Ace is a pilot who shot down at least five enemy aircraft during a war. By military custom, most air forces award a victory or a kill only when a pilot causes an enemy aircraft to crash or destroys it in flight. In addition, most air forces require confirmation by an eyewitness or by videotape or film of the incident. Because of human error and differences in counting practices, the actual number of aircraft a pilot has shot down can be higher or lower than a force’s official tally of victories.
The custom of qualifying aces originated during World War I (1914-1918). A minimum of five victories became widely used as the standard for becoming an ace.
The leading aces of World War I became national heroes. The top ace of the war was Baron Manfred von Richthofen of Germany, who was known as the Red Baron or Red Knight. Von Richthofen shot down 80 enemy aircraft before he was killed in action in 1918. Aces from other countries included Captain Rene Fonck of France, with 75 kills; and Major Edward Mannock of Britain, with 61. Canadian Major Billy Bishop claimed 72 kills, but some historians have questioned that number. The top American ace, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, had 26 kills.
During World War II (1939-1945), Major Erich Hartmann of Germany was the top ace, with 352 victories. In addition, thousands of other German aviators qualified as aces by U.S. standards, many with 100 victories or more. Warrant Officer Hiroyoshi Nishizawa of Japan destroyed or damaged 87 Allied planes. Major Richard I. Bong of the U.S. Army Air Force became the leading American ace, shooting down 40 Japanese planes. Six other Americans also equaled or surpassed Eddie Rickenbacker’s World War I record. The Soviet Union’s top ace, Major Ivan Kozhedub, claimed 62 victories from 1942 to 1945.
During the Korean War (1950-1953), U.S. Air Force Captain James Jabara became the first jet-to-jet combat ace, destroying 15 enemy jets. During the Vietnam War (1957-1975), two American pilots became aces.
