Lists of World War II flying aces - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (2024)

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Fighter aces in World War II had tremendously varying kill scores, affected as they were by many factors: the pilot's skill level, the performance of the airplane the pilot flew and the planes they flew against, how long they served, their opportunity to meet the enemy in the air (Allied to Axis disproportion), whether they were the formation's leader or a wingman, the standards their air service brought to the awarding of victory credits, et cetera.

Contents

  • Aces
  • Gallery
  • Aces 2
  • toc-title-text
  • Notes
  • References
  • Citations
  • Bibliography

Towards the end of the war, the Axis powers had largely exhausted their supply of skilled pilots and the replacements did not have as much opportunity to gain enough experience to be successful. Additionally, national policies differed; German, Italian, and Japanese [1] pilots tended to return to the cockpit over and over again until they were killed. [N 1]

It is not clear what impact each nation's rules for score crediting have on the counts listed below. Germans credited a shared victory to only one pilot, while the French credited full victory to all participants. British, Finnish and US air forces credited fractional shares of aerial victories, resulting in fractions, such as 11½, which might be for example 10 aircraft and three shares with the second pilot. Some U.S. commands also credited aircraft destroyed on the ground. The Soviets counted only solo kills, while group kills were counted separately, as did the Japanese. The Italian Air Force did not officially credit victories to individual pilots, but to their unit as a whole. Probable kills are usually left out of the list.

It is necessary to emphasize that the question of assessing and comparing the success rate of fighters by number of victories is one of the more problematic. There are disputes about what is "shot down" and what is "air victory", but the most problematic seems to be credibility of reports and reliability of its confirmation, which was substantially different in particular air forces. The most reliable is considered the confirmation of the victories in RAF, which based its counts on comparison of testimonials of participants andif possiblefilm material.

Aces

Gallery

Aces

List of World War II aces by victory count:

  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11–49
  • 50–99
  • +100
  • List of World War II aces from Australia
  • List of World War II aces from Austria
  • List of World War II aces from Belgium
  • List of World War II aces from Bulgaria
  • List of World War II aces from Canada
  • List of World War II aces from China
  • List of World War II aces from Croatia
  • List of World War II aces from Czechoslovakia
  • List of World War II aces from Denmark
  • List of World War II aces from Finland
  • List of World War II aces from France (Vichy France)
  • List of World War II aces from Germany (Jet aces, night fighter)
  • List of World War II aces from Hungary
  • List of World War II aces from Italy
  • List of World War II aces from Ireland
  • List of World War II aces from Japan
  • List of World War II aces from New Zealand
  • List of World War II aces from Norway
  • List of World War II aces from Poland
  • List of World War II flying aces from Romania
  • List of World War II aces from Slovakia
  • List of World War II aces from South Africa
  • List of World War II aces from Southern Rhodesia
  • List of World War II aces from the Soviet Union
  • List of World War II aces from Spain
  • List of World War II aces from the United Kingdom
  • List of World War II aces from the United States

Notes

  1. By 1945, combat experienced Japanese airmen were often detailed to provide fighter escort for newer inexperienced Kamikaze pilots en route to their targets in the Pacific

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The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational service. The Warhawk was used by most Allied powers during World War II, and remained in frontline service until the end of the war. It was the third most-produced American fighter of World War II, after the North American P-51 Mustang and Republic P-47 Thunderbolt; by November 1944, when production of the P-40 ceased, 13,738 had been built, all at Curtiss-Wright Corporation's main production facilities in Buffalo, New York.

Lists of World War II flying aces - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (13)

A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied but is usually considered to be five or more.

Lists of World War II flying aces - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (14)

Walter Nowotny was an Austrian-born fighter ace of the Luftwaffe in World War II. He is credited with 258aerial victories—that is, 258 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—in 442combat missions. Nowotny achieved 255of these victories on the Eastern Front and three while flying one of the first jet fighters, the Messerschmitt Me 262, in the Defense of the Reich. He scored most of his victories in the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, and approximately 50in the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Nowotny scored an "ace in a day" on multiple occasions, shooting down at least five airplanes on the same day, including two occurrences of "double-ace in a day" in mid-1943.

Lists of World War II flying aces - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (15)

Oscar-Heinrich "Pritzl" Bär was a German Luftwaffe flying ace who served throughout World War II in Europe. Bär flew more than one thousand combat missions, and fought in the Western, Eastern and Mediterranean theatres. On 18 occasions he survived being shot down, and according to records in the German Federal Archives, he claimed to have shot down 228 enemy aircraft and was credited with 208 aerial victories, 16 of which were in a Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Sources credit him with 220 – 96 on Eastern Theatre and 124 on Western Theatre – up to 222 aerial victories may also be possible.

Lists of World War II flying aces - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (16)

Walter "Gulle" Oesau was a German fighter pilot during World War II. A fighter ace, he served in the Luftwaffe from 1934 until his death in 1944. He rose to command Jagdgeschwader 1, which was named in his honor after his death.

Lists of World War II flying aces - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (17)

August Lambert was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and ground-attack pilot during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 116 aerial victories claimed in approximately 350 combat missions for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. All of his aerial victories were claimed on the Eastern Front as a ground attack pilot in a Schlachtgeschwader, not as a fighter pilot in a Jagdgeschwader. He is the highest scoring ground attack pilot.

Lists of World War II flying aces - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (18)

John Everitt Frost, was a South African fighter ace during the Second World War. He was the highest-scoring member of a South African Air Force squadron during the war, credited with the destruction of 15 Axis aircraft. South African pilots with higher numbers of kills, such as Pat Pattle and Adolph "Sailor" Malan, were members of the British Royal Air Force.

Lists of World War II flying aces - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (19)

Hans "Specker" Grünberg was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he was credited with 82, aerial victories—that is, 82 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in approximately 550 combat missions. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front, with 21 claims over the Western Front, including five flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter.

This article explores confirmation and overclaiming of aerial victories during World War II. In aerial warfare, the term overclaiming describes a combatant that claims the destruction of more enemy aircraft than actually achieved. The net effect is that the actual losses and claimed victories are unequal, and that the claiming side is inaccurately reporting their combat achievements, thereby potentially undermining their credibility to all parties participating and observing the war.

Lists of World War II flying aces - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (20)

Wilhelm Lemke was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. Lemke was credited with 131 aerial victories—that is, 131 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft. All but six of his victories were claimed over the Soviet Air Forces in 617 combat missions.

Lists of World War II flying aces - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (21)

Heinrich Sterr was a World War II Luftwaffe military aviator. As a flying ace, he is credited with 130 aerial victories predominantly claimed on the Eastern Front. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. On 26 November 1944, he was shot down and killed in action by USAAF fighters.

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid-1930s. It was one of the first true modern fighters of the era, including such features as all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, a retractable landing gear, and was powered by a liquid-cooled, inverted-V12 aero engine.

Oberst Paul Aue was a World War I flying ace from the Kingdom of Saxony in the German Empire. Partial records of his early aviation career credit him with 10 aerial victories. He would join the nascent Luftwaffe during the 1930s and serve Germany through World War II. He died in a Soviet prison camp in 1945.

Wilhelm Schilling was a Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership - for the fighter pilots, it was a measure of skill and combat success. He was credited with at least 50 victories in 538 missions.

Lists of World War II flying aces - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (22)

Lars Paul-Erich "Lasse" Hattinen was a Finnish World War II flying ace and a commercial airliner pilot. At the time, he was the youngest flying ace and he achieved 6 air victories with the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 between 25 June and 30 July 1944. Hattinen is recognized as the only pilot who flew the Mörkö Morane, the plane's version developed in Finland. His three victories flying this plane were the only kills scored by the fighter. He had four regular victories flying Morane planes when he achieved his first Yak-1 victory in 1944. On his last flight, his plane caught fire, and he only barely survived with burns.

References

Citations

  1. Holmes 2011, p.314.

Bibliography

  • Hata, Ikuhiko with Yasuho Izawa and Christopher Shores. Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units and Their Aces, 1931–1945. London: Grub Street, 2002. ISBN 1-902304-89-6.
  • Holmes, Tony (2011). Dogfight: The Greatest Air Duels of World War II. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-482-6.
  • Keskinen, Kalevi (1978). Hävittäjä-ässät: Finnish fighter aces. Kari Stenman, Klaus Niska. Espoo: Tietoteos. ISBN 978-951-9035-37-6. OCLC 5092754.
  • Massimello, Giovanni and Giorgio Apostolo. Italian Aces of World War 2. Osprey Publishing Ltd, 2000. ISBN 978-1-84176-078-0.
  • 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. 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.
  • Sakaida, Henry. Japanese Army Air Force Aces, 1937–45. Botley, Oxfordshire, UK: Osprey Publishing, 1997. ISBN 1-85532-529-2.
  • Seidl, Hans D. Stalin's Eagles: An Illustrated Study of the Soviet Aces of World War II and Korea. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1998. ISBN 0-7643-0476-3.
  • Shores, Christopher; Williams, Clive (1994). Aces High: A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces in WWII. London, United Kingdom: Grub Street. ISBN 1-898697-00-0.

Flying aces

World War I
(accuracy)
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Austrian aces
  • Austro-Hungary
  • Belgium
  • British Empire
  • Canada
  • Czech aces
  • Croatian aces
  • Ecuador
  • Estonian aces
  • Fiji
  • France
  • German Empire
  • Hungary
  • Italy
  • India
  • Latvia
  • New Zealand
  • Polish aces
  • Romania
  • Russian Empire
  • Serbia
  • Slovakian aces
  • South Africa
  • Swaziland
  • Switzerland
  • United States
World War II
(accuracy)
  • By country
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • China
  • Croatia
  • Czechoslovakia
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France (Vichy France)
  • Germany (Jet aces, night fighter)
  • Hungary
  • Italy
  • Ireland
  • Japan
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Romania
  • Slovakia
  • South Africa
  • Southern Rhodesia
  • Soviet Union
  • Spain
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
Other wars
  • Spanish Civil War
  • Korean War
  • Vietnam War
General
  • Canada
  • Egypt
  • Greece
  • Iran
  • Israel
  • Russia
  • Syria
Related
  • List of aviators who became ace in a day

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