Fighter aces in World War II had tremendously varying kill scores, affected as they were by many factors: the pilot's skill level, the performance of the airplane the pilot flew and the planes they flew against, how long they served, their opportunity to meet the enemy in the air (Allied to Axis disproportion), whether they were the formation's leader or a wingman, the standards their air service brought to the awarding of victory credits, et cetera.
Name | Country | Service(s) | Aerial victories | Other aerial victories | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fletcher E. Adams | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9.5 | ||
Frederick Alan Aikman | ![]() |
Royal Canadian Air Force | 9.5 | ||
Ernest E. Bankey, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9.5 | (+8 ground kills) | |
William M. Banks | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9.5 | ||
Leonard J. Check | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9.5 | ||
Edward Coate | ![]() |
Royal Australian Air Force | 9.5 [1] | ||
Ernest C. Fiebelkorn | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9.5 | possibly just 9 (+2 ground kills) | |
Aleksander Gabszewicz |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9.5 | ||
Michał Maciejowski |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9.5 | ||
Dale F. Spencer | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9.5 | (+.5 ground kill) | |
Robert C. Coats | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9+1⁄3 | ||
Mirosław Ferić |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9+1⁄3 | ||
Henryk Szczęsny |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9+1⁄3 | ||
Charles R. Bond | ![]() |
American Volunteer Group | 9+1⁄4 | ||
Hans-Ulrich Rudel | ![]() |
Luftwaffe | 9+ [2] | Also a top ground attack pilot, with 2000+ targets destroyed | |
Stephen W. Andrew | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | (+6.5 ground kills) | |
Emanuele Annoni | ![]() |
Regia Aeronautica | 9 | ||
Lee "Buddy" Archer | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | (+6 ground kills) Only African-American ace in WWII | |
Roderick Bowes | ![]() |
Royal Australian Air Force | 9 | ||
Eric Barwell | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [3] | ||
Edgar R. Bassett † | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Norman R. Berree | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
William R. Bland | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
George E. Bostwick | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | (+6 ground kills) | |
Mark K. Bright | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Paul D. Buie | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Lajos Buday † | ![]() |
Royal Hungarian Air Force | 9 | ||
Henry A. Carey, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Frederick F. Champlin | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Aleksander Chudek |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9 | ||
Wilfred Clouston | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [4] | ||
Arthur Clowes | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [5] | +1 shared | |
Frank J. Collins | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | possibly just 8 | |
William M. Collins, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Richard L. Cormier | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Louis Edward Curdes | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Perry A. Dahl | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Jefferson J. DeBlanc | ![]() |
U.S. Marine Corps | 9 | Ace in a day | |
Richard W. Dunkin | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Charles H. Dyson | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 | Ace in a day (six minutes) | |
Richard T. Eastmond | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Robert A. Elder | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | (+2 ground kills) | |
Eugene H. Emmons | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Jan Falkowski |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9 | ||
Grover E. Fanning | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Edward L. Feightner | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Sylvan Feld | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Joseph M. Forester | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Marvin J. Franger | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Doris C. Freeman | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Kenneth W. Gallup | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | (+2 ground kills) | |
Antoni Głowacki |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9 | Ace in a day | |
Thomas S. Harris | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Frederick R. Haviland, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | (+6 ground kills) | |
Hajo Herrmann | ![]() |
Luftwaffe | 9 [6] | Night fighter ace | |
Allen E. Hill | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Bertie Hoare | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [7] | Night fighter ace | |
Frank D. Hurlburt | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Ernest Joyce † | ![]() |
Royal New Zealand Air Force | 9 [8] | (+ 2 probably destroyed) | |
James Timothy Kearney | ![]() |
Royal Australian Air Force | 9 | ||
George C. Kiser | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Joseph J. Lesicka | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Christopher L. Magee | ![]() |
U.S. Marine Corps | 9 | ||
John MacKenzie | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [9] | (+3 probably destroyed) | |
Louis A. Menard, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Virgil K. Merony | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
William Millington † | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [10] | ||
Stanley B. Morrill | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Wolfgang Neu | ![]() |
Luftwaffe | 9 [11] | ||
Walter Omiccioli | ![]() |
Regia Aeronautica | 9 | ||
Edmund F. Overend | ![]() |
American Volunteer Group; U.S. Marine Corps |
9 | victories with 2 air forces | |
Lloyd J. Overfield | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Joel B. Paris III | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Gartrell Parker | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [12] | ||
Paul Rabone † | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [13] | ||
Eugene D. Redmond | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
William Norman Reed | ![]() |
American Volunteer Group; U.S. Army Air Forces |
9 | victories with 2 air forces | |
Daniel R. Rehm, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Eugene P. Roberts | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Meryl M. Smith | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Robert T. Smith | ![]() |
American Volunteer Group | 9 | ||
Natalino Stabile | ![]() |
Regia Aeronautica | 9 | + 1 in Spanish Civil War | |
James S. Stewart | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
John S. Stewart | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Franklin C. Thomas, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Marine Corps | 9 | ||
Arthur Van Haren, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Adrian Warburton † | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 | ace while flying aircraft configured for reconnaissance missions | |
Benjamin F. Warmer | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Robert H. White | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Isamu Kashiide | ![]() |
Imperial Japanese Army | 9 | claims 26 B-29s and 7 Soviet fighters | |
Judge E. Wolfe | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Gheorghe Popescu Ciocanel | ![]() |
Royal Romanian Air Force | 9 | ||
Stefan Greceanu | ![]() |
Royal Romanian Air Force | 9 | ||
Gheorghe Cocebas | ![]() |
Royal Romanian Air Force | 9 | ||
Andrei Radulescu | ![]() |
Royal Romanian Air Force | 9 |
Fighter aces in World War II had tremendously varying kill scores, affected as they were by many factors: the pilot's skill level, the performance of the airplane the pilot flew and the planes they flew against, how long they served, their opportunity to meet the enemy in the air (Allied to Axis disproportion), whether they were the formation's leader or a wingman, the standards their air service brought to the awarding of victory credits, et cetera.
Name | Country | Service(s) | Aerial victories | Other aerial victories | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fletcher E. Adams | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9.5 | ||
Frederick Alan Aikman | ![]() |
Royal Canadian Air Force | 9.5 | ||
Ernest E. Bankey, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9.5 | (+8 ground kills) | |
William M. Banks | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9.5 | ||
Leonard J. Check | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9.5 | ||
Edward Coate | ![]() |
Royal Australian Air Force | 9.5 [1] | ||
Ernest C. Fiebelkorn | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9.5 | possibly just 9 (+2 ground kills) | |
Aleksander Gabszewicz |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9.5 | ||
Michał Maciejowski |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9.5 | ||
Dale F. Spencer | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9.5 | (+.5 ground kill) | |
Robert C. Coats | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9+1⁄3 | ||
Mirosław Ferić |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9+1⁄3 | ||
Henryk Szczęsny |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9+1⁄3 | ||
Charles R. Bond | ![]() |
American Volunteer Group | 9+1⁄4 | ||
Hans-Ulrich Rudel | ![]() |
Luftwaffe | 9+ [2] | Also a top ground attack pilot, with 2000+ targets destroyed | |
Stephen W. Andrew | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | (+6.5 ground kills) | |
Emanuele Annoni | ![]() |
Regia Aeronautica | 9 | ||
Lee "Buddy" Archer | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | (+6 ground kills) Only African-American ace in WWII | |
Roderick Bowes | ![]() |
Royal Australian Air Force | 9 | ||
Eric Barwell | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [3] | ||
Edgar R. Bassett † | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Norman R. Berree | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
William R. Bland | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
George E. Bostwick | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | (+6 ground kills) | |
Mark K. Bright | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Paul D. Buie | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Lajos Buday † | ![]() |
Royal Hungarian Air Force | 9 | ||
Henry A. Carey, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Frederick F. Champlin | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Aleksander Chudek |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9 | ||
Wilfred Clouston | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [4] | ||
Arthur Clowes | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [5] | +1 shared | |
Frank J. Collins | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | possibly just 8 | |
William M. Collins, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Richard L. Cormier | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Louis Edward Curdes | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Perry A. Dahl | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Jefferson J. DeBlanc | ![]() |
U.S. Marine Corps | 9 | Ace in a day | |
Richard W. Dunkin | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Charles H. Dyson | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 | Ace in a day (six minutes) | |
Richard T. Eastmond | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Robert A. Elder | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | (+2 ground kills) | |
Eugene H. Emmons | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Jan Falkowski |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9 | ||
Grover E. Fanning | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Edward L. Feightner | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Sylvan Feld | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Joseph M. Forester | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Marvin J. Franger | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Doris C. Freeman | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Kenneth W. Gallup | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | (+2 ground kills) | |
Antoni Głowacki |
![]() |
Polish Air Force; Royal Air Force |
9 | Ace in a day | |
Thomas S. Harris | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Frederick R. Haviland, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | (+6 ground kills) | |
Hajo Herrmann | ![]() |
Luftwaffe | 9 [6] | Night fighter ace | |
Allen E. Hill | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Bertie Hoare | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [7] | Night fighter ace | |
Frank D. Hurlburt | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Ernest Joyce † | ![]() |
Royal New Zealand Air Force | 9 [8] | (+ 2 probably destroyed) | |
James Timothy Kearney | ![]() |
Royal Australian Air Force | 9 | ||
George C. Kiser | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Joseph J. Lesicka | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Christopher L. Magee | ![]() |
U.S. Marine Corps | 9 | ||
John MacKenzie | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [9] | (+3 probably destroyed) | |
Louis A. Menard, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Virgil K. Merony | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
William Millington † | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [10] | ||
Stanley B. Morrill | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Wolfgang Neu | ![]() |
Luftwaffe | 9 [11] | ||
Walter Omiccioli | ![]() |
Regia Aeronautica | 9 | ||
Edmund F. Overend | ![]() |
American Volunteer Group; U.S. Marine Corps |
9 | victories with 2 air forces | |
Lloyd J. Overfield | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Joel B. Paris III | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Gartrell Parker | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [12] | ||
Paul Rabone † | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 [13] | ||
Eugene D. Redmond | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
William Norman Reed | ![]() |
American Volunteer Group; U.S. Army Air Forces |
9 | victories with 2 air forces | |
Daniel R. Rehm, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Eugene P. Roberts | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Meryl M. Smith | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Robert T. Smith | ![]() |
American Volunteer Group | 9 | ||
Natalino Stabile | ![]() |
Regia Aeronautica | 9 | + 1 in Spanish Civil War | |
James S. Stewart | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
John S. Stewart | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Franklin C. Thomas, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Marine Corps | 9 | ||
Arthur Van Haren, Jr. | ![]() |
U.S. Navy | 9 | ||
Adrian Warburton † | ![]() |
Royal Air Force | 9 | ace while flying aircraft configured for reconnaissance missions | |
Benjamin F. Warmer | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Robert H. White | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Isamu Kashiide | ![]() |
Imperial Japanese Army | 9 | claims 26 B-29s and 7 Soviet fighters | |
Judge E. Wolfe | ![]() |
U.S. Army Air Forces | 9 | ||
Gheorghe Popescu Ciocanel | ![]() |
Royal Romanian Air Force | 9 | ||
Stefan Greceanu | ![]() |
Royal Romanian Air Force | 9 | ||
Gheorghe Cocebas | ![]() |
Royal Romanian Air Force | 9 | ||
Andrei Radulescu | ![]() |
Royal Romanian Air Force | 9 |