List of World War II aces credited with 100 or more victories
This list of World War II aces credited with 100 or more victories is a subset list of all fighter aces in World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.[1] Here, all the fighter pilots with more than 100 aerial victories claimed are listed, all from the German Luftwaffe. According to Edward H. Sims, none of the other air forces of World War II had pilots who claimed more than 100 aerial victories.[2]
Aces
Fate of pilots with more than 100 claims
According to Obermaier, 103 Luftwaffe pilots were credited with more than 100 aerial victories.[3] Further more, the US historian David T. Zabecki states that 105 Luftwaffe pilots were credited with more than 100 aerial victories,[4] adding Friedrich Wachowiak with 140 aerial victories,[5] and Paul-Heinrich Dähne with 100 aerial victories, who were not listed by Obermaier.[3][6] Additionally, Spick lists Horst-Günther von Fassong with 136 aerial victories, Rudolf Rademacher with 126 aerial victories, and Herbert Rollwage with 102 aerial victories.[7]
Name | Country | Service(s) | Aerial victories | Other aerial victories | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Erich Hartmann | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 352[4][8] | Top ace of all time. First ever with 300 victories,[9] achieved coincident with Double-ace in a day | ![]() | |
Gerhard Barkhorn | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 301[4][8] | ![]() | ||
Günther Rall | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 275[4][8] | ![]() | ||
Otto Kittel † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 267[8][4] | Top Focke-Wulf Fw 190 ace[10] Killed in action on 16 February 1945.[11] | ||
Walter Nowotny † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 258[4][8] | Double-ace in a day on two different occasions. First to 250[12] Killed in action on 8 November 1944.[13] | ![]() | |
Wilhelm Batz | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 237[4][8] | ![]() | ||
Erich Rudorffer | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 224[4][Note 1] | Jet ace with 12 victories in Me 262,[14] Double-ace in a day Credited with 11 heavy bombers shot down[15] | ![]() | |
Heinz Bär | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 221[4][Note 2] | Jet ace with 16 victories in Me 262[14] Credited with 21 heavy bombers shot down[16] | ||
Hermann Graf | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 212[4][8] | First ever with 200 victories[17] | ![]() | |
Heinrich Ehrler † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 208[4][8] | Jet ace with 5 victories in Me 262[14] Credited with 7 heavy bombers shot down[18] Killed in action on 4 April 1945.[19] | ![]() | |
Theodor Weissenberger | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 208[4][8] | Jet ace with 8 victories in Me 262[14] Credited with 7 heavy bombers shot down[18] | ![]() | |
Hans Philipp † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 206[4][20] | Killed in action on 8 October 1943.[21] | ![]() | |
Walter Schuck | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 206[4][20] | Jet ace with 8 victories in Me 262[14] | ||
Anton Hafner † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 204[4][20] | Killed in action on 17 October 1944.[22] | ||
Helmut Lipfert | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 203[5][20] | |||
Walter Krupinski | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 197[5][20] | ![]() | ||
Anton Hackl | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 192[5][20] | Credited with 34 heavy bombers shot down[16] | ||
Joachim Brendel | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 189[5][20] | |||
Max Stotz † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 189[5][20] | Missing in action on 19 August 1943.[23] | ||
Joachim Kirschner † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 188[5][20] | Killed after taken prisoner of war on 17 December 1943.[24] | ||
Kurt Brändle † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 180[5][20] | Killed in action on 3 November 1943.[25] | ||
Günther Josten | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 178[5][20] | |||
Johannes Steinhoff | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 176[5][20] | Jet ace with 6 victories in Me 262[14] | ||
Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 174[5][20] | |||
Günther Schack | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 174[5][20] | |||
Heinz Schmidt † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 173[5][20] | Missing in action on 5 September 1943.[26] | ||
Emil Lang † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 173[5][20] | Triple-ace in a day Killed in action on 3 September 1944.[27] | ||
Horst Ademeit † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 166[5][20] | Missing in action on 7 August 1944.[28] | ||
Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 162[5][29] | Killed in action on 23 March 1944.[30] | ||
Hans-Joachim Marseille † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 158[5][29] | Top scoring ace outside the Eastern Front. Destroyed most Western Allied aircraft.[31] Triple-ace in a day Killed in flying accident on 30 September 1942.[32] | ![]() | |
Heinrich Sturm † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 158[5][Note 3] | Killed in flying accident on 22 December 1944.[33] | ||
Gerhard Thyben | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 157[5][29] | ![]() | ||
Hans Beisswenger † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 152[5][29] | Missing in action on 6 March 1943.[23] | ||
Peter Düttmann | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 152[5][Note 4] | |||
Gordon Gollob | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 150[5][29] | First ever with 150 victories[34] | ![]() | |
Fritz Tegtmeier | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 146[5][29] | |||
Albin Wolf † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 144[5][29] | Killed in action on 2 April 1944.[22] | ||
Kurt Tanzer | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 143[5][29] | |||
Friedrich-Karl Müller † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 140[5][29] | Credited with 23 heavy bombers shot down[16] Killed in flying accident on 29 May 1944.[26] | ||
Friedrich Wachowiak † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 140[5] | Schreier lists him with 130 aerial victories.[35] Obermaier states that the exact number of aerial victories is not known, and lists him with at least 86 aerial victories.[36] Spick also states that he was credited with at least 86 aerial victories.[37] Killed in action on 16 July 1944.[36] | ||
Karl Gratz | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 138[5][29] | |||
Heinrich Setz † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 138[5][29] | Killed in action on 13 March 1943.[38] | ||
Rudolf Trenkel | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 138[5][29] | |||
Franz Schall † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 137[29][Note 5] | Jet ace with 14 victories in Me 262[14] Killed in flying accident on 10 April 1945.[39] | ||
Walter Wolfrum | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 137[5][29] | Double-ace in a day on two different occasions | ||
Adolf Dickfeld | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 136[5][29] | |||
Horst-Günther von Fassong † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 136[40] | Obermaier lists him with 75, potentially about 80, aerial victories.[41] Missing in action on 1 January 1945.[41] | ||
Otto Fönnekold † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 136[5][40] | Killed in action on 31 August 1944.[42] | ||
Karl-Heinz Weber † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 136[5][40] | Missing in action on 7 June 1944.[43] | ||
Joachim Müncheberg † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 135[40] | Killed in action on 23 March 1943.[44] | ||
Hans Waldmann † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 134[5][40] | Ace in a day Killed in flying accident on 18 March 1944.[45] | ||
Alfred Grislawski | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 133[40][Note 6] | |||
Johannes Wiese | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 133[5][40] | |||
Adolf Borchers | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 132[5][40] | |||
Erwin Clausen † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 132[40][46] | Credited with 10 heavy bombers shot down[15] Missing in action on 4 October 1943.[38] | ||
Wilhelm Lemke † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 131[40][46] | Killed in action on 4 December 1943.[47] | ||
Gerhard Hoffmann † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 130[46][Note 7] | Killed in flying accident on 11 April 1945.[49] | ||
Heinrich Sterr † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 130[40][Note 8] | Killed in action on 26 November 1944.[50] | ||
Walther Dahl | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 129[46][Note 9] | Credited with 30 heavy bombers shot down[16] | ||
Franz Eisenach | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 129[40][46] | |||
Franz Dörr | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 128[40][46] | |||
Rudolf Rademacher | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 126[40] | Jet ace with 8 victories in Me 262[14] Credited with 11 heavy bombers shot down[15] According to Obermaier, he is credited with 97 aerial victories.[51] | ||
Josef Zwernemann † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 126[46][48] | Credited with 5 heavy bombers shot down[52] Killed in action on 8 April 1944.[53] | ||
Dietrich Hrabak | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 125[46][48] | |||
Wolf-Udo Ettel † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 124[46][48] | Killed in action on 17 July 1943.[47] | ||
Herbert Ihlefeld | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 123[40][46] | +9 in Spanish Civil War[54] | Ace in each of two wars | |
Wolfgang Tonne † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 122[46][48] | Killed in flying accident on 20 April 1943.[23] | ||
Heinz Marquardt | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 121[46][48] | |||
Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 121[46][55] | Top night fighter ace. Ace in a day | ![]() | |
Robert Weiß † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 121[46][48] | Killed in action on 29 December 1944.[56] | ||
Friedrich Obleser | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 120[46][48] | |||
Erich Leie † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 118[46][48] | Killed in action on 7 March 1945.[57] | ||
Franz-Josef Beerenbrock | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 117[46][48] | |||
Hans-Joachim Birkner † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 117[46][48] | Killed in flying accident on 14 December 1944.[58] | ||
Jakob Norz † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 117[46][48] | Killed in flying accident on 16 September 1944.[22] | ||
Walter Oesau † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 117[48] | +9 in Spanish Civil War[54] | Credited with 13 heavy bombers shot down[15] Killed in action on 11 May 1944.[59] | ![]() |
Heinz Wernicke † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 117[46][48] | Killed in action on 27 December 1944.[60] | ||
August Lambert † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 116[46][48] | Triple-ace in a day Killed in action on 17 April 1945.[61] | ||
Wilhelm Crinius | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 114[46][48] | |||
Werner Schröer | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 114[46][62] | Credited with 26 heavy bombers shot down[16] | ![]() | |
Hans Dammers † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 113[46][62] | Died of wounds on 17 March 1944.[63] | ||
Berthold Korts † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 113[46][62] | Missing in action on 29 August 1943.[64] | ||
Kurt Bühligen | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 112[46][62] | Credited with 24 heavy bombers shot down[16] | ||
Kurt Ubben † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 111[46] | Killed in action on 27 April 1944.[65] | ||
Helmut Lent † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 110[55] | Night fighter ace Killed in flying accident on 7 October 1944.[66] | ![]() | |
Franz Woidich | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 110[46][62] | |||
Emil Bitsch † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 108[46][62] | Killed in action on 15 March 1944.[58] | ||
Hans Hahn | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 108[46][62] | |||
Bernhard Vechtel | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 108[46][62] | |||
Viktor Bauer | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 106[46][62] | |||
Werner Lucas † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 106[46][62] | Killed in action on 24 October 1943.[67] | ||
Günther Lützow † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 105[59] | +5 in Spanish Civil War[54] | Missing in action on 24 April 1945.[59] | ![]() |
Eberhard von Boremski | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 104[6] | |||
Adolf Galland | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 104[6][62] | Jet ace with 7 victories in Me 262[14] | ![]() | |
Heinz Sachsenberg | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 104[6][62] | |||
Hartmann Grasser | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 103[6][62] | |||
Siegfried Freytag | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 102[6][68] | |||
Friedrich Geisshardt † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 102[6][68] | Died of wounds on 6 April 1943.[38] | ||
Egon Mayer † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 102[6][68] | Credited with 26 heavy bombers shot down[16] Killed in action on 2 March 1944.[69] | ![]() | |
Herbert Rollwage | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 102[68] | Toliver and Constable also list him with 102 aerial victories.[70] Obermaier states that exact number of aerial victories remains unknown, likely to be in the range of 80 to 85.[71] | ||
Max-Hellmuth Ostermann † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 102[6][68] | Killed in action on 9 August 1942.[72] | ||
Josef Wurmheller † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 102[6][68] | Killed in action on 22 June 1944.[69] | ||
Werner Mölders † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 101[48][54] | +14 in Spanish Civil War[54] | Ace in each of two wars, first in aviation history with 100 victories[73] Killed as a passenger in a flying accident on 22 November 1941.[74] | ![]() |
Rudolf Miethig † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 101[6][68] | Killed in action on 10 June 1943.[75] | ||
Josef Priller | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 101[6][68] | |||
Ulrich Wernitz | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 101[6][68] | |||
Paul-Heinrich Dähne † | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 100[6] | Killed in flying accident on 24 April 1945.[76] | ||
Reinhard Seiler | ![]() | Luftwaffe | 100[6][62] | +9 in Spanish Civil War[54] |
Notes
- ^ According to Spick, Rudorffer was credited with 222 aerial victories.[8]
- ^ According to Spick, Bär was credited with 220 aerial victories.[8]
- ^ According to Spick, Sturm was credited with 157 aerial victories.[29]
- ^ According to Spick, Düttmann was credited with 150 aerial victories.[29]
- ^ According to Zabecki, Schall was credited with 133 aerial victories.[5]
- ^ According to Zabecki, Grislawski was credited with 132 aerial victories.[46]
- ^ According to Spick, Hoffmann was credited with 125 aerial victories.[48]
- ^ According to Zabecki, Sterr was credited with 129 aerial victories.[46]
- ^ According to Spick, Dahl was credited with 128 aerial victories.[40]
References
Citations
- ^ Spick 1996, pp. 3–4.
- ^ Sims 1982, pp. 28–29.
- ^ a b Obermaier 1989, pp. 243–244.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Zabecki 2019, p. 328.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al Zabecki 2019, p. 329.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Zabecki 2019, p. 331.
- ^ Spick 1996, pp. 230, 233.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Spick 1996, p. 227.
- ^ Sims 1982, p. 193.
- ^ Khazanov et al. 2019, p. 184.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 39.
- ^ Spick 1996, p. 197.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 22.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 88.
- ^ a b c d Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1531.
- ^ a b c d e f g Forsyth 2011, p. 90.
- ^ Sims 1982, p. 201.
- ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1532.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 57.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Spick 1996, p. 228.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 30.
- ^ a b c Obermaier 1989, p. 65.
- ^ a b c Obermaier 1989, p. 54.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 58.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 52.
- ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 53.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 64.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 60.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Spick 1996, p. 229.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 33.
- ^ Sims 1982, p. 303.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 20.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 212.
- ^ Spick 1996, p. 85.
- ^ Schreier 1990, p. 175.
- ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 219.
- ^ Spick 1996, p. 235.
- ^ a b c Obermaier 1989, p. 51.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 192.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Spick 1996, p. 230.
- ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 109.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 111.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 68.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 32.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 220.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai Zabecki 2019, p. 330.
- ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 59.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Spick 1996, p. 231.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 135.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 210.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 183.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1533.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 55.
- ^ a b c d e f Zabecki 2014, p. 1610.
- ^ a b Spick 1996, p. 242.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 74.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 156.
- ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 89.
- ^ a b c Obermaier 1989, p. 29.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 222.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 153.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Spick 1996, p. 232.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 99.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 150.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 48.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 23.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 161.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Spick 1996, p. 233.
- ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 38.
- ^ Toliver & Constable 1998, p. 405.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 72.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 31.
- ^ Spick 1996, p. 80.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 17.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 169.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 98.
Bibliography
- Forsyth, Robert (2011). Luftwaffe Viermot Aces 1942–45. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-438-3.
- Khazanov, Dmitriy; Medved, Aleksander; Young, , Edward M.; Holmes, Tony (2019). Air Combat: Dogfights of World War II. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-3674-8.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 4 S–Z. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-21-9.
- Morgan, Hugh; Weal, John (1998). German Jet Aces of World War 2. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 17. London; New York: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-634-7.
- Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
- Schreier, Hans (1990). JG 52 Das erfolgreichste Jagdgeschwader des 2. Weltkriegs [JG 52 The Most Successful Fighter Wing of World War II] (in German). Berg am See: K. Vowinckel. ISBN 978-3-921655-66-5.
- Sims, Edward H. (1982). Jagdflieger Die großen Gegner von einst [Fighter Pilots The great Enemies of the Past] (in German). Stuttgart, UK: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-115-1.
- Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
- Toliver, Raymond F.; Constable, Trevor J. (1998) [1977]. Die deutschen Jagdflieger-Asse 1939–1945 [The German Fighter Aces 1939-1945] (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-193-9.
- Zabecki, David T., ed. (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3.
- Zabecki, David T., ed. (2019). The German War Machine in World War II. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-44-086918-1.
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