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

List of World War II aces by victory count:

• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11–49
• 50–99
• +100

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. Obermaier 1989, pp. 243–244.
4. Zabecki 2019, p. 328.
5. Zabecki 2019, p. 329.
6. Zabecki 2019, p. 331.
7. Spick 1996, pp. 230, 233.
8. 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. Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 88.
15. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1531.
16. Forsyth 2011, p. 90.
17. Sims 1982, p. 201.
18. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1532.
19. Obermaier 1989, p. 57.
20. Spick 1996, p. 228.
21. Obermaier 1989, p. 30.
22. Obermaier 1989, p. 65.
23. Obermaier 1989, p. 54.
24. Obermaier 1989, p. 58.
25. Obermaier 1989, p. 52.
26. Obermaier 1989, p. 53.
27. Obermaier 1989, p. 64.
28. Obermaier 1989, p. 60.
29. 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. Obermaier 1989, p. 219.
37. Spick 1996, p. 235.
38. Obermaier 1989, p. 51.
39. Obermaier 1989, p. 192.
40. Spick 1996, p. 230.
41. 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. Zabecki 2019, p. 330.
47. Obermaier 1989, p. 59.
48. 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. Zabecki 2014, p. 1610.
55. Spick 1996, p. 242.
56. Obermaier 1989, p. 74.
57. Obermaier 1989, p. 156.
58. Obermaier 1989, p. 89.
59. Obermaier 1989, p. 29.
60. Obermaier 1989, p. 222.
61. Obermaier 1989, p. 153.
62. 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. Spick 1996, p. 233.
69. 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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