Fighter ace
A flying ace is a military aviator who has shot down five or more enemy aircraft. The term originated in World War I in France, when French newspapers described Adolphe Pegoud as a flying ace after he became the first pilot to shoot down five German aircraft. Ace is also used to refer to non-aviators who have distinguised themselves by sinking ships, destroying tanks, etc. (i.e. U-boat ace).
Aces of Spanish Civil War
| Name | Country | Service | Victories |
| Alois Vasatko | Czechoslovakia | Republican Air Force | 17 |
| Abel Guides | France | Republican Air Force | 10 |
| Werner Mölders | Germany | Condor Legion | 14 |
| Wolfgang Schellman | Germany | Condor Legion | 12 |
| Harro Harder | Germany | Condor Legion | 11 |
| Mario Bonzano | Italy | Nationalist Air Force | 15 |
| Brunetto di Montegnacco | Italy | Nationalist Air Force | 14 |
| Guido Presel | Italy | Nationalist Air Force | 13 |
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Aces of World War II
| Name | Country | Service | Victories |
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| Erich "Bubi" Hartmann | Germany | Luftwaffe | 352
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| Gerhard Barkhorn | Germany | Luftwaffe | 301
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| Günther Rall | Germany | Luftwaffe | 275
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| Otto Kittel | Germany | Luftwaffe | 267
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| Walter Nowotny | Germany | Luftwaffe | 258
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| Wilhelm Batz | Germany | Luftwaffe | 237
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| Erich Rudorffer | Germany | Luftwaffe | 222
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| Heinz Bär | Germany | Luftwaffe | 220
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| Hermann Graf | Germany | Luftwaffe | 212
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| Richard I. Bong | U.S. | Army Air Forces | 40
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<tr> <td>Thomas McGuire <td>U.S. <td>Army Air Forces <td>38
<tr> <td>Francis "Gabby" Gabreski<td>U.S. <td>Army Air Forces <td>28
<tr> <td>Robert S. Johnson <td>U.S. <td>Army Air Forces <td>28
<tr> <td>David McCampbell <td>U.S. <td>Navy <td>34
<tr> <td>Cecil E. Harris <td>U.S. <td>Navy <td>23
| Johnnie Johnson | UK | Royal Air Force | 38
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<tr> <td>Ilmari Juutilainen <td>Finland <td>Air Force <td>94
<tr> <td>Hans Wind <td>Finland <td>Air Force <td>75
<tr> <td>Eino Luukkanen <td>Finland <td>Air Force <td>56
<tr> <td>Pierre Clostermann<td>France <td>RAF<td>33
<tr> <td>Karel Kuttelwascher <td>Czechoslovakia <td>RAF <td>20
<tr> <td>Adolph Malan <td>South Africa <td>RAF <td>32
<tr> <td>Stanislaw Skalski <td>Poland <td>Polish Air Force <td>22
<tr> <td>Josef Frantisek <td>Czechoslovakia <td>Polish Air Force <td>17
<tr> <td>Ivan Kozhedub <td>Soviet Union <td>VVS <td>62
<tr> <td>Alexander Pokryshkin <td>Soviet Union <td>VVS <td>59
<tr> <td>Constantine Cantacuzine <td>Romania <td> <td>60
<tr> <td>Alexandru Serbanescu <td>Romania <td> <td>56
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<tr> <td> <td> <td> <td>
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Aces of Korean War
| Name | Country | Service | Victories |
| Capt. Joseph M. McConnell | United States | Air Force | 16 |
| Major James Jabara | United States | Air Force | 15 |
| Capt. Manuel J. "Pete" Fernandez | United States | Air Force | 14 1/2 |
| Maj. George A. Davis | United States | Air Force | 14 |
| Nikolay Sutyagin | Soviet Union | VVS | 21 |
| Yevgeny Pepelyaev | Soviet Union | VVS | 19 |
| Lev Shchukin | Soviet Union | VVS | 13 |
| Sergei Kramarenko | Soviet Union | VVS | 13 |
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Aces of Vietnam War
1. Advisor to NVPAF
| Name | Country | Service | Victories |
| Nguyen Van Coc | North Vietnam | Air Force | 9 |
| Mai Van Cuong | North Vietnam | Air Force | 8 |
| Randall "Duke" Cunningham/William Driscoll | United States | Navy | 5 |
| Charles B. DeBellevue | United States | Air Force | 6 |
| Vadim Petrovich Shchbakov | Soviet Union | PVO Strany (1) | 6 |
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Aces of Arab-Israeli Wars
| Name | Country | Service | Victories |
| Col. (Res.) Giora Epstein | Israel | Air Force | 17 |
| Yiftah Spector | Israel | Air Force | 15 |
| Amir Nahumi | Israel | Air Force | 15 |
| Djur Abid Adib | Syria | Air Force | 5 |
| Majad Halabi | Syria | Air Force | 5 |
| Majid Zugbi | Syria | Air Force | 6 |
Aces and Highest Number of Victories in Indo-Pakistani Wars
| Name | Country | Service | War | Victories |
| Muhammad Shams-ul-Haq | Pakistan | Air Force | 1971 | 4 |
| Syed Sa'ad Akhtar Hatmi | Pakistan | Air Force | 1971 | 3 |
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Highest Number Victories of Persian Gulf War
Two F-15 Eagle pilots were credited with three victories each.
Note: There were no aces in the Persian Gulf War of 1991. The pilots with the greatest number of victories is included
| Name | Country | Service | Victories |
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See also
