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.

Aces

+ Name Country Service(s) Aerial victories Other aerial victories Notes Image † Luftwaffe 99 Luftwaffe 99 Jet ace with 5 victories in Me 262 † Luftwaffe 99 † Luftwaffe 98 Luftwaffe 98 Luftwaffe 98 † Luftwaffe 98 Luftwaffe 97 Luftwaffe 97 Luftwaffe 96 † Luftwaffe 96 Luftwaffe 96 Credited with more than 5 heavy bombers shot down † Luftwaffe 95 Finnish Air Force 94 Top non-German ace. Claimed 126 victories. Ace in a day. Victories were against the Soviet Union. † Luftwaffe 94 possibly 101 † Luftwaffe 94 † Luftwaffe 94 † Luftwaffe 93 +1 in Spanish Civil War Luftwaffe 93 † Luftwaffe 93 Credited with 10 heavy bombers shot down Luftwaffe 93 † Luftwaffe 92 Luftwaffe 92 Luftwaffe 91 Luftwaffe 89 † Imperial Japanese Navy 87 Top Japanese ace † Luftwaffe 87 possibly 90 † Luftwaffe 86 Luftwaffe 86 Luftwaffe 86 † Luftwaffe 85 † Luftwaffe 85 Luftwaffe 84 Luftwaffe 84 Luftwaffe 84 † Luftwaffe 83 Night fighter ace † Luftwaffe 83 Luftwaffe 83 † Luftwaffe 83 Luftwaffe 82 Jet ace with 5 victories in Me 262Credited with 10 heavy bombers shot down Luftwaffe 82 † Luftwaffe 82 † Luftwaffe 82 † Luftwaffe 81 Luftwaffe 81 † Luftwaffe 81 Luftwaffe 81 † Luftwaffe 81 Imperial Japanese Navy 80 +14 in Second Sino-Japanese War Ace in each of two wars, analysis in 1971 suggests up to 87 WWII confirmed, his diary claimed 202 victories † Luftwaffe 80 † Luftwaffe 79 Luftwaffe 78 Jet ace with 12 victories in Me 262Credited with 36 heavy bombers shot down Luftwaffe 78 † Luftwaffe 78 Luftwaffe 78 † Luftwaffe 78 Luftwaffe 77 † Luftwaffe 77 Luftwaffe 76 Luftwaffe 76 † Luftwaffe 76 † Luftwaffe 76 Finnish Air Force 75 † Luftwaffe 75 † Luftwaffe 75 Luftwaffe 75 † Luftwaffe 75 † Luftwaffe 75 Luftwaffe 74 † Luftwaffe 74 † Luftwaffe 74 † Luftwaffe 73 +4 in Spanish Civil War Luftwaffe 73 Luftwaffe 73 Credited with more than 10 heavy bombers shot down Luftwaffe 73 Luftwaffe 72 Imperial Japanese Navy 72 † Luftwaffe 72 Credited with 13 heavy bombers shot down † Luftwaffe 72 Luftwaffe 72 † Luftwaffe 71 Luftwaffe 71 Luftwaffe 71 † Luftwaffe 71 highest kill-to-mission ratio Imperial Japanese Navy 70 +40 shared Luftwaffe 70 † Luftwaffe 70 Luftwaffe 70 † Luftwaffe 70 † Luftwaffe 70 Luftwaffe 69 † Luftwaffe 69 † Luftwaffe 69 Credited with 10 heavy bombers shot down Royal Romanian Air Force 69 +8 unconfirmed Top Romanian ace Luftwaffe 68 † Luftwaffe 68 † Luftwaffe 68 † Luftwaffe 68 Luftwaffe 68 Luftwaffe 68 Luftwaffe 68 Luftwaffe 68 † Luftwaffe 68 † Luftwaffe 68 † Luftwaffe 68 † Luftwaffe 68 † Luftwaffe 67 † Luftwaffe 67 Luftwaffe 67 Includes 42 claims as an aerial reconnaissance pilot. † Luftwaffe 67 † Luftwaffe 67 † Luftwaffe 67 † Luftwaffe 67 † Luftwaffe 67 Triple-ace in a day Luftwaffe 66 Soviet Air Force 66 Top Allied ace in WWII Luftwaffe 66 Night fighter ace Luftwaffe 65 † Luftwaffe 65 † Luftwaffe 65 † Luftwaffe 65 † Luftwaffe 65 Night fighter ace Luftwaffe 65 Night fighter ace Soviet Air Force 65 including 4 shared victories † Luftwaffe 65 † Luftwaffe 64 Luftwaffe 64 † Luftwaffe 64 Luftwaffe 64 Credited with 26 heavy bombers shot down Luftwaffe 64 Luftwaffe 64 Luftwaffe 64 Night fighter ace Luftwaffe 64 Night fighter ace Luftwaffe 63 † Luftwaffe 63 † Luftwaffe 63 Luftwaffe 63 Luftwaffe 63 Credited with 26 heavy bombers shot down Luftwaffe 63 Jet ace with 20+ claimed in Me 262; 56 as night fighter; possibly all time jet ace Luftwaffe 62 † Luftwaffe 62 Luftwaffe 62 Luftwaffe 62 possibly 82 † Luftwaffe 61 Luftwaffe 60 Luftwaffe 60 † Luftwaffe 60 Luftwaffe 60 Soviet Air Force 60 including 5 shared victories † Luftwaffe 60 possibly 96 Luftwaffe 60 † Luftwaffe 60 Luftwaffe 60 Luftwaffe 60 † Luftwaffe 59 † Luftwaffe 59 † Luftwaffe 59 † Luftwaffe 59 Luftwaffe 59 Luftwaffe 59 Luftwaffe 59 Night fighter ace Luftwaffe 59 Luftwaffe 58 Jet ace with 12 victories in Me 262Credited with 10 heavy bombers shot down Luftwaffe 58 Night fighter ace † Luftwaffe 58 Luftwaffe 58 Luftwaffe 58 Luftwaffe 58 Night fighter ace † Imperial Japanese Army 58 Luftwaffe 58 Luftwaffe 57+ † Luftwaffe 57 Luftwaffe 57 Credited with 32 heavy bombers shot down Luftwaffe 57 † Luftwaffe 57 † Luftwaffe 57 Luftwaffe 57 Luftwaffe 56 Night fighter ace † Luftwaffe 56 Luftwaffe 56 Credited with more than 8 heavy bombers shot down Luftwaffe 56 Luftwaffe 56 † Luftwaffe 56 Luftwaffe 56 Night fighter ace Finnish Air Force 56 Luftwaffe 56 Luftwaffe 56 † Luftwaffe 56 Night fighter ace † Luftwaffe 56 Soviet Air Force 56 including 3 shared victories † Luftwaffe 55 Luftwaffe 55 † Luftwaffe 55 Credited with 24 heavy bombers shot down Luftwaffe 55 Night fighter ace † Luftwaffe 55 Credited with 8 heavy bombers shot down † Luftwaffe 54 † Imperial Japanese Navy 54 † Luftwaffe 54 † Luftwaffe 54 † Luftwaffe 54 † Luftwaffe 54 Night fighter ace Luftwaffe 53 +5 in Spanish Civil War † Luftwaffe 53 Night fighter ace † Luftwaffe 53 † Luftwaffe 53 † Luftwaffe 53 Luftwaffe 53 Luftwaffe 53 Luftwaffe 53 Night fighter ace † Luftwaffe 52 † Luftwaffe 52 Luftwaffe 52 Night fighter ace Luftwaffe 52 † Luftwaffe 52 † Luftwaffe 52 † Luftwaffe 52 Luftwaffe 52 Night fighter ace Luftwaffe 52 Luftwaffe 51 Night fighter ace † Luftwaffe 51 Night fighter ace † Luftwaffe 51 † Luftwaffe 51 Luftwaffe 51 Luftwaffe 50 Soviet Air Force 50 Luftwaffe 50 Night fighter ace † Luftwaffe 50

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