 aerial victories.[5]
Indra Lal Roy Template:Country data British IndiaTemplate:Namespace detect showallScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". British India 1917–22 July 1918 1917–1918 10 S.E.5 India's most successful fighter pilot, with 10 kills.Template:Sfn[6] Killed during a dogfight with German aircraft

World War II

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Person Country WWII years active Overall years active Aerial victories Plane flown Notes
Erich Hartmann Nazi GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Nazi Germany 19 September 1942 – 8 May 1945 1940–1945

1956–1970

352 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)[7]
Kurt Welter Nazi GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Nazi Germany 1939 – 1945 1934–1945 20Template:Refn Me 262 All-time leading jet ace during World War II.Template:Sfn
Ilmari Juutilainen Script error: No such module "flag". 1939–1944 1932–1947 94 Fokker D.XXI, Brewster Buffalo and 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[8]
Teresio Vittorio Martinoli Template:Country data Kingdom of ItalyTemplate:Namespace detect showallScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Italy 1940–1944 1938–1944 22 CR.42, 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.
Pat Pattle Script error: No such module "flag". 4 August 1940– 20 April 1941 1936–1941 50 Hurricanes and 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 'Buzz' Beurling File:Canadian Red Ensign (1921–1957).svg Canada 1940–1944 1940–1944, 1948 31 Spitfire and P-51 Mustang Credited with 31 confirmed victories, making him the most successful Canadian ace of the Second World War.[9]
Richard Bong File:Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg United States 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.Template:Sfn Killed in a flying accident before the war end.
Ivan Kozhedub Script error: No such module "flag". 6 July 1943 – 17 April 1945 1940–1985 64 La-5 and La-7 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.Template:Sfn[10]

Post-World War II era

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Person Country Wars Years active Aerial victories Plane flown Notes
Nikolai Sutyagin Script error: No such module "flag". 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.Template:Sfn
Joseph C. McConnell Script error: No such module "flag". Korean War 1940–1954 16 F-86 Sabre First US Jet ace, also top scoring American ace.[11]
Zhao Baotong Script error: No such module "flag". Korean War 1950–1983 9[12] Mig-15 Highest scoring People's Liberation Army Air Force Ace
Muhammad Mahmood Alam PakistanScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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.[13]
Saiful Azam PakistanScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Pakistan & JordanScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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).[14]Template:Sfn[15]
Giora Even Epstein IsraelScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Israel Six-Day War
War of Attrition
Yom Kippur War 		1956–1997 17 Mirage III, Mirage 5, 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.[16][17]
Nguyen Van Coc VietnamScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Democratic Republic of Vietnam 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.[18][19]
Randy H. Cunningham Script error: No such module "flag". Vietnam War 1967–1987 5 F-4 Phantom II First American ace of the Vietnam War.Template:Sfn
Legesse Tefera EthiopiaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Ethiopia 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.[20][21][22][23]
Jalil Zandi IranScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Iran 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.[24][25]
Mohommed "Sky Falcon" Rayyan File:Flag of Iraq (1963-1991).svg Iraq 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.[26]Template:Sfn

21st Century era

Person Country Wars Years active Aerial victories Plane flown Notes
Ilya Andreevich Sizov RussiaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Russia Russian invasion of Ukraine 2022 to Present 11 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.[27][28]

Submarine aces

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 War Period Notes
Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière German EmpireScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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.[29][30]
Georg von Trapp Template:Country data Austro-HungaryTemplate:Namespace detect showallScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Austro Hungary World War I 1915–18 Most successful Austro-Hungarian Empire submarine commander with 13 enemy ships sunk including two warships.[31]
Wolfgang Lüth Nazi GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Nazi Germany World War II 1933–1945 Sunk 46 enemy merchant ships and a french submarine. Total GRT sunk of 225,204.Template:Sfn
Otto Kretschmer Nazi GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Nazi Germany World War II 1939–1941 46Template:Sfn or 47Template:Sfn enemy ships sunk with 274,418 GRT. The most successful German Submarine ace in GRT sunk.
Dick O'Kane Script error: No such module "flag". World War II 1943–1944 31 Japanese merchant ships sunk.[32] Captured and made Prisoner of war.Template:Sfn
Malcolm David Wanklyn Script error: No such module "flag". World War II – 14 April 1942 16 enemy ships sunk.Template:Sfn Wanklyn was the British Ace of Aces in terms of tonnage, disappeared during 28th patrol on board HMS Upholder.[33]
Gianfranco Gazzana-Priaroggia Template:Country data Kingdom of ItalyTemplate:Namespace detect showallScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Italy World War II The highest scoring Italian submarine commander, with 11 ships sunk for a total of 90,601 tons.[34]
Carlo Fecia di Cossato Template:Country data Kingdom of ItalyTemplate:Namespace detect showallScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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.[34]

Submarine hunters

Persons accorded the title ace of acesScript error: No such module "Unsubst".
Person Country War Period Notes
John Walker United KingdomScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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.[35] 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.Template:Sfn

Person Country War Period Tanks destroyed Tank type crewed Notes
Edmund Roman Orlik PolandScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Poland Invasion of Poland 1 September 1939 – 28 September 1939 10 (official) 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. B, the largest tank then fielded by Germany, with a 2.6 tonne TKS tankette armed with a 20mm autocannon. The unofficial claim is that he destroyed 13 tanks, although this has not been confirmed by any trustworthy sources to date.
Template:Interlanguage link Template:Flagcountry World War II January 1943 – 18 March 1945 10 41M Turán II, Tiger I, Panther and Panzer IV Ausf. H 10 confirmed and 15 unconfirmed tank kills during World War II.[36][37]

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.[38]

Kurt Knispel Nazi GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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 Nazi GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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.Template:Sfn
Johannes Bölter Nazi GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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"Template:Sfn
Michael Wittmann Nazi GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Nazi Germany World War II 1941 – 8 August 1944 138 Tiger I and Sturmgeschütz III Credited with over 138 tank killsTemplate:Sfn
Walter Kniep Nazi GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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 ReichTemplate:Sfn
Paul Egger Nazi GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Nazi Germany World War II 1941 – 3 May 1945 113 Tiger I SS Oberscharfuehrer Credited with 113 tank killsTemplate:Sfn
Fritz Lang Nazi GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Nazi Germany World War II 1941 – ???? 111 Stug III Germany's WW2 top assault gun ace.Template:Sfn
Albert Kerscher Nazi GermanyScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 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 destroyedTemplate:Sfn[39]
Dmitry Lavrinenko Template:Flagicon 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 KingdomScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". United Kingdom World War II 1940 – 1943 30 M4 Sherman According to the 22nd November 1942 citation,[40] Corporal Nickolls, in a Sherman tank at El Alemain destroyed 14 tanks, including destroying 9 German tanks in one single engagement.[40] 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[41] Awarded the Military Medal by Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery[42]
Zinovy Grigoryevich Kolobanov Template:Flagicon 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.[43]
Sydney Valpy Radley-Walters Template:Flagicon 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'.Template:Sfn The tank squadron under his command may have been responsible for the death of German tank ace Michael Wittmann.
Lafayette G. Pool Script error: No such module "flag". 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.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Börje Bror Brotell Template:Flagicon 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.Template:Sfn
Arun Khetarpal Template:Flagicon 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[44]
Zvika Greengold Template:Flagicon Israel Yom Kippur War 6 October 1973 – 25 October 1973 60 Centurion (more specifically Sho't) In total 60 tanks were accredited to him.[45] Greengold himself claims 20 Syrian tanks over the space of holding his position for 20 hours. He changed tanks six times.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

See also

Notes

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References

Citations

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  1. ↑ The Lowell Sun, "Record by French "Ace Of Aces" Never Equalled", Associated Press, Friday 21 June 1918
  2. ↑ Doubleday, "Ace of Aces", René Fonck, 1967
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ McCaffery 1960, p. 143.
  5. ↑ Robert Widener, "WWI Most Decorated", VFW Magazine, April 2017
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "Footnotes"..
  8. ↑ "Keskinen, Kalevi; Stenman, Kari and Niska, Klaus. Hävittäjä-ässät (Finnish Fighter Aces). Espoo, Finland: Tietoteas, 1978. Template:ISBN.
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Farris, Phillip. 1990/0690jetwar.aspx "Jet War." Air Force Magazine, Air Force Association, Volume 73, Number 6, June 1990. Archival retrieval: 10 July 2011.
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "Footnotes".
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  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Challenge Publications, "The U-Boat ACE of ACES", William H Langenberg, 2004.
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "Footnotes".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Footnotes"..
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1"..
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Traces of War Military Bio Resource https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/39707/Kerscher-Albert.htm
  40. ↑ a b Bright, Joan "The Ninth Queens Royal Lancer, 1939 - 1945." The Naval and Military Press page 308
  41. ↑ Bright, Joan "The Ninth Queens Royal Lancer, 1939 - 1945." The Naval and Military Press page 117
  42. ↑ The National archives catalogue "Recommendation for Award for Nicholls, Alfred Rank: Lance Corporal Service" https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7360171
  43. ↑ "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.
  44. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". "Profile" and "Citation" tabs.
  45. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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General and cited references

World War I sources

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Later wars

  • Aces of WWII
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