# List of World War I aces credited with 20 or more victories

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.
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. The few aces among combat aviators have historically accounted for the majority of air-to-air victories in military history.
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. 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.

## List of World War I aces by victory count:

* 5
* 6
* 7
* 8
* 9
* 10
* 11–14
* 15–19
* +20

## Aces

| Name | Country | Air service(s) | Victories | Note |
| Manfred von Richthofen† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 80 | The Red Baron PLM plus 22 other awards |
| René Fonck | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 75 | Top Allied and French ace CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG, BCdeG, MC, MM |
| Billy Bishop | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 72 | Top Canadian and British Empire ace VC, CB, DSO*, MC, DFC. |
| Ernst Udet | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 62 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Mick Mannock† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 61 | Top British ace VC DSO & Two Bars MC & Bar. |
| Raymond Collishaw | Canada | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 60 | Top Royal Naval Air Service ace DSO*, DSC, DFC, OSA, CdeG |
| James McCudden† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 57 | VC, DSO*, MC*, MM, CdeG |
| Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor | South Africa | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 54 | Top South African ace VC, DSO, MC*, DFC |
| Erich Loewenhardt† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 54 | PLM, IC |
| Donald MacLaren | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 54 | DSO, MC*, CdeLd'h, CdeG |
| Georges Guynemer† | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 53 | CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG, DSO, OLII |
| William George Barker | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 50 | VC, DSO*, MC**, MMV*(Silver), CdeG |
| Josef Jacobs | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 48 | PLM, IC |
| Werner Voss† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 48 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Robert A. Little† | Australia | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 47 | Top Australian ace DSO*, DSC*, CdeG |
| George McElroy† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 47 | Top Irish ace MC**, DFC* |
| Fritz Rumey† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 45 | PLM, IC |
| Albert Ball† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 44 | VC, DSO**, MC, OSG |
| Rudolf Berthold | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 44 | PLM, MOSH, IC |
| Bruno Loerzer | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 44 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Paul Bäumer | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 43 | PLM, MMC(P), IC, WB |
| Tom F. Hazell | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 43 | DSO, MC, DFC* |
| Charles Nungesser | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 43 | CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG, DSC, MC, BCdeG, DSC(US) |
| Georges Madon | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 41 | CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG |
| Oswald Boelcke† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 40 | PLM, IC |
| Franz Büchner | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 40 | PLM, MOSH, HOH, IC |
| Philip F. Fullard | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 40 | DSO, MC*, AFC |
| Lothar von Richthofen | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 40 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Roderic Dallas† | Australia | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 39 | DSO, DSC* |
| Charles George Gass | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 39 | Top observer ace MC |
| John Inglis Gilmour | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 39 | DSO, MC** |
| Heinrich Gontermann† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 39 | PLM, HOH, MOMJ, IC |
| William Lancelot Jordan | South Africa | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 39 | DSC*, DFC |
| Carl Menckhoff | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 39 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Alfred Atkey | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 38 | Leading 2 seater pilot of war MC* |
| William Gordon Claxton | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 37 | DSO, DFC* |
| Willy Coppens | Belgium | Belgian Military Aviation | 37 | Top Belgian and balloon busting ace of war OL, OWE, OC, CdeG, BCdeG, CdeLd'H, DSO, MC |
| James Ira Thomas Jones | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 37 | DSO, MC, DFC*, MM |
| Carl Bolle | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 36 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Julius Buckler | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 36 | PLM, MMC(P), IC, sole award of Gold WB |
| Joseph Stewart Temple Fall | Canada | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 36 | DFC**, AFC |
| Max Ritter von Müller† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 36 | PLM, MOMJ, IC |
| Maurice Boyau† | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 35 | CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG |
| Godwin von Brumowski | Austria-Hungary | Luftfahrtruppen | 35 | Top Austro-Hungarian ace OIC, OL, MFB, MMM, IC |
| Gustav Dörr | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 35 | MMC(P), IC |
| Otto Könnecke | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 35 | PLM, MMC(P), HOH, IC |
| Frederick McCall | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 35 | DSO, MC*, DFC |
| Eduard Ritter von Schleich | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 35 | PLM, IC, MOMJ |
| Emil Thuy | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 35 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Josef Veltjens | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 35 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Henry Winslow Woollett | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 35 | DSO, MC*, CdeLd'h |
| Francesco Baracca† | Italy | Corpo Aeronautico Militare | 34 | Top Italian ace MMV(Gold), MMV**(Silver), MC, CdeG, OC |
| Michel Coiffard† | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 34 | CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), MC |
| Heinrich Bongartz | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 33 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Heinrich Kroll | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 33 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Frank Granger Quigley† | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 33 | DSO, MC* |
| Kurt Wolff† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 33 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Julius Arigi | Austria-Hungary | Luftfahrtruppen | 32 | MFB (1 gold and 4 silver) |
| Geoffrey Hilton Bowman | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 32 | DSO, MC*, DFC |
| Hermann Frommherz | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 32 | MOSH, IC |
| Samuel Kinkead | South Africa | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 32 | DSO, DSC*, DFC* |
| Theodor Osterkamp | German Empire | Marinefliegerkorps | 32 | Also World War II ace PLM, IC |
| Paul Billik | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 31 | IC |
| Andrew Edward McKeever | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force, Canadian Air Force | 31 | Top two-seater ace for UK DSO, MC*, DFC |
| Gotthard Sachsenberg | German Empire | Marinefliegerkorps | 31 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Karl Allmenröder† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 30 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Carl Degelow | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 30 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Josef Mai | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 30 | IC |
| Ulrich Neckel | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 30 | PLM, IC |
| Karl Emil Schäfer† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 30 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Samuel Frederick Henry Thompson† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 30 | MC, DFC |
| Harald Auffarth | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 29 | HOH, IC, WB |
| Charles Dawson Booker† | United Kingdom | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 29 | DSC, CdeG |
| Percy Jack Clayson | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 29 | MC, DFC |
| Harry Cobby | Australia | Australian Flying Corps | 29 | DSO, DFC** |
| Leonard Henry Rochford | United Kingdom | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 29 | DSC*, DFC* |
| Walter Blume | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 28 | PLM, IC |
| Léon Bourjade | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 28 | CdeLd'h, CdeG |
| Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 28 | PLM, MOSH, IC |
| Albert Desbrisay Carter† | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 28 | DSO*, CdeG |
| Benno Fiala Ritter von Fernbrugg | Austria-Hungary | Luftfahrtruppen | 28 | OIC, OL, MMC(AH), MMM, MFB, IC |
| Robert Ritter von Greim | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 28 | PLM, IC, MOMJ |
| John Everard Gurdon | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 28 | DFC |
| Reginald Hoidge | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 28 | MC* |
| Dennis Latimer | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 28 | MC, DFC |
| Arthur Laumann | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 28 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Friedrich Ritter von Röth | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 28 | PLM, HOH, IC, MOMJ |
| Fritz Otto Bernert | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 27 | PLM, IC |
| Otto Fruhner | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 27 | MMC(P), IC |
| Hans Kirschstein† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 27 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Frank Linke-Crawford† | Austria-Hungary | Luftfahrtruppen | 27 | OIC |
| Clifford McEwen | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 27 | MC, DFC*, MMV |
| Thomas Percy Middleton | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 27 | DFC |
| Armand Pinsard | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 27 | CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG, MC |
| Arthur Rhys Davids† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 27 | DSO, MC* |
| Frank Ormond Soden | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 27 | DFC* |
| Karl Thom | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 27 | PLM, MMC(P), HOH, IC |
| Adolf Ritter von Tutschek† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 27 | PLM, HOH, IC, MOMJ |
| Arthur Whealy | Canada | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 27 | DSC*, DFC |
| Kurt Wüsthoff | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 27 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Oskar Freiherr von Boenigk | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 26 | PLM, IC |
| Eduard Ritter von Dostler† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 26 | PLM, HOH, IC, MOMJ |
| Ronald Malcolm Fletcher | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 26 | Observer ace DFM |
| William Frederick James Harvey | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 26 | MC, DFC* |
| Elwyn King | Australia | Australian Flying Corps | 26 | DSO, DFC |
| Gerald Joseph Constable Maxwell | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 26 | DFC, MC, AFC |
| Max Näther† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 26 | HOH, IC |
| Eddie Rickenbacker | United States | US Army Air Service | 26 | Top US ace MOH, DSC(US), CdeLd'h, CdeG |
| Silvio Scaroni | Italy | Corpo Aeronautico Militare | 26 | MMV(Gold), MMV*(Silver) |
| William Ernest Staton | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 26 | DSO*, MC, DFC* |
| William McKenzie Thomson | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 26 | MC, DFC |
| Olivier Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 25 | PLM, IC |
| Keith Caldwell | New Zealand | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 25 | Top New Zealander ace MC, DFC* |
| Robert J. O. Compston | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 25 | DSC**, DFC |
| Georg von Hantelmann | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 25 | HOH, IC |
| Fritz Pütter† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 25 | PLM, IC |
| Stanley Wallace Rosevear† | Canada | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 25 | DSC* |
| Erwin Böhme† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 24 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Peter Carpenter | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 24 | DSO, MC*, MMV |
| George S. L. Hayward | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 24 | Observer ace MC |
| Harry G. E. Luchford† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 24 | MC* |
| Georg Meyer | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 24 | IC |
| Tom Cecil Noel† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 24 | Observer ace. All victories in 1918 MC*. First MC awarded while junior infantry officer. |
| Pier Ruggero Piccio | Italy | Corpo Aeronautico Militare | 24 | MMV**(Silver) |
| William Ernest Shields | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 24 | DFC* |
| James Anderson Slater | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 24 | MC*, DFC |
| William Melville Alexander | Canada | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 23 | DSC |
| Hermann Becker | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 23 | HOH, IC |
| William Charles Campbell | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 23 | DSO, MC* |
| René Dorme† | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 23 | CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG |
| Matthew Brown Frew | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 23 | DSO, MC*, AFC, MMV |
| Gabriel Guerin† | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 23 | CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG |
| Howard Percy Lale | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 23 | DSO, DFC* |
| Alexander Pentland | Australia | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 23 | MC, DFC |
| Harold Whistler | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 23 | DSO, DFC* |
| Hermann Göring | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 22 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Thomas Sinclair Harrison | South Africa | Royal Flying Corps | 22 | DFC*, BCdeG |
| Marcel Haegelen | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 22 | CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG |
| Louis Fleeming Jenkin† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 22 | MC* |
| Cecil Frederick King† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 22 | MC, DFC, CdeG |
| Hans Klein | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 22 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| John Leacroft | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 22 | MC* |
| Arthur Ernest Newland | United Kingdom | Royal Air Force | 22 | Observer ace DFM* |
| Hans Martin Pippart† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 22 | IC |
| Werner Preuss | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 22 | HOH, IC |
| Pierre Marinovitch | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 22 | CdeLd'h, MM(Fr), CdeG |
| Benjamin Roxburgh-Smith | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 22 | DFC*, BCdeG |
| Karl Schlegel† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 22 | IC |
| Joseph Leonard Maries White | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 22 | DFC*, BCdeG |
| Rudolf Windisch† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 22 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Hans von Adam† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 21 | HOH |
| Friedrich Altemeier | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 21 | MMC(P), IC, WB |
| Flavio Baracchini | Italy | Corpo Aeronautico Militare | 21 | MMV(Gold) |
| Francis Cubbon† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 21 | Observer ace MC* |
| Harold Leslie Edwards | Canada | Royal Air Force | 21 | DFC, MM |
| Friedrich Friedrichs† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 21 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Alfred Heurtaux | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 21 | CdeLd'h, CdeG |
| Charles Hickey† | Canada | Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force | 21 | DFC* |
| Fritz Höhn† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 21 | HOH, IC |
| William John Charles Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 21 | DSO, MC* |
| Richard Maybery† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 21 | MC |
| Edgar McCloughry | Australia | Australian Flying Corps | 21 | DSO, DFC* |
| Richard Minifie | Australia | Royal Naval Air Service | 21 | DSC** |
| Friedrich T. Noltenius | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 21 | HOH, IC |
| George Edwin Thomson† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 21 | DSO, MC, DFC |
| Leonard Monteagle Barlow† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 20 | MC** |
| Douglas John Bell† | South Africa | Royal Flying Corps | 20 | MC* |
| Hans Bethge | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 20 | HOH, IC |
| Kenneth Burns Conn | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 20 | DFC |
| Albert Deullin | France | Aéronautique Militaire | 20 | CdeLd'h, CdeG |
| Rudolf von Eschwege† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 20 | HOH, IC, Bulgarian Order for Bravery in War |
| Wilhelm Frankl† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 20 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Hans von Freden | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 20 | IC |
| Francis W. Gillet | United States | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 20 | DFC*, BCdeG |
| Walter Göttsch† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 20 | HOH, IC |
| Oskar Hennrich | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 20 | MMC, IC |
| Edgar Johnston | Australia | Australian Flying Corps | 20 | DFC |
| Alexander Kazakov | Russia | Imperial Army Air Service | 20 | Top Russian ace OSG, OSV, OSS, OSA, DSO, MC, DFC, CdeLd'h, CdeG |
| Otto Kissenberth | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 20 | PLM, HOH, IC |
| Camille Lagesse | Canada | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 20 | DFC* |
| Ian Donald Roy McDonald | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 20 | MC, DFC |
| Keith Park | New Zealand | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force | 20 | MC*, DFC, CdeG |
| Wilhelm Reinhard† | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 20 | HOH, IC |
| Charles G. Ross | South Africa | Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force, South African Air Force | 20 | CBE, DFC*, BCdeG |
| Fulco Ruffo di Calabria | Italy | Corpo Aeronautico Militare | 20 | MMV(Gold), MMV*(Silver), MMV***(Bronze) |
| Otto Schmidt | German Empire | Luftstreitkräfte | 20 | HOH, IC |
| Walter Southey | South Africa | Royal Flying Corps | 20 | DFC |
| Frederick Thayre† | United Kingdom | Royal Flying Corps | 20 | MC* |

## Analysis

| Group | Country | Pilots | Victories | Vic/Pil | Rank |
| Allied | Australia | 8 | 226 | 28.25 | 8 |
| Central Powers | Austria-Hungary | 4 | 122 | 30.50 | 5 |
| Allied | Belgium | 1 | 37 | 37.00 | 1 |
| Allied | Canada | 24 | 785 | 32.71 | 3 |
| Allied | France | 14 | 467 | 33.36 | 2 |
| Central Powers | German Empire | 75 | 2296 | 30.61 | 4 |
| Allied | Italy | 5 | 125 | 25.00 | 9 |
| Allied | New Zealand | 2 | 45 | 22.50 | 11 |
| Allied | Russia | 1 | 20 | 20.00 | 12 |
| Allied | South Africa | 7 | 207 | 29.57 | 6 |
| Allied | United Kingdom | 45 | 1296 | 28.80 | 7 |
| Allied | United States | 2 | 46 | 23.00 | 10 |
| Grouping | Pilots | Victories | Vic/Pil |
| Central Powers | 79 | 2418 | 30.61 |
| Allied | 109 | 3254 | 29.85 |
| TOTAL | 188 | 5672 | 30.17 |