Best Military Ace

Erich Hartmann was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot who achieved unprecedented success during World War II. He is recognized as the highest-scoring fighter ace of all time, with 352 officially credited aerial victories against Soviet aircraft. His exceptional skill and performance were primarily foc...

Robin Olds was a highly decorated American aviator renowned for his exceptional skill and combat record. He earned the title “triple ace” achieving twelve confirmed aerial victories in World War II before leading the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing during the Vietnam conflict. His expertise made him valua...

Douglas Bader was a British Royal Air Force wing commander renowned for his extraordinary resilience. He lost both legs following a 1931 aircraft accident but continued to serve as a legless pilot during World War II. Bader distinguished himself by leading fighter wings and achieving an impressive r...

Ivan Kozhedub was a Soviet fighter pilot of World War II credited with 64 confirmed aerial victories, making him the highest-scoring ace of the Soviet Air Forces and Allied forces.

Adolf Galland was a German Luftwaffe general and fighter ace of World War II credited with 104 victories, famously serving as the first General of the Fighter Arm from 1941 to 1945.

French Free French ace Pierre Clostermann finished WWII with 33 confirmed victories, the top score among French pilots, and later documented his combat experiences in the 1948 memoir 'The Big Show.'

Alexander Pokryshkin was a Soviet fighter ace of World War II credited with 59 individual aerial victories, earning the title Hero of the Soviet Union three times for his service.

Saburo Sakai was a Japanese naval aviator and flying ace of World War II credited with 64 aerial victories, famously continuing to fly combat missions despite severe injuries.

Hans-Joachim Marseille was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace of World War II renowned for his exceptional aerial gunnery skills, scoring 158 confirmed victories against Western Allied pilots.

Walter Nowotny was an Austrian-born German fighter ace of World War II credited with 258 victories, achieving 255 of them on the Eastern Front before his death in 1944.

South African RAF ace Adolph 'Sailor' Malan scored 27 confirmed victories during WWII and authored the 'Ten Rules of Air Fighting,' a tactical doctrine widely adopted across Allied air forces.

Eddie Rickenbacker was an American fighter pilot who became the top US ace of World War I with 26 aerial victories, earning a Medal of Honor and later managing Eastern Air Lines.

Soviet pilot Lyudmila Litvyak became the world's first female fighter ace in 1943, credited with 12 aerial victories, before being killed in action over the Eastern Front in August 1943.

Billy Bishop was a Canadian World War I flying ace officially credited with 72 aerial victories, making him the top Canadian ace of the conflict and earning him the Victoria Cross.

Charles Nungesser was a renowned French ace in World War I with 43 victories who famously disappeared in 1927 while attempting a non-stop transatlantic flight to North America.

Georges Guynemer was a French national hero and fighter pilot during World War I who achieved 53 confirmed aerial victories before he was shot down and killed in combat in 1917.

Canadian ace George Beurling, nicknamed the 'Falcon of Malta,' was credited with 31.33 aerial victories, most scored during the intense aerial battles over Malta in the summer of 1942.

Günther Rall was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II credited with 275 aerial victories, becoming the third-highest scoring ace in history and later a NATO commander.

Finnish ace Eino Ilmari Juutilainen scored 94 aerial victories in WWII, making him both Finland's highest-scoring pilot and the top-scoring non-German fighter ace of the entire conflict.

Joe Foss was a United States Marine Corps fighter ace during World War II credited with 26 confirmed aerial victories, earning him the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Guadalcanal Campaign.

Richard Bong was a United States Army Air Forces fighter pilot during World War II credited with 40 confirmed aerial victories, making him the highest-scoring American ace of all time.

Werner Mölders was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot who became the first in history to reach 100 aerial victories, later serving as the Inspector of Fighters before his death in 1941.

Ernst Udet was a highly successful German fighter pilot during World War I, credited with 62 confirmed aerial victories, who later directed aircraft development for the Luftwaffe.

David McCampbell was a United States Navy aviator during World War II credited with 34 aerial victories, making him the highest-scoring American naval ace of all time.

Francis Gabreski was an American fighter pilot who became a flying ace in both World War II with 28 victories and the Korean War, finishing his career as one of America's top living aces.

Gerhard Barkhorn was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace of World War II credited with 301 confirmed aerial victories, making him the second-highest-scoring ace in military aviation history.

British ace James 'Johnnie' Johnson finished WWII with 38 confirmed aerial victories, the highest total of any RAF pilot of British nationality, commanding multiple fighter wings in Europe.

Hiroyoshi Nishizawa was a Japanese World War II fighter ace whose exact score is unknown but is estimated to be around 87 to 100 victories, making him Japan's top ace of the conflict.

Otto Kittel was a German World War II fighter pilot credited with 267 confirmed aerial victories on the Eastern Front, making him the fourth-highest-scoring ace in aviation history.