List of World War I aces credited with 8 victories
Eight victory ace Leutnant Otto Parschau was one of two German aces who began the "Fokker Scourge " in 1915. He was awarded the Pour le Mérite shortly before being killed in combat
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
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
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
^ 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)
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