List of World War I aces credited with 8 victories
The term ace (now commonly flying ace) was first used by French newspapers during World War I, describing Adolphe Pégoud as l'as ('the ace'), after he downed five German aircraft. When aircraft began to shoot or force down other aircraft, systems to count "air victories" were subsequently developed. The American qualification of five victories eventually became the standard, even though other air services had previously used differing figures.[1]
While "ace" status was most often won by fighter pilots, bomber and reconnaissance crews, and observers in two-seater aircraft such as the Bristol F.2b ("Bristol Fighter"), also destroyed enemy aircraft. If a two-seater aircraft destroyed an aircraft, both crew members were credited with a victory. Because pilots usually teamed with differing observer/gunners in two-seater aircraft, an observer might be an ace when his pilot was not, and vice versa.[2] The few aces among combat aviators have historically accounted for the majority of air-to-air victories in military history.[3]
Loss of records by mischance and the passage of time complicates reconstructing the actual count for given aces. The scores presented in the list cannot be definitive, but are based on itemized lists that are the best available sources of information.[4] Aces are listed after verifying the date and location of combat, and the foe vanquished, for every victory accredited by an aviator's home air service using their own aerial victory standards. Those victories for which the evidence is unavailable or fragmentary have been excluded from the victory count.
Aces
[edit]This list is complete. Notable aces are linked to their biographies.
This along with the symbolic dagger †, indicates that the pilot was known to be either killed in action, missing in action, died of wounds, or killed in a flying accident during World War I.
Name | Country | Air service(s) | Victories |
---|---|---|---|
Paul Achilles | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
John William Aldred | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6] |
Gerald Frank Anderson | South Africa | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Flaminio Avet | Italy | Corpo Aeronautico Militare | 8[7] |
Geoffrey Bailey | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Paul Barbreau | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8] |
Charles Bartlett | United Kingdom | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Bernard Beanlands | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Donald Beard | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps. Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Ludwig Beckmann | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Edwin Benbow | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Maurice Benjamin | South Africa | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Henry Biziou | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Gregory Blaxland | Australia | Australian Flying Corps | 8[6][page needed] |
Giles Blennerhasset | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Karl Bohny | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Aloys Freiherr von Brandenstein | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Clive Brewster-Joske | Australia | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Edric Broadberry | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Alfred John Brown | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Howard Burdick | United States | United States Army Air Service | 8[9] |
Ernesto Cabruna | Italy | Corpo Aeronautico Militare | 8[7] |
Alvin Callender | United States | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[9] |
James Martin Child | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Henry Clay | United States | Royal Flying Corps, United States Army Air Service | 8[9] |
Robert David Coath | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Edwin Cole | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Hamilton Coolidge | United States | United States Army Air Service | 8[9] |
James Geoffrey Coombe | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Dieudonné Costes | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
Leslie Court | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
William Craig | Canada | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Otto Creutzmann | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Henry Crowe | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
James Dawe | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Gilbert de Guingand | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
John D. De Pencier | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Gunther Dobberke | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Percy Douglas | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Peter Roy Maxwell Drummond | Australia | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Gordon Duncan | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
William Durrand | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Harold E. Easton | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Friedrich Ehmann | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Leonard Herbert Emsden | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
William Portwood Erwin | United States | United States Army Air Service | 8[9] |
Walter Ewers | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Harold Ross Eycott-Martin | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Garfield Finlay | Australia | Australian Flying Corps | 8[7] |
Desmond Fitzgibbon | United Kingdom | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Georges Flachaire | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
Austin Lloyd Fleming | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Jean Alfred Fraissinet | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
Hans-Eberhardt Gandert | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Jacques Gerard | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
Cyril Gladman | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Clive Glynn | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Max Gossner | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
James Grant | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Gilbert W. M. Green | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[10] |
Eustace Grenfell | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Victor Groom | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Louis Prosper Gros | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
Julien Guertiau | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
Wolfgang Güttler | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Adolf Gutknecht | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Hans von Häbler | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Reuben Hammersley | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Frederick Harlock | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Herbert George Hegarty | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Alfred Hemming | South Africa | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Heinrich Henkel | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
George Hicks | United Kingdom | Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
D'Arcy Fowlis Hilton | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Ivan F. Hind | South Africa | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Wilhelm Hippert | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
William Norman Holmes | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Thomas Stanley Horry | United Kingdom | Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Richard Howard | Australia | Australian Flying Corps | 8[6][page needed] |
Hans Hoyer | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Paul Hüttenrauch | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Hubert Hunt | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Frank Hunter | United States | United States Army Air Service | 8[9] |
Michael Hutterer | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Fritz Jacobsen | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Clinton Jones Jr. | United States | United States Army Air Service | 8[9] |
Ernest Graham Joy | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Kenneth William Junor | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Willi Kampe | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Karl Kaszala | Austria-Hungary | Luftfahrtruppen | 8[7][page needed] |
Fritz Kieckhäfer | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Franz Kirchfeld | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Robert Kirby Kirkman | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Arthur Gerald Knight | Canada | Royal Flying Corps | 8[6][page needed] |
Sidney Knights | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7][page needed] |
Arthur Korff | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Heinrich Kostrba | Austria-Hungary | Luftfahrtruppen | 8[7][page needed] |
Fritz Krebs | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5][page needed] |
Antoine Laplasse | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
Kenneth Leask | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Forde Leathley | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7][page needed] |
Alvaro Leonardi | Italy | Corpo Aeronautico Militare | 8[7][page needed] |
Cecil Arthur Lewis | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Alan Light | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7][page needed] |
George Lloyd | South Africa | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Dudley Lloyd-Evans | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Ivan Loiko | Russia | Imperial Army Air Service | 8 |
Carlo Lombardi | Italy | Corpo Aeronautico Militare | 8[7][page needed] |
William Myron MacDonald | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
William John MacKenzie | United States | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 8 |
Donat Makijonek | Russia | Imperial Army Air Service | 8[7] |
Reginald Malcolm | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
George Ivan Douglas Marks | Canada | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Andre Martenot De Cordou | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
Robert Massenet-Royer de Marancour | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
Ernest Masters | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
M. B. Mather | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Hugh Maund | United Kingdom | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
John McCudden | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 8[6][page needed] |
James McDonald | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Roderick McDonald | Canada | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Henry Meintjes | South Africa | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force, South African Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
James Meissner | United States | United States Army Air Service | 8[9] |
Alexander W. Merchant | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Karl Meyer | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Leslie Mitchell | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Kurt Adolf Monnington | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5][page needed] |
Henry Moody | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Joseph Michael John Moore | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Keith K. Muspratt | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Thomas Nash | United Kingdom | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Gastone Novelli | Italy | Corpo Aeronautico Militare | 8[7][page needed] |
Luigi Olivari | Italy | Corpo Aeronautico Militare | 8[7][page needed] |
Eric Olivier | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
William O'Toole | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7][page needed] |
Otto Parschau | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Edwin C. Parsons | United States | United States Army Air Service | 8[9][page needed] |
Eric Pashley | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 8[6][page needed] |
Arthur Peck | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Edmond Pillon | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
Friedrich Poeschke | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Roger Poupon | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
Philip B. Prothero | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 8[6][page needed] |
John Quested | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Lionel Rees | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 8[6][page needed] |
Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Claus Reimer | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Karl Ritscherle | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Charles Robson | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
William Rooper | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 8[6][page needed] |
Alexander Roulstone | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Richard Runge | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
William J. Rutherford | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Harold Satchell | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Franklin Saunders | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Paul Sauvage | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
Karl Scharon | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Hans Schilling | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Viktor Schobinger | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Carl-August von Schoenebeck | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Owen Scholte | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Wilhelm Schwartz | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Walter Scott | United Kingdom | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Herbert Sellars | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
John Edward Sharman | Canada | Royal Naval Air Service | 8[6][page needed] |
Walter Simon | United States | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed][9] |
George Simpson | United Kingdom | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Robert Sloley | South Africa | Royal Flying Corps | 8[6][page needed] |
John Henry Smith | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Langley Smith | Canada | Royal Naval Air Service | 8[6][page needed] |
William Watson Smith | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Bertram Smyth | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Martinus Stenseth | United States | United States Army Air Service | 8[9] |
Vladimir Strzhizhevsky | Russia | Imperial Russian Air Force | 8 |
John Summers | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Leslie Sutherland | Australia | Australian Flying Corps, Royal Australian Air Force | 8[7] |
Alexander Tahy | Austria-Hungary | Luftfahrtruppen | 8[7] |
Fritz Thiede | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
Clifford Tolman | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Thomas Traill | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Del Vial | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 8[8][page needed] |
Alexander Vlasto | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
John Warner | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Leslie Warren | United Kingdom | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 8[7] |
Wilbert White | United States | United States Army Air Service | 8[9] |
Claude Melnot Wilson | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
William Wright | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 8[6][page needed] |
Wilhelm Zorn | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 8[5] |
References
[edit]- ^ Maksel, Rebecca (7 April 2008). "What does it take to become an "ace"?". Need to Know. Air & Space Magazine. Retrieved 20 October 2009.[dead link ]
- ^ Franks, Bailey & Guest 1993, p. 10
- ^ Dunnigan 2003, p. 149
- ^ Shores, Franks & Guest 1990, p. 7
- ^ 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 am Franks, Bailey and Guest (1993).
- ^ 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 am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca Shores, Franks & Guest 1990
- ^ 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 am an Franks, Guest & Alegi 1997
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Franks & Bailey (1992).
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Franks, Bailey (1992)
- ^ Shores (2001), p. 82.
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