List of World War I aces credited with 9 victories
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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 sword †, 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 |
---|---|---|---|
Cyril John Agelasto | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force[a] | 9[5] |
Ernst Freiherr von Althaus | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6][page needed] |
Charles Arnison | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Paul Frank Baer | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire, US Army Air Service | 9[8][page needed] |
Harold H. Balfour | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Gottfried Freiherr von Banfield | ![]() | Luftfahrtruppen | 9[5][page needed] |
William Thomas Barnes | ![]() | Royal Air Force | 9[5] |
Walter Beales | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[5] |
Rex George Bennett† | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Arno Benzler | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
James Binnie | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Fernand Bonneton | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire | 9[8] |
John Denis Breakey | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Konrad Brendle | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Alexandre Bretillon | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire | 9[8] |
Frederick Britnell | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
William Henry Brown | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
George William Bulmer | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Francis Dominic Casey | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service | 9[7] |
Thomas Cassady | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire, United States Army Air Service | 9[8] |
Leonard Arthur Christian | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[5] |
Arthur Coadou | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire | 9[8] |
Théophile Henri Condemine | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire | 9[8] |
Eric Douglas Cummings | ![]() | Australian Flying Corps | 9[7] |
Donald Cunnell | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps | 9[7] |
Hector Daniel | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force, South African Air Force | 9[7] |
George Darvill | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[5] |
Richard Dawes | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Roger Del'Haye | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force | 9[7] |
Marcel Marc Dhome | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire | 9[8] |
Albert Dietlen | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
George Dixon | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Gustave Douchy | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire | 9[8] |
René Dousinelle | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire | 9[8] |
John Doyle | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Christopher Draper | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Arthur Thomas Drinkwater | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Otto Fitzner | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
James Henry Forman | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Frederick Gordon | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Robert MacIntyre Gordon | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Acheson Goulding | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force | 9[7] |
William Edward Green | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[5] |
George Hackwill | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
James Hardman | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Friedrich Huffzky | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Frederick Hunt | ![]() | Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Otto Jindra | ![]() | Luftfahrtruppen, Czech Air Force | 9[5] |
Reginald Johns | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Norman Cyril Jones | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Georg Kenzian | ![]() | Luftfahrtruppen | 9[5] |
Harold Spencer Kerby | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Leslie Walter King | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Francis Kitto | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Herbert Knappe | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Egon Koepsch | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Fritz Kosmahl | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Walter Kypke | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Georges Lachmann | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire | 9[8] |
Helmut Lange | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Jens Frederick Larsen | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[8] |
Charles Lavers | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
George V. Learmond | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[5] |
Gustav Leffers | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
James Leith Leith | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Selden Long | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Cyril Lowe | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Norman Macmillan | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Herbert Mahn | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Cecil Marchant | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Jean Matton | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire | 9[8] |
Ronald Mauduit | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Reginald Maxwell | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
John Sutholand McDonald | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Christopher McEvoy | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
David MacKay McGoun | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Horace Merritt | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[5] |
John Theobald Milne | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps | 9[7] |
Eberhard Mohnicke | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Basil Moody | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Aristeidis Moraitinis | ![]() | Hellenic Naval Air Service, Royal Naval Air Service | 9[9] |
Hans Karl Müller | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Richard Burnard Munday | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Charles Napier | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Giovanni Nicelli | ![]() | Corpo Aeronautico Militare | 9[5] |
Ernest Norton | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Arthur Noss | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps | 9[5] |
Conn Standish O'Grady | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps | 9[7] |
Samuel Parry | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[5] |
Karl Pech | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Henri Albert Péronneau | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire | 9[8] |
Edmond Pierce | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Frank Ransley | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Valentine Reed | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps | 9[5] |
William Reed | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
George Reid | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
William Wendell Rogers | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Willi Rosenstein | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Herbert Rowley | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Ernest James Salter | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Karl Schattauer | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Adolf Schulte | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte | 9[6] |
Joseph Siddall | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Charles Sims | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Arthur Solly | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps | 9[7] |
Anthony Spence | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Grigoriy Suk | ![]() | Imperial Army Air Service | 9[5] |
Mathieu Tenant de la Tour | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire | 9[8] |
Louis Mark Thompson | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[5] |
Ronald Thornely | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Frederick Dudley Travers | ![]() | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Ronald William Turner | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[5] |
Ferdinand Udvardy | ![]() | Luftfahrtruppen | 9[5] |
Marcel Viallet | ![]() | Aéronautique Militaire | 9[8] |
Guy Wareing | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Kenneth Bowman Watson | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Albert Edward Wear | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps | 9[5] |
Georg Weiner | ![]() | Luftstreitkräfte, Luftwaffe | 9[6] |
Thomas Williams | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Alec Williamson | ![]() | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 9[7] |
Chester Wright | ![]() | United States Army Air Service | 9[8] |
Notes
- ^ In 1918 the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Navy Air Service were combined to form the Royal Air Force
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 Franks, Guest and Alegi (1997)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Franks, Bailey and Russell (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 Shores, Franks, Guest (1990).
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Franks, Bailey. (1992)
- ^ "Bombing of Constantinople". Flight. Vol. 9, no. 47. 22 November 1917. p. 1220.
Bibliography
- Dunnigan, James F. (2003). How to Make War: A Comprehensive Guide to Modern Warfare in the Twenty-first Century. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-060090-12-8.
- Durkota, Allen; Darcey, Thomas; Kulikov, Victor (1995). The Imperial Russian Air Service: Famous Pilots and Aircraft of World War I. Mountain View: Flying Machines Press. ISBN 978-0-060090-12-8.
- Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell (1993). Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.
- Franks, Norman (2005). Sopwith Pup Aces of World War I. Aircraft of the Aces, No. 67. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-841768-86-1.
- Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell; Alegi, Gregory (1997). Above the War Fronts: The British Two-seater Bomber Pilot and Observer Aces, the British Two-seater Fighter Observer Aces, and the Belgian, Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Fighter Aces, 1914–1918. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-898697-56-5.
- Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W. (1992). Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-54-0.
- Guttman, Jon (2009). Pusher Aces of World War 1. Aircraft of the Aces, No. 88. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-846034-17-6.
- Guttman, Jon (2001). Spad VII Aces of World War I. Aircraft of the Aces, No. 39. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-841762-22-7.
- Kulikov, Victor (2013). Russian Aces of World War 1. Aircraft of the Aces, No. 111. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-780960-61-6.
- Newton, Dennis (1996). Australian Air Aces: Australian Fighter Pilots in Combat. Motorbooks International. ISBN 978-1-875671-25-0.
- Pieters, Walter M. (1998). Above Flanders Fields: A Complete Record of the Belgian Fighter Pilots and Their Units During the Great War. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-898697-83-1.
- Shores, Christopher (2001). British and Empire Aces of World War I. Aircraft of the Aces, No. 45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-377-4.
- Shores, Christopher; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell (1990). Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.
- Shores, Christopher; Franks, Norman; Guest, Russell (1996). Above the Trenches Supplement: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces. Oxford: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-898697-39-8.
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