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.
This list is complete. Notable aces are linked to their biographies.
Name |
Country |
Air service(s) |
Victories |
Note |
Manfred von Richthofen† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
80[5] |
The Red Baron
PLM plus 22 other awards |
René Fonck |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
75[6] |
Top Allied and French ace
CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG, BCdeG, MC, MM |
Billy Bishop |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
72[7][a] |
Top Canadian and British Empire ace
VC, DSO, MC, DFC, CdeLd'h, CdeG |
Ernst Udet |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
62[5] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Edward Mannock† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
61[8] |
Top British ace
VC, DSO**, MC* |
Raymond Collishaw |
Canada |
Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force |
60[9] |
Top Royal Naval Air Service ace
DSO*, DSC, DFC, OSA, CdeG |
James McCudden† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
57[7] |
VC, DSO*, MC*, MM, CdeG |
Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor |
South Africa |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
54[7] |
Top South African ace
VC, DSO, MC*, DFC |
Erich Löwenhardt† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
54[5] |
PLM, IC |
Donald MacLaren |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
54[7] |
DSO, MC*, CdeLd'h, CdeG |
Georges Guynemer† |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
53[10] |
CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG, DSO, OLII |
William George Barker |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
50[7] |
VC, DSO*, MC**, MMV*(Silver), CdeG |
Josef Jacobs |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
48[5] |
PLM, IC |
Werner Voss† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
48[5] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Robert A. Little† |
Australia |
Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force |
47[7] |
Top Australian ace
DSO*, DSC*, CdeG |
George McElroy† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
47[11] |
MC**, DFC* |
Roderic Dallas† |
Australia |
Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force |
45[12] |
DSO, DSC* |
Fritz Rumey† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
45[5] |
PLM, IC |
Albert Ball† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
44[7][13] |
VC, DSO**, MC, OSG |
Rudolf Berthold |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
44[5] |
PLM, MOSH, IC |
Bruno Loerzer |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
44[5] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Paul Bäumer |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
43[5] |
PLM, MMC(P), IC, WB |
Tom F. Hazell |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
43[7] |
DSO, MC, DFC* |
Charles Nungesser |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
43[14] |
CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG, DSC, MC, BCdeG, DSC(US) |
Georges Madon |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
41[15] |
CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG |
Oswald Boelcke† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
40[5] |
PLM, IC |
Franz Büchner |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
40[5] |
PLM, MOSH, HOH, IC |
Philip F. Fullard |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
40[7] |
DSO, MC*, AFC |
Lothar von Richthofen |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
40[5] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Charles George Gass |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
39[16] |
Top scoring observer ace
MC |
John Inglis Gilmour |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
39[7] |
DSO, MC |
Heinrich Gontermann† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
39[17] |
PLM, HOH, MOMJ, IC |
William Lancelot Jordan |
South Africa |
Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force |
39[7] |
DSC*, DFC |
Carl Menckhoff |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
39[5] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Alfred Atkey |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
38[7] |
Leading 2 seater pilot of war
MC* |
William Gordon Claxton |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
37[7] |
DSO, DFC* |
Willy Coppens |
Belgium |
Belgian Military Aviation |
37[18] |
Top Belgian ace, Leading balloon buster of war
OL, OWE, OC, CdeG, BCdeG, CdeLd'H, DSO, MC |
James Ira Thomas Jones |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
37[7] |
DSO*, MC, DFC* |
Karl Bolle |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
36[5] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Julius Buckler |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
36[5] |
PLM, MMC(P), IC, sole award of Gold WB |
Joseph Stewart Temple Fall |
Canada |
Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force |
36[7] |
DFC**, AFC |
Max Ritter von Müller† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
36[19] |
PLM, MOMJ, IC |
Maurice Boyau† |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
35[20] |
CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG |
Godwin Brumowski |
Austria-Hungary |
Luftfahrtruppen |
35[21] |
Top Austro-Hungarian ace.
OIC, OL, MFB, MMM, IC |
Gustav Dörr |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
35[5] |
MMC(P), IC |
Otto Könnecke |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
35[5] |
PLM, MMC(P), HOH, IC |
Frederick McCall |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
35[7] |
DSO, MC*, DFC |
Eduard Ritter von Schleich |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
35[5] |
PLM, IC, MOMJ |
Emil Thuy |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
35[5] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Josef Veltjens |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
35[5] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Henry Winslow Woollett |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
35[7] |
DSO, MC*, CdeLd'h |
Francesco Baracca† |
Italy |
Corpo Aeronautico Militare |
34[22] |
Top Italian ace
MMV(Gold), MMV**(Silver), MC, CdeG, OC |
Michel Coiffard† |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
34[23] |
CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), MC |
Heinrich Bongartz |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
33[24] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Heinrich Kroll |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
33[5] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Frank Granger Quigley† |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
33[7] |
DSO, MC* |
Kurt Wolff† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
33[17] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Julius Arigi |
Austria-Hungary |
Luftfahrtruppen |
32[21] |
MFB (1 gold and 4 silver) |
Geoffrey Hilton Bowman |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
32[7] |
DSO, MC*, DFC |
Hermann Frommherz |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
32[5] |
MOSH, IC |
Samuel Kinkead |
South Africa |
Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force |
32[25] |
DSO, DSC*, DFC* |
Theodor Osterkamp |
Germany |
Marinefliegerkorps |
32[5] |
Also World War II ace
PLM, IC |
Paul Billik |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
31[5] |
IC |
Andrew Edward McKeever |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force, Canadian Air Force |
31[7] |
Top two-seater ace for UK
DSO, MC*, DFC |
Gotthard Sachsenberg |
Germany |
Marinefliegerkorps |
31[5] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Karl Allmenröder† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
30[17] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Harald Auffarth |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
30[d] |
HOH, IC, WB |
Carl Degelow |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
30[5] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Josef Mai |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
30[5] |
IC |
Ulrich Neckel |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
30[5] |
PLM, IC |
Karl Emil Schäfer† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
30[17] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Samuel Frederick Henry Thompson† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
30[7] |
MC, DFC |
Charles Dawson Booker† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force |
29[7] |
DSC, CdeG |
Percy Jack Clayson |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
29[7] |
MC, DFC |
Harry Cobby |
Australia |
Australian Flying Corps |
29[7] |
DSO, DFC** |
Leonard Henry Rochford |
United Kingdom |
Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force |
29[7] |
DSC*, DFC* |
Walter Blume |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
28[26] |
PLM, IC |
Léon Bourjade |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
28[27] |
CdeLd'h, CdeG |
Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
28[28] |
PLM, MOSH, IC |
Albert Desbrisay Carter† |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
28[7] |
DSO*, CdeG |
Benno Fiala Ritter von Fernbrugg |
Austria-Hungary |
Luftfahrtruppen |
28[21] |
OIC, OL, MMC(AH), MMM, MFB, IC |
Robert Ritter von Greim |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
28[29] |
PLM, IC, MOMJ |
John Everard Gurdon |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
28[7] |
DFC |
Reginald Hoidge |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
28[7] |
MC* |
Dennis Latimer |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
28[7] |
MC, DFC |
Arthur Laumann |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
28[30] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Friedrich Ritter von Röth |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
28[31] |
PLM, HOH, IC, MOMJ |
Fritz Otto Bernert |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
27[32] |
PLM, IC |
Otto Fruhner |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
27[33] |
MMC(P), IC |
Hans Kirschstein† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
27[34] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Frank Linke-Crawford† |
Austria-Hungary |
Luftfahrtruppen |
27[21] |
OIC |
Clifford McEwen |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
27[35] |
MC, DFC*, MMV |
Thomas Percy Middleton |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
27[7] |
DFC |
Armand Pinsard |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
27[36] |
CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG, MC |
Arthur Rhys Davids† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
27[7] |
DSO, MC* |
Frank Ormond Soden |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
27[7] |
DFC* |
Karl Thom |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
27[37] |
PLM, MMC(P), HOH, IC |
Adolf Ritter von Tutschek† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
27[38] |
PLM, HOH, IC, MOMJ |
Arthur Whealy |
Canada |
Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force |
27[7] |
DSC*, DFC |
Kurt Wüsthoff |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
27[39] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Oskar Freiherr von Boenigk |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
26[31] |
PLM, IC |
Eduard Ritter von Dostler† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
26[40] |
PLM, HOH, IC, MOMJ |
Ronald Malcolm Fletcher |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
26[41] |
Observer ace
DFM |
William Frederick James Harvey |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
26[7] |
MC, DFC* |
Elwyn King |
Australia |
Australian Flying Corps |
26[7] |
DSO, DFC |
Gerald Joseph Constable Maxwell |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
26[7] |
DFC, MC, AFC |
Max Näther† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
26[31] |
HOH, IC |
Eddie Rickenbacker |
United States |
US Army Air Service |
26[42][43] |
Top US ace
MOH, DSC(US), CdeLd'h, CdeG |
Silvio Scaroni |
Italy |
Corpo Aeronautico Militare |
26[44] |
MMV(Gold), MMV*(Silver) |
William Ernest Staton |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
26[7] |
DSO*, MC, DFC* |
William McKenzie Thomson |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
26[7] |
MC, DFC |
Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
25[45] |
PLM, IC |
Keith Caldwell |
New Zealand |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
25[7] |
Top New Zealander ace
MC, DFC* |
Robert J. O. Compston |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
25[7] |
DSC**, DFC |
Georg von Hantelmann |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
25[46] |
HOH, IC |
Fritz Pütter† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
25[31] |
PLM, IC |
Stanley Wallace Rosevear† |
Canada |
Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force |
25[7] |
DSC* |
Erwin Böhme† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
24[47] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Peter Carpenter |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
24[35] |
DSO, MC*, MMV |
George S. L. Hayward |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
24[41] |
Observer ace
MC |
Harry G. E. Luchford† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
24[7] |
MC* |
Georg Meyer |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
24[31] |
IC |
Tom Cecil Noel† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
24[48] |
Observer ace
MC* |
Pier Ruggero Piccio |
Italy |
Corpo Aeronautico Militare |
24[49] |
MMV**(Silver) |
William Ernest Shields |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
24[7] |
DFC* |
James Anderson Slater |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
24[7] |
MC*, DFC |
William Melville Alexander |
Canada |
Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force |
23[50] |
DSC |
Hermann Becker |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
23[51] |
HOH, IC |
William Charles Campbell |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
23[7] |
DSO, MC* |
René Dorme† |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
23[52] |
CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG |
Matthew Brown Frew |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
23[7] |
DSO, MC*, AFC, MMV |
Gabriel Guerin† |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
23[53] |
CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG |
Howard Percy Lale |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
23[7] |
DSO, DFC* |
Alexander Pentland |
Australia |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
23[7] |
MC, DFC |
Harold Whistler |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
23[7] |
DSO, DFC* |
Hermann Göring |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
22[54] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Thomas Sinclair Harrison |
South Africa |
Royal Flying Corps |
22[7] |
DFC*, BCdeG |
Marcel Haegelen |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
22[55] |
CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG |
Louis Fleeming Jenkin† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
22[7] |
MC* |
Cecil Frederick King† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
22[56] |
MC, DFC, CdeG |
Hans Klein |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
22[31] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
John Leacroft |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
22[7] |
MC* |
Arthur Ernest Newland |
United Kingdom |
Royal Air Force |
22[48] |
Observer ace
DFM* |
Hans Martin Pippart† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
22[31] |
IC |
Werner Preuss |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
22[57] |
HOH, IC |
Pierre Marinovitch |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
22[58] |
CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG |
Benjamin Roxburgh-Smith |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
22[7] |
DFC*, BCdeG |
Karl Schlegel† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
22[31] |
IC |
Joseph Leonard Maries White |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
22[7] |
DFC*, BCdeG |
Rudolf Windisch† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
22[59] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Hans von Adam† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
21[60] |
HOH |
Friedrich Altemeier |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
21[61] |
MMC(P), IC, WB |
Flavio Baracchini |
Italy |
Corpo Aeronautico Militare |
21[62] |
MMV(Gold) |
Francis Cubbon† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
21[63] |
Observer ace
MC* |
Harold Leslie Edwards |
Canada |
Royal Air Force |
21[41] |
DFC, MM |
Friedrich Friedrichs† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
21[31] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Alfred Heurtaux |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
21[64] |
CdeLd'h, CdeG |
Charles Hickey† |
Canada |
Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force |
21[7] |
DFC* |
Fritz Höhn† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
21[31] |
HOH, IC |
William John Charles Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
21[7] |
DSO, MC* |
Richard Maybery† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
21[7] |
MC |
Edgar McCloughry |
Australia |
Australian Flying Corps |
21[7] |
DSO, DFC* |
Richard Minifie |
Australia |
Royal Naval Air Service |
21[7] |
DSC** |
Friedrich T. Noltenius |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
21[31] |
HOH, IC |
George Edwin Thomson† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
21[7] |
DSO, MC, DFC |
Leonard Monteagle Barlow† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
20[7] |
MC |
Douglas John Bell† |
South Africa |
Royal Flying Corps |
20[7] |
MC* |
Hans Bethge |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
20[65] |
HOH, IC |
Kenneth Burns Conn |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
20[66] |
DFC |
Albert Deullin |
France |
Aéronautique Militaire |
20[67] |
CdeLd'h, CdeG |
Rudolph von Eschwege† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
20[68] |
HOH, IC, Bulgarian Order for Bravery in War |
Wilhelm Frankl† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
20[69] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Hans von Freden |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
20[31] |
IC |
Francis W. Gillet |
United States |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
20[70] |
DFC*, BCdeG |
Walter Göttsch† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
20[71] |
HOH, IC |
Oskar Hennrich |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
20[31] |
MMC, IC |
Edgar Johnston |
Australia |
Australian Flying Corps |
20[66] |
DFC |
Alexander Kazakov |
Russia |
Imperial Army Air Service |
20[72] |
Top Russian ace
OSG, OSV, OSS, OSA, DSO, MC, DFC, CdeLd'h, CdeG |
Otto Kissenberth |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
20[73] |
PLM, HOH, IC |
Camille Lagesse |
Canada |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
20[7] |
DFC* |
Ian Donald Roy McDonald |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
20[7] |
MC, DFC |
Keith Park |
New Zealand |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force |
20[7] |
MC*, DFC, CdeG |
Wilhelm Reinhard† |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
20[74] |
HOH, IC |
Charles G. Ross |
South Africa |
Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force, South African Air Force |
20[7] |
CBE, DFC*, BCdeG |
Fulco Ruffo di Calabria |
Italy |
Corpo Aeronautico Militare |
20[75] |
MMV(Gold), MMV*(Silver), MMV***(Bronze) |
Otto Schmidt |
Germany |
Luftstreitkräfte |
20[31] |
HOH, IC |
Walter Southey |
South Africa |
Royal Flying Corps |
20[7] |
DFC |
Frederick Thayre† |
United Kingdom |
Royal Flying Corps |
20[7] |
MC* |