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

  Survived (50.9%)
  Killed in action (26.9%)
  Killed in flying accident (11.1%)
  Missing in action (8.3%)
  Other reasons (2.8%)

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]

  This background, along with the symbol "†", indicates that the pilot was killed in action, missing in action, died of wounds, or was killed in a flying accident during World War II.
  This background, along with the ? (question mark), indicates doubt regarding the veracity and formal correctness of the listing.

Name Country Service(s) Aerial victories Other aerial victories Notes Image
Erich Hartmann  Germany 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  Germany Luftwaffe 301[4][8]
Günther Rall  Germany Luftwaffe 275[4][8]
Otto Kittel †  Germany Luftwaffe 267[8][4] Top Focke-Wulf Fw 190 ace[10]
Killed in action on 16 February 1945.[11]
Walter Nowotny †  Germany 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  Germany Luftwaffe 237[4][8]
Erich Rudorffer  Germany 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  Germany Luftwaffe 221[4][Note 2] Jet ace with 16 victories in Me 262[14]
Credited with 21 heavy bombers shot down[16]
Hermann Graf  Germany Luftwaffe 212[4][8] First ever with 200 victories[17]
Heinrich Ehrler †  Germany 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  Germany Luftwaffe 208[4][8] Jet ace with 8 victories in Me 262[14]
Credited with 7 heavy bombers shot down[18]
Hans Philipp †  Germany Luftwaffe 206[4][20] Killed in action on 8 October 1943.[21]
Walter Schuck  Germany Luftwaffe 206[4][20] Jet ace with 8 victories in Me 262[14]
Anton Hafner †  Germany Luftwaffe 204[4][20] Killed in action on 17 October 1944.[22]
Helmut Lipfert  Germany Luftwaffe 203[5][20]
Walter Krupinski  Germany Luftwaffe 197[5][20]
Anton Hackl  Germany Luftwaffe 192[5][20] Credited with 34 heavy bombers shot down[16]
Joachim Brendel  Germany Luftwaffe 189[5][20]
Max Stotz †  Germany Luftwaffe 189[5][20] Missing in action on 19 August 1943.[23]
Joachim Kirschner †  Germany Luftwaffe 188[5][20] Killed after taken prisoner of war on 17 December 1943.[24]
Kurt Brändle †  Germany Luftwaffe 180[5][20] Killed in action on 3 November 1943.[25]
Günther Josten  Germany Luftwaffe 178[5][20]
Johannes Steinhoff  Germany Luftwaffe 176[5][20] Jet ace with 6 victories in Me 262[14]
Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert  Germany Luftwaffe 174[5][20]
Günther Schack  Germany Luftwaffe 174[5][20]
Heinz Schmidt †  Germany Luftwaffe 173[5][20] Missing in action on 5 September 1943.[26]
Emil Lang †  Germany Luftwaffe 173[5][20] Triple-ace in a day
Killed in action on 3 September 1944.[27]
Horst Ademeit †  Germany Luftwaffe 166[5][20] Missing in action on 7 August 1944.[28]
Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke †  Germany Luftwaffe 162[5][29] Killed in action on 23 March 1944.[30]
Hans-Joachim Marseille †  Germany 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 †  Germany Luftwaffe 158[5][Note 3] Killed in flying accident on 22 December 1944.[33]
Gerhard Thyben  Germany Luftwaffe 157[5][29]
Hans Beisswenger †  Germany Luftwaffe 152[5][29] Missing in action on 6 March 1943.[23]
Peter Düttmann  Germany Luftwaffe 152[5][Note 4]
Gordon Gollob  Germany Luftwaffe 150[5][29] First ever with 150 victories[34]
Fritz Tegtmeier  Germany Luftwaffe 146[5][29]
Albin Wolf †  Germany Luftwaffe 144[5][29] Killed in action on 2 April 1944.[22]
Kurt Tanzer  Germany Luftwaffe 143[5][29]
Friedrich-Karl Müller †  Germany Luftwaffe 140[5][29] Credited with 23 heavy bombers shot down[16]
Killed in flying accident on 29 May 1944.[26]
Friedrich Wachowiak †  Germany 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  Germany Luftwaffe 138[5][29]
Heinrich Setz †  Germany Luftwaffe 138[5][29] Killed in action on 13 March 1943.[38]
Rudolf Trenkel  Germany Luftwaffe 138[5][29]
Franz Schall †  Germany 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  Germany Luftwaffe 137[5][29] Double-ace in a day on two different occasions
Adolf Dickfeld  Germany Luftwaffe 136[5][29]
Horst-Günther von Fassong †  Germany Luftwaffe 136[40] Obermaier lists him with 75, potentially about 80, aerial victories.[41]
Missing in action on 1 January 1945.[41]
Otto Fönnekold †  Germany Luftwaffe 136[5][40] Killed in action on 31 August 1944.[42]
Karl-Heinz Weber †  Germany Luftwaffe 136[5][40] Missing in action on 7 June 1944.[43]
Joachim Müncheberg †  Germany Luftwaffe 135[40] Killed in action on 23 March 1943.[44]
Hans Waldmann †  Germany Luftwaffe 134[5][40] Ace in a day
Killed in flying accident on 18 March 1944.[45]
Alfred Grislawski  Germany Luftwaffe 133[40][Note 6]
Johannes Wiese  Germany Luftwaffe 133[5][40]
Adolf Borchers  Germany Luftwaffe 132[5][40]
Erwin Clausen †  Germany Luftwaffe 132[40][46] Credited with 10 heavy bombers shot down[15]
Missing in action on 4 October 1943.[38]
Wilhelm Lemke †  Germany Luftwaffe 131[40][46] Killed in action on 4 December 1943.[47]
Gerhard Hoffmann †  Germany Luftwaffe 130[46][Note 7] Killed in flying accident on 11 April 1945.[49]
Heinrich Sterr †  Germany Luftwaffe 130[40][Note 8] Killed in action on 26 November 1944.[50]
Walther Dahl  Germany Luftwaffe 129[46][Note 9] Credited with 30 heavy bombers shot down[16]
Franz Eisenach  Germany Luftwaffe 129[40][46]
Franz Dörr  Germany Luftwaffe 128[40][46]
Rudolf Rademacher  Germany 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 †  Germany Luftwaffe 126[46][48] Credited with 5 heavy bombers shot down[52]
Killed in action on 8 April 1944.[53]
Dietrich Hrabak  Germany Luftwaffe 125[46][48]
Wolf-Udo Ettel †  Germany Luftwaffe 124[46][48] Killed in action on 17 July 1943.[47]
Herbert Ihlefeld  Germany Luftwaffe 123[40][46] +9 in Spanish Civil War[54] Ace in each of two wars
Wolfgang Tonne †  Germany Luftwaffe 122[46][48] Killed in flying accident on 20 April 1943.[23]
Heinz Marquardt  Germany Luftwaffe 121[46][48]
Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer  Germany Luftwaffe 121[46][55] Top night fighter ace. Ace in a day
Robert Weiß †  Germany Luftwaffe 121[46][48] Killed in action on 29 December 1944.[56]
Friedrich Obleser  Germany Luftwaffe 120[46][48]
Erich Leie †  Germany Luftwaffe 118[46][48] Killed in action on 7 March 1945.[57]
Franz-Josef Beerenbrock  Germany Luftwaffe 117[46][48]
Hans-Joachim Birkner †  Germany Luftwaffe 117[46][48] Killed in flying accident on 14 December 1944.[58]
Jakob Norz †  Germany Luftwaffe 117[46][48] Killed in flying accident on 16 September 1944.[22]
Walter Oesau †  Germany 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 †  Germany Luftwaffe 117[46][48] Killed in action on 27 December 1944.[60]
August Lambert †  Germany Luftwaffe 116[46][48] Triple-ace in a day
Killed in action on 17 April 1945.[61]
Wilhelm Crinius  Germany Luftwaffe 114[46][48]
Werner Schröer  Germany Luftwaffe 114[46][62] Credited with 26 heavy bombers shot down[16]
Hans Dammers †  Germany Luftwaffe 113[46][62] Died of wounds on 17 March 1944.[63]
Berthold Korts †  Germany Luftwaffe 113[46][62] Missing in action on 29 August 1943.[64]
Kurt Bühligen  Germany Luftwaffe 112[46][62] Credited with 24 heavy bombers shot down[16]
Kurt Ubben †  Germany Luftwaffe 111[46] Killed in action on 27 April 1944.[65]
Helmut Lent †  Germany Luftwaffe 110[55] Night fighter ace
Killed in flying accident on 7 October 1944.[66]
Franz Woidich  Germany Luftwaffe 110[46][62]
Emil Bitsch †  Germany Luftwaffe 108[46][62] Killed in action on 15 March 1944.[58]
Hans Hahn  Germany Luftwaffe 108[46][62]
Bernhard Vechtel  Germany Luftwaffe 108[46][62]
Viktor Bauer  Germany Luftwaffe 106[46][62]
Werner Lucas †  Germany Luftwaffe 106[46][62] Killed in action on 24 October 1943.[67]
Günther Lützow †  Germany Luftwaffe 105[59] +5 in Spanish Civil War[54] Missing in action on 24 April 1945.[59]
Eberhard von Boremski  Germany Luftwaffe 104[6]
Adolf Galland  Germany Luftwaffe 104[6][62] Jet ace with 7 victories in Me 262[14]
Heinz Sachsenberg  Germany Luftwaffe 104[6][62]
Hartmann Grasser  Germany Luftwaffe 103[6][62]
Siegfried Freytag  Germany Luftwaffe 102[6][68]
Friedrich Geisshardt †  Germany Luftwaffe 102[6][68] Died of wounds on 6 April 1943.[38]
Egon Mayer †  Germany Luftwaffe 102[6][68] Credited with 26 heavy bombers shot down[16]
Killed in action on 2 March 1944.[69]
Herbert Rollwage  Germany 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 †  Germany Luftwaffe 102[6][68] Killed in action on 9 August 1942.[72]
Josef Wurmheller †  Germany Luftwaffe 102[6][68] Killed in action on 22 June 1944.[69]
Werner Mölders †  Germany 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 †  Germany Luftwaffe 101[6][68] Killed in action on 10 June 1943.[75]
Josef Priller  Germany Luftwaffe 101[6][68]
Ulrich Wernitz  Germany Luftwaffe 101[6][68]
Paul-Heinrich Dähne †  Germany Luftwaffe 100[6] Killed in flying accident on 24 April 1945.[76]
Reinhard Seiler  Germany Luftwaffe 100[6][62] +9 in Spanish Civil War[54]

Notes

  1. ^ According to Spick, Rudorffer was credited with 222 aerial victories.[8]
  2. ^ According to Spick, Bär was credited with 220 aerial victories.[8]
  3. ^ According to Spick, Sturm was credited with 157 aerial victories.[29]
  4. ^ According to Spick, Düttmann was credited with 150 aerial victories.[29]
  5. ^ According to Zabecki, Schall was credited with 133 aerial victories.[5]
  6. ^ According to Zabecki, Grislawski was credited with 132 aerial victories.[46]
  7. ^ According to Spick, Hoffmann was credited with 125 aerial victories.[48]
  8. ^ According to Zabecki, Sterr was credited with 129 aerial victories.[46]
  9. ^ According to Spick, Dahl was credited with 128 aerial victories.[40]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Spick 1996, pp. 3–4.
  2. ^ Sims 1982, pp. 28–29.
  3. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, pp. 243–244.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Zabecki 2019, p. 328.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Zabecki 2019, p. 331.
  7. ^ Spick 1996, pp. 230, 233.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Spick 1996, p. 227.
  9. ^ Sims 1982, p. 193.
  10. ^ Khazanov et al. 2019, p. 184.
  11. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 39.
  12. ^ Spick 1996, p. 197.
  13. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 22.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 88.
  15. ^ a b c d Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1531.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Forsyth 2011, p. 90.
  17. ^ Sims 1982, p. 201.
  18. ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1532.
  19. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 57.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Spick 1996, p. 228.
  21. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 30.
  22. ^ a b c Obermaier 1989, p. 65.
  23. ^ a b c Obermaier 1989, p. 54.
  24. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 58.
  25. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 52.
  26. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 53.
  27. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 64.
  28. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 60.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Spick 1996, p. 229.
  30. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 33.
  31. ^ Sims 1982, p. 303.
  32. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 20.
  33. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 212.
  34. ^ Spick 1996, p. 85.
  35. ^ Schreier 1990, p. 175.
  36. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 219.
  37. ^ Spick 1996, p. 235.
  38. ^ a b c Obermaier 1989, p. 51.
  39. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 192.
  40. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Spick 1996, p. 230.
  41. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 109.
  42. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 111.
  43. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 68.
  44. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 32.
  45. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 220.
  46. ^ 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.
  47. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 59.
  48. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Spick 1996, p. 231.
  49. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 135.
  50. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 210.
  51. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 183.
  52. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1533.
  53. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 55.
  54. ^ a b c d e f Zabecki 2014, p. 1610.
  55. ^ a b Spick 1996, p. 242.
  56. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 74.
  57. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 156.
  58. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 89.
  59. ^ a b c Obermaier 1989, p. 29.
  60. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 222.
  61. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 153.
  62. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Spick 1996, p. 232.
  63. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 99.
  64. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 150.
  65. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 48.
  66. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 23.
  67. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 161.
  68. ^ a b c d e f g h i Spick 1996, p. 233.
  69. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 38.
  70. ^ Toliver & Constable 1998, p. 405.
  71. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 72.
  72. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 31.
  73. ^ Spick 1996, p. 80.
  74. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 17.
  75. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 169.
  76. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 98.

Bibliography

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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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