Aviators Who Became Ace In A Day
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The term "ace in a day" is used to designate a pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day, based on usual definition of an " ace" as one with five or more aerial victories.


World War I


Ace in a day on two occasions

A
Bristol F2B The Bristol F.2 Fighter is a British First World War two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft developed by Frank Barnwell at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, ''"Brisfit"'' or ''"Biff" ...
crew – Canadian pilot Captain
Alfred Atkey Alfred Clayburn Atkey, (16 August 1894 – 14 February 1971) was a Canadian First World War flying ace, officially credited with 38 aerial victories, making him the fifth highest scoring Canadian ace. However, all those above him flew in singl ...
and English observer Lieutenant Charles Gass – became "ace in a day" twice in the same week. On 7 May 1918, they shot down five German planes in a single sortie over
Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of ...
. Two days later, on 9 May, they were credited with another five enemy machines in the course of two sorties. Atkey and Gass survived the Great War. Atkey credited with a total of 38 victories, making him the most successful two-seater pilot and Gass with 39 claims was the most successful observer ace of all time.
René Fonck Colonel René Paul Fonck (27 March 1894 – 18 June 1953) was a French aviator who ended the First World War as the top Entente fighter ace and, when all succeeding aerial conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries are also considered, Fonc ...
, the top scoring French ''
Aéronautique Militaire The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Ar ...
'' and Allied ace of the war, scored six in a day on both 9 May and 26 September 1918.


Ace in a day

The first aviators to ever achieve "ace in a day" were pilot
Julius Arigi Julius Arigi (3 October 1895 – 1 August 1981) was a flying ace of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I with a total of 32 credited victories. His victory total was second only to Godwin von Brumowski. Arigi was considered a superb natur ...
and observer/gunner
Johann Lasi ''Stabfeldwebel'' Johann Lasi (born 1890, date of death unknown) was a World War I Austro-Hungarian flying ace, a Croat by ethnicity, credited with five aerial victories on 22 Aug 1916, while acting as an unauthorized rear gunner for Julius Arigi. ...
of the
Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1 ...
air force, on 22 August 1916, when they downed five Italian planes. The first single pilot (as opposed to double aviators, as is the case with the previously mentioned Arigi and Lasi) was World War I German flying ace
Fritz Otto Bernert '' Oberleutnant'' Fritz Otto Bernert (commonly called Otto) (6 March 1893 – 18 October 1918) was a leading German fighter ace of World War I. After being invalided from infantry duty after his fourth wound, Bernert joined the aviation branch. Aft ...
. Bernert scored five victories within 20 minutes on 24 April 1917. He had a total of 27 kills during the war, even though he wore glasses and had a useless left arm. *
Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor Andrew Frederick Weatherby (Anthony) Beauchamp-Proctor, (4 September 1894 – 21 June 1921) was a South African airman and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to Briti ...
, the top scoring South African ace of the war, was piloting an SE5a fighter with
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
No 84 Squadron when he shot down five German aircraft on 19 May 1918. * Raymond Collishaw, a Canadian who was the top scoring
Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...
ace, piloted a
Sopwith Triplane The Sopwith Triplane was a British single seat fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiori ...
when scoring six
Albatros D.V The Albatros D.V is a fighter aircraft built by the Albatros Flugzeugwerke and used by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I. The D.V was the final development of the Albatros D.I family and the last Albatros ...
fighters near
Menen Menen (; french: Menin ; vls, Mêenn or ) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Menen proper and the towns of Lauwe and Rekkem. The city is situated on the French/ ...
, 6 July 1917. *
John Lightfoot Trollope John Lightfoot Trollope, (30 May 1897 – 21 October 1958) was a British First World War flying ace, credited with 18 aerial victories, including seven in one day, the first British pilot to do so. Early life and background Trollope was born ...
of the Royal Air Force shot down and destroyed seven German planes on 24 March 1918. * Henry Woollett of the Royal Air Force shot down and destroyed six German airplanes on 12 April 1918, setting two afire. *
Frederick McCall Frederick Robert Gordon McCall (4 December 1896 – 22 January 1949) was a Canadian air ace during World War I, with 35 confirmed and two unconfirmed victories. After a career in civil aviation, he returned to service in World War II. Early ...
, Canadian flying ace, shot down five German fighters, four (3
Albatros D.V The Albatros D.V is a fighter aircraft built by the Albatros Flugzeugwerke and used by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I. The D.V was the final development of the Albatros D.I family and the last Albatros ...
and 1 Fokker D.VII) in the morning and the fifth in the evening (Albatros D.V) of 30 June 1918 . For this success he was awarded the
Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, ty ...
. *
John Inglis Gilmour John Inglis Gilmour, (28 June 1896 – 24 February 1928) was a British flying ace of the First World War. He was the highest scoring Scotsman in the Royal Flying Corps, with 39 victories. Gilmour began his military career in the Argyll and Suth ...
of the Royal Air Force successfully brought down five German aircraft in a single day on 1 July 1918. He achieved this whilst piloting a
Sopwith Camel The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the ...
fighter. *
Billy Bishop Air Marshal William Avery Bishop, (8 February 1894 – 11 September 1956) was a Canadian flying ace of the First World War. He was officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian and British Empire ace of the war, and a ...
, the top scoring Canadian and British Empire ace of the war, was piloting an
S.E.5 The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the fas ...
on 19 June 1918, when he scored four
Pfalz D.III The Pfalz D.III was a fighter aircraft used by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Air Service) during the First World War. The D.III was the first major original design from Pfalz Flugzeugwerke. Though generally considered inferior to con ...
fighters and a
LVG C Luftverkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. (L.V.G. or LVG) was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Berlin- Johannisthal, which began constructing aircraft in 1912, building Farman-type aircraft. The company constructed many reconnaissance and light bombe ...
two-seat reconnaissance aircraft near
Ploegsteert Ploegsteert ( pcd, Ploster) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Comines-Warneton, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It is the most westerly settlement of Wallonia. It is approximately north of the French bo ...
. *
Walter Carl Simon Lieutenant Walter Carl Simon (1890–1971) was a World War I flying ace credited with eight aerial victories. Biography Flying a Bristol F.2 Fighter for the British, he and his observer scored five victories on the single day of 30 July 1918; he t ...
, who served in No. 139 Squadron RAF became the first American ace in day when he and his observer William Smith in a Bristol F.2b shot down on 30 July 1918 three
Albatros D.III The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service ('' Luftstreitkräfte'') during World War I. A modified licence model was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service ( ''Luftfahrtruppen''). ...
s, one LVG C and one reconnaissance plane * Eugene Seeley Coler, like W. C. Simon also an American serving in the RAF, at
No. 11 Squadron RAF No. 11 or XI Squadron (sometimes featuring an 'F' to represent its historic fighter role (No. 11(F) or XI(F) Squadron)), is "the world's oldest, dedicated fighter unit" and continues the traditions established by the similarly numbered Royal Fly ...
, and also flying a Bristol F.2b, on 13 August 1918 with his observer Cyril William Gladman shot down five Fokker D.VIIs. For this, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. *
Heinrich Gontermann Heinrich Gontermann (25 February 1896 – 30 October 1917) was a German fighter ace credited with 39 victories during the First World War. Early life Born in Siegen, Southern Westphalia, on 25 February 1896,''Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter ...
of the ''
Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Force)—known before October 1916 as (Flyer Troops)—was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-language sources it is usually referred to as the Imperial German Air Service, alth ...
'' achieved five aerial victories on 19 August 1918 when, flying a Fokker D.VII, he shot down a SPAD fighter in the morning and destroyed four Allied observation balloons in the afternoon. *
Arthur Spurling Arthur Rowe Spurling, (19 May 1896 – 1984) was a Bermudian who served during the First World War as an infantryman and an aviator, becoming an ace credited with six aerial victories. He later served as a ferry pilot during the Second World War ...
, a Bermudian pilot of
No. 49 Squadron RAF No. 49 Squadron was a bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1938 to 1965. They were the first squadron to receive the Hampden in September 1938. The unit achieved fame through the Victoria Cross awarded to Rod Learoyd in 1940 and for its r ...
, with his observer Frank Bell, were flying a DH.9 bomber on 23 August 1918, when they single-handedly attacked thirty Fokker D.VII fighters, downing five of them (three by Spurling, two by Bell). Two days later Spurling shot down another D.VII over Mont Notre Dame. The two crewmen shared each other's victories, each attaining ace status in a single mission. *
Frank Luke Frank Luke Jr. (May 19, 1897 – September 29, 1918) was an American fighter ace credited with 19 aerial victories, ranking him second among United States Army Air Service pilots after Captain Eddie Rickenbacker during World War I. Luke was t ...
of 27th Aero Squadron USAAS, at the controls of a
SPAD XIII The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War, developed by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII. During early 1917, the French designer Louis Béc ...
, achieved five victories on 18 September 1918, destroying two Fokker D.VII fighters, two observation balloons and an Halberstadt reconnaissance plane. Luke was killed in action 11 days later. *
Friedrich Ritter von Röth Oberleutnant Friedrich Ritter von Röth (29 September 1893 – 31 December 1918) was a German World War I fighter ace with 28 victories. He was the most successful German pilot at the extremely hazardous practice of shooting down enemy obser ...
of '' Jagdstaffel 16'' shot down five
observation balloon An observation balloon is a type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting. Use of observation balloons began during the French Revolutionary Wars, reaching their zenith during World War ...
s in 15 minutes on 29 May 1918.


World War II


Triple-ace in a day

To achieve this a pilot must have destroyed 15 enemy aircraft in a single day. This has been achieved by only five pilots, all from the Luftwaffe: *
Hans-Joachim Marseille Hans-Joachim Marseille (; 13 December 1919 – 30 September 1942) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II. He is noted for his aerial battles during the North African Campaign and his Bohemian lifestyle. One o ...
shot down 17 Allied fighters in three sorties over
North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
on 1 September 1942. *
Emil Lang Emil Lang (14 January 1909 – 3 September 1944), nicknamed "Bully", was a Luftwaffe flying ace during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial com ...
shot down 18 Soviet fighters on 3 November 1943, the most kills on a single day by any pilot in history. *
August Lambert August Lambert (18 February 1916 – 17 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and ground-attack pilot during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 116 aerial victories claimed in approximately 350 combat missions for ...
shot down 17 Soviet aircraft on a single day in 1944. *
Hubert Strassl Hubert StraßlHis name, in German, is spelled with a "sharp S"; see ß. (24 May 1918 – 8 July 1943) was an Austrian-born German fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe and fought during World War II. He was credited with 67 aerial victories—that is, ...
shot down 15 Soviet aircraft on 5 July 1943 near Orel. *
Wilhelm Batz Wilhelm Batz (21 May 1916 – 11 September 1988) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Batz fle ...
claimed 15 Soviet aircraft shot down on 31 May 1944.


Double-ace in a day

To achieve this a pilot must have destroyed ten enemy aircraft in a single day. This has been achieved by twelve pilots, three of whom repeated their achievement a second time within weeks. *
Hiromichi Shinohara 1 August 1913 – 27 August 1939) was the highest-scoring fighter ace of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAF). On 27 June 1939 he set a Japanese record by downing 11 planes on a single day. He was shot down and killed on 27 August 1939, ...
, on 27 June 1939 set an Imperial Japanese Army Air Force record of eleven victories in a single day during an air battle over Tamsak-Bulak. He is highest scoring non-German ace in a day in history. *
Adolf Dickfeld Adolf (also spelt Adolph or Adolphe, Adolfo and when Latinised Adolphus) is a given name used in German-speaking countries, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Flanders, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and to a lesser extent in var ...
claimed eleven Soviet aircraft shot down on 8 May 1942. *
Hermann Graf Hermann Graf (24 October 1912 – 4 November 1988) was a German Luftwaffe World War II fighter ace. He served on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. He became the first pilot in aviation history to claim 200 aerial victories—that is, 200 ...
, the first fighter pilot to claim 200 aerial victories, shot down ten Soviet aircraft on 23 September 1942. * Max Stotz claimed ten Soviet aircraft shot down on 30 December 1942. *
Walter Nowotny Walter Nowotny (7 December 1920 – 8 November 1944) was an Austrian-born fighter ace of the Luftwaffe in World War II. He is credited with 258 aerial victories—that is, 258 aerial combat encounters resulting in ...
, the first fighter pilot to claim 250 aerial victories, twice shot down ten in one day. On 24 June 1943 and on 1 September 1943 he claimed ten Soviet aircraft shot down. *
Erich Rudorffer Erich Rudorffer (1 November 1917 – 8 April 2016) was a German ''Luftwaffe'' fighter ace who was one of a handful who served with the ''Luftwaffe'' through the whole of World War II. He was the 7th most successful fighter pilot in the history ...
is credited with the destruction of the most aircraft ever in a single mission when he shot down thirteen Soviet aircraft on 11 October 1943. *
Johannes Wiese Johannes Wiese (7 March 1915 – 16 August 1991) was a German Luftwaffe pilot during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 133 enemy aircraft shot down in 480 combat missions. He claimed all of his victories over the Eastern Front, in ...
claimed twelve Soviet aircraft shot down on 5 July 1943. *
Walter Wolfrum Walter Wolfrum (23 May 1923 – 26 August 2010) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he flew 424 combat missions and claimed 137 aerial victories—that is, 137 aerial combat encounter ...
twice shot down ten or more aircraft on one day. On 30 May 1944, he claimed eleven Soviet aircraft destroyed and on 16 July 1944, he claimed further ten shot down. * Walter Schuck claimed eleven Soviet aircraft shot down on 17 June 1944. *
Erich Hartmann Erich Alfred Hartmann (19 April 1922 – 20 September 1993) was a German fighter pilot during World War II and the most successful flying ace, fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. He flew 1,404 combat missions and participated in ...
, the highest-scoring fighter ace in history, downed eleven planes on 24 August 1944, in two consecutive missions. In the process, he became the first 300-kill ace in history, and as a result of this, gained the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight' ...
, by then Germany's highest military award for standard servicemen. *
Franz Schall Franz Schall (1 June 1918 – 10 April 1945) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he flew approximately 550 combat missions and claimed 137 aerial victories—that is, 137 aerial comba ...
twice shot down ten or more aircraft on one day. On 26 August 1944, he claimed eleven Soviet aircraft destroyed, and on 31 August 1944, he claimed a further thirteen shot down. *
Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (16 February 1922 – 15 July 1950) was a German Luftwaffe night-fighter pilot and the highest-scoring night fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. A flying ace is a military aviator credited with shootin ...
: although claiming only nine aircraft shot down, he destroyed ten RAF bombers on 21 February 1945.


Multiple times ace in a day


Seventeen-time ace in day

* On 20 July 1942, then again on 2 August 1942, 1 June 1943, 8 June 1943, 21 June 1943, 24 June 1943, 13 August 1943, 18 August 1943, 21 August 1943, 1 September 1943, 2 September 1943, 8 September 1943, 14 September 1943, 15 September 1943, 9 October 1943, 13 October 1943 and 14 October 1943,
Walter Nowotny Walter Nowotny (7 December 1920 – 8 November 1944) was an Austrian-born fighter ace of the Luftwaffe in World War II. He is credited with 258 aerial victories—that is, 258 aerial combat encounters resulting in ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a seventeen-time ace in a day, with five, seven, five, six, six, ten, nine, six, seven, ten, six, five, six, six, eight, six and six respectively.


Thirteen-time ace in day

* On 9 February 1943, then again on 15 February 1943, 24 August 1943, 14 September 1943, 11 October 1943, 6 November 1943, 7 April 1944, 3 July 1944, 26 July 1944, 25 August 1944, 25 September 1944, 10 October 1944 and 28 October 1944,
Erich Rudorffer Erich Rudorffer (1 November 1917 – 8 April 2016) was a German ''Luftwaffe'' fighter ace who was one of a handful who served with the ''Luftwaffe'' through the whole of World War II. He was the 7th most successful fighter pilot in the history ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a thirteen-time ace in a day, with eight, seven, eight, five, seven, fourteen, six, five, six, five, six, seven and eleven respectively.


Twelve-time ace in day

* On 1 December 1943, then again on 2 December 1943, 5 December 1943, 8 April 1944, 10 April 1944, 2 May 1944, 31 May 1944, 5 June 1944, 19 July 1944, 17 August 1944, 22 August 1944 and 23 October 1944,
Wilhelm Batz Wilhelm Batz (21 May 1916 – 11 September 1988) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Batz fle ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a twelve-time ace in a day, with five, five, six, six, five, five, fifteen, eight, six, six, six and five respectively.


Ten-time ace in day

* On 30 July 1944, then again on 13 August 1941, 30 December 1942, 7 January 1943, 12 January 1943, 14 January 1943, 23 January 1943, 23 February 1943, 7 March 1943, and 16 March 1943,
Hans Philipp Hans Philipp (17 March 1917 – 8 October 1943) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He is credit ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a ten-time ace in a day, with five, five, eight, five, seven, five, six, eight, nine and five respectively.


Nine-time ace in day

* On 17 March 1944, then again on 7 April 1944, 25 May 1944, 15 June 1944, 17 June 1944, 28 June 1944, 17 July 1944, 22 July 1944, and 23 August 1944, Walter Schuck, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a nine-time ace in a day, with seven, six, six, six, eleven, seven, seven, seven and five victories, respectively. * On 16 May 1944, then again on 26 May 1944, 17 June 1944, 27 June 1944, 28 June 1944, 4 July 1944, 23 August 1944, 9 October 1944, and 21 October 1944, Franz Dörr, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a nine-time ace in a day, with seven, five, eight, six, six, five, seven, six and five victories, respectively.


Eight-time ace in day

* On 24 September 1941, then again on 3 and 17 June 1942, 1, 2, 3, 15 and 26 September 1942,
Hans-Joachim Marseille Hans-Joachim Marseille (; 13 December 1919 – 30 September 1942) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II. He is noted for his aerial battles during the North African Campaign and his Bohemian lifestyle. One o ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot in the North Africa, became an eight-time ace in a day, claiming five, six, six, seventeen, five, six, seven and seven aerial victories, respectively. * On 30 April 1942, then again on 2, 8, 13, and 14 May 1942, 14 August 1942, 2 and 23 September 1942,
Hermann Graf Hermann Graf (24 October 1912 – 4 November 1988) was a German Luftwaffe World War II fighter ace. He served on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. He became the first pilot in aviation history to claim 200 aerial victories—that is, 200 ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an eight-time ace in a day, claiming six, seven, eight, six, seven, five, five and ten aerial victories, respectively. * On 12 January 1943, then again on 4 August 1943, 4 April 1944, 28 June 1944, 14 September 1944, and 9, 27 and 29 October 1944,
Otto Kittel Otto Kittel (21 February 1917 – 14 or 16 February 1945) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. He flew 583 combat missions on the Eastern Front, claiming 267 aerial victories, making him the fourth highest scoring ace in avia ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an eight-time ace in a day, claiming six, seven, five, five, six, five, seven and six aerial victories, respectively. * On 7 October 1943, then again on 13, 21, 22, 23 and 24 October 1943, 2 and 3 November 1943,
Emil Lang Emil Lang (14 January 1909 – 3 September 1944), nicknamed "Bully", was a Luftwaffe flying ace during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial com ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an eight-time ace in a day, claiming five, ten, twelve, nine, six, five, eight and eighteen aerial victories, respectively.


Seven-time ace in day

* On 17 March 1944, then again on 27 June 1944, 28 June 1944, 4 July 1944, 17 July 1944, 17 August 1944 and 23 August 1944, Jakob Norz, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern and Western Front, became a seven-time ace in a day.


Six-time ace in day

* On 30 June 1941, then again on 30 August 1941, 19 May 1942, 3 November 1942, 14 January 1943 and 26 February 1943,
Heinrich Bär Heinz "Pritzl" Bär (; 25 May 1913 – 28 April 1957) was a German Luftwaffe flying ace who served throughout World War II in Europe. Bär flew more than one thousand combat missions, and fought in the Western, Eastern and Mediterranean t ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern and Western Front, became a six-time ace in a day. * On 22 June 1942, then again on 19 July and 20 July 1942, 2 December, 28 December 1943 and 16 November 1944, Gerhard Barkhorn, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a six-time ace in a day, claiming five, six, five, six, seven and five aerial victories respectively. * On 22 August 1942, then again on 3, 29 and 30 December 1942, 14 and 26 January 1943, Max Stotz, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a six-time ace in a day, claiming five, five, five, ten, seven and six aerial victories respectively. * On 27 March 1943, then again on 13 April 1943, 17 March 1944, 11 May 1944, 26 May 1944 and 17 July 1944,
Heinrich Ehrler Heinrich Ehrler (14 September 1917 – 4 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 208 enemy aircraft shot down in over 400 combat missions. The majority o ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern and Western Front, became a six-time ace in a day, with five, six, seven, five, five and five victories, respectively.


Five-times ace in day

* On 21 August 1941, potentially also on 28 September 1941, then again on 18 and 19 October 1941, 22 October 1941, and 16 August 1942,
Gordon Gollob Gordon Gollob (16 June 1912 – 7 September 1987) was an Austrian fighter pilot during World War II. A fighter ace, he was credited with 150 enemy aircraft shot down in over 340 combat missions. Gollob claimed the majority of his victories ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a five-time, maybe six-time, ace in a day. * On 17 December 1942, then again on 16 April 1943, 23 October 1943, 19 July 1944 and 15 October 1944, Rudolf Trenkel, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a five-time ace in a day, claiming six, five, five, five and six aerial victories respectively. * On 30 December 1942, then again on 14 and 23 January 1943,
Hans "Assi" Hahn Hans Robert Fritz Hahn (14 April 1914 – 18 December 1982) who was nicknamed List of aviators by nickname#A, "Assi" was a German ''Luftwaffe'' military aviation, military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 108 enemy airc ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a five-time ace in a day, claiming five, seven and five aerial victories respectively. * On 18 January 1943, then again on 23 February 1943, 24 February 1943, 6 May 1943, and 21 July 1943,
Josef Jennewein Josef Jennewein (21 November 1919 – 27 July 1943) was a German alpine skier and world champion. During World War II, he served first in the Wehrmacht and then in the Luftwaffe, and was credited with 86 air victories. He was awarded the Knight' ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a five-time ace in a day, claiming five, five, seven, five, and five aerial victories, respectively. * On 2 August 1943, then again on 14 and 20 August 1943, 4 September 1943 and 5 February 1944, Oskar Romm, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a five-time ace in a day, with five, five, six, five and six victories, respectively. * On 19 March 1944, then again on 20, 30 and 31 May 1944, and 16 July 1944,
Walter Wolfrum Walter Wolfrum (23 May 1923 – 26 August 2010) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he flew 424 combat missions and claimed 137 aerial victories—that is, 137 aerial combat encounter ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a five-time ace in a day, claiming six, five, eleven, six, and ten aerial victories, respectively. * On 8 April 1944, then again on 9 April 1944, 17 April 1944, 18 April 1944 and 7 May 1944,
Gerhard Hoffmann Gerhard Hoffmann (4 August 1880 – 18 June 1945) was a German nuclear physicist. During World War II, he contributed to the German nuclear energy project, also known as the Uranium Club. Education Hoffmann studied at the University of Götting ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a five-time ace in a day.


Four-time ace in day

* On 26 June 1941, then again on 12 July 1941, 7 July 1942 and 9 July 1942, Viktor Bauer, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern and Western Front, became a four-time ace in a day. * On 24 October 1941, then again on 8 May 1942, 13 and 14 May 1942,
Adolf Dickfeld Adolf (also spelt Adolph or Adolphe, Adolfo and when Latinised Adolphus) is a given name used in German-speaking countries, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Flanders, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and to a lesser extent in var ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a four-time ace in a day, claiming five, eleven, six and eight aerial victories respectively. * On 9 March 1942, then again on 12 July 1942, 13 July 1942 and 22 July 1942,
Erwin Clausen Erwin Clausen (5 August 1911 – 4 October 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 132 aerial victories—that is, 132 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy ai ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a four-time ace in a day, claiming five, five, five and six aerial victories respectively. * On 17 July 1942, then again on 11 January 1943, 13 March 1943, and 1 April 1943, Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front and in North Africa, became a four-time ace in a day, claiming eight, five, six and five aerial victories respectively. * On 30 August 1942, then again on 7 September 1942, 16 September 1942 and 18 September 1942,
Friedrich-Karl "Tutti" Müller Friedrich-Karl "Tutti" Müller (25 December 1916 – 29 May 1944) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 140 aerial victories claimed in more than 600 combat missio ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a four-time ace in a day, with five, seven, five and five victories, respectively. * On 20 April 1943, then again on 8 May 1943, 5 July 1943 and 7 July 1943,
Joachim Kirschner Joachim Kirschner (7 June 1920 – 17 December 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. He is credited with 188 aerial victories achieved in 635 combat missions. This figure includes 168 aerial victories ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a four-time ace in a day, with eight, seven, eight and five victories, respectively. * On 20 April 1943, then again on 5 November 1943, 6 November 1943 and 8 April 1944, Heinrich Sturm, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a four-time ace in a day, with five, six, six and eight victories, respectively. * On 26 May 1943, then again on 27 May, 4 and 19 August 1943,
Berthold Korts Berthold Korts (21 May 1912 – presumably 29 August 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 113 aerial victories—that is, 113 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day, with five, five, nine and five victories, respectively. * On 8 June 1943, then again on 5 July 1943, 7 July 1943 and 8 July 1943,
Hubert Strassl Hubert StraßlHis name, in German, is spelled with a "sharp S"; see ß. (24 May 1918 – 8 July 1943) was an Austrian-born German fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe and fought during World War II. He was credited with 67 aerial victories—that is, ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a four-time ace in a day, with six, fifteen, six and five victories, respectively. * On 5 July 1943, then again on 7, 10 and 13 July 1943, Günther Scheel, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a four-time ace in a day, with eight, seven, five and six victories, respectively. * On 1 August, 4 August, 5 August, and 7 August 1943, Luftwaffe fighter pilot
Erich Hartmann Erich Alfred Hartmann (19 April 1922 – 20 September 1993) was a German fighter pilot during World War II and the most successful flying ace, fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. He flew 1,404 combat missions and participated in ...
became a four-time ace in a day by shooting down 5 Soviet Union aircraft on each occasion. This, and his 24 August 1944 double ace in a day (11 kills) against Soviet Union airplanes, contributed to his all-time highest scoring ace total of 352 kills. * On 10 April 1944, then again on 17 April 1944, 4 May 1944, and 6 May 1944,
August Lambert August Lambert (18 February 1916 – 17 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and ground-attack pilot during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 116 aerial victories claimed in approximately 350 combat missions for ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a four-time ace in a day, with seven, twelve, nine and fourteen victories, respectively. * On 16 May 1944, then again on 25 May 1944, 26 May 1944, and 17 June 1944,
Rudi Linz Rudolf "Rudi" Linz (14 February 1917 – 9 February 1945) was a Luftwaffe (German air force) fighter ace during World War II. He is credited with 70 aerial victories achieved in an unknown number of combat missions, becoming an " ace-in-a-day" ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a four-time ace in a day, with five, five, five and nine victories, respectively.


Three-time ace in day

* On 22 June 1941, then again on 6 July 1942 and 22 September 1942, Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day, with five, six and six victories, respectively. * On 24 June 1941, then again on 5 July 1942 and 2 August 1942, Karl-Heinz Schnell, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day, with seven, six and five victories, respectively. * On 10 July 1941, then again on 12 July 1941 and 12 August 1941,
Walter Oesau Walter "Gulle" Oesau (28 June 1913 – 11 May 1944) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. A fighter ace, he served in the Luftwaffe from 1934 until his death in 1944. He rose to command ''Jagdgeschwader'' 1, which was named in his hon ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern and Western Front, became a three-time ace in a day, with five, seven and six victories, respectively. * On 17 August 1941, then again on 20 August 1942 and 5 July 1943,
Werner Lucas Werner Georg Emil Lucas (27 December 1917 – 24 October 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 106 enemy aircraft shot down. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Fr ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day. * On 26 July 1942, then again on 7 August 1942 and 5 July 1943,
Kurt Brändle Kurt-Werner Brändle (19 January 1912 – 3 November 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 180 enemy aircraft shot down in over 700 combat missions. The majority of his victories w ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day. * On 24 August 1942, then again on 17 September 1942 and 4 August 1943, Heinz Schmidt, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day, with seven, five and five victories, respectively. * On 4 December 1942, then again on 24 February 1943 and 23 June 1943,
Edwin Thiel Edwin Ludwig Thiel (19 June 1913 – 14 July 1944) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or succes ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day. * On 3 May 1943, then again on 20 August 1943 and 10 October 1943,
Günther Rall Günther Rall (10 March 1918 – 4 October 2009) was a highly decorated German military aviator, officer and General, whose military career spanned nearly forty years. Rall was the third most successful fighter pilot in aviation history, ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, and the third highest scoring ace in history, became a three-time ace in a day, claiming five aerial victories on each of these days. * On 5 July 1943, then again on 4 and 23 August 1943,
Gerhard Loos Gerhard Loos (21 August 1916 – 6 March 1944) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he claimed 92 aerial victories, 14 of which were claimed in Defense of the Reich. Born in Kommer ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day, with five, six and six victories, respectively. * On 12 July 1943, then again on 22 November 1943 and 14 October 1944, Joachim Brendel, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day, with five, six and five victories, respectively. * On 20 July 1943, then again on 2 January 1944 and 21 January 1944,
Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein Heinrich may refer to: People * Heinrich (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Heinrich (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Hetty (given name), a given name (including a list of peo ...
, Luftwaffe night fighter pilot on the Eastern and Western Front, became a three-time ace in a day, with seven, six and five victories, respectively. * On 21 October 1943, then again on 22 October 1943 and 3 November 1943, Reinhold Hoffmann, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day, with seven, eight and eight victories, respectively. * On 7 January 1944, then again on 13 March 1944 and 19 March 1944, Herbert Bachnick, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day. * On 22 March 1944, then again on 31 March 1944 and 14 March 1945,
Martin Becker Martin Becker (12 April 1916 – 8 February 2006) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a night fighter ace credited with 58 aerial victories making him the tenth most successful night fighter pilot in the history of ae ...
, a Luftwaffe
night fighter A night fighter (also known as all-weather fighter or all-weather interceptor for a period of time after the Second World War) is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility. Night fighters began to be used i ...
pilot, became a three-time ace in a day, with six, seven and nine victories, respectively. * On 19 April 1944, then again on 30 May 1944 and 16 October 1944, Hans-Joachim Birkner, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day, with six, five and five victories, respectively. * On 26 August, then again on 31 August 1944 and 1 September 1944,
Franz Schall Franz Schall (1 June 1918 – 10 April 1945) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he flew approximately 550 combat missions and claimed 137 aerial victories—that is, 137 aerial comba ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day, with eleven, thirteen and five victories, respectively.


Two-time ace in day

* On 5 October 1940, then again on 6 November 1940, Helmut Wick, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on Western Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 9 July 1941, then again on 19 August 1942,
Siegfried Schnell Siegfried Schnell (23 January 1916 – 25 February 1944) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he was credited with 93—that is, 93 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on Western Front, twice became an ace in a day, with six and five victories, respectively. * On 12 July 1941, then again on 12 December 1942,
Georg Schentke Georg 'Peterle' Schentke (23 November 1919 – 25 December 1942) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield brav ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, claiming five and six aerial victories respectively. * On 2 August 1941, then again on 16 September 1941,
Heinrich Hoffmann Heinrich Hoffmann or Hoffman may refer to: Hoffmann *Heinrich Hoffmann (photographer) (1885–1957), German photographer *Heinrich Hoffmann (author) (1809–1894), German psychiatrist and author * Heinrich Hoffmann (sport shooter) (1869–?), Germa ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 17 August 1941, then again on 26 July 1942, Walter Ohlrogge, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 16 March 1942, then again on 5 April 1942,
Wolfgang Späte Wolfgang Späte (8 September 1911 – 30 April 1997) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. For fighter pilots it was a quantifiable measure of skill a ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 19 March 1942, then again on 16 September 1942, Heinrich Setz, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 31 March 1942, then again on 5 April 1942, Friedrich Beckh, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, claiming five and six aerial victories respectively. * On 20 April 1942, then again on 25 April 1942, Friedrich Geißhardt, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, claiming five and seven aerial victories respectively. * On 23 April 1942, then again on 27 September 1942, Rudolf Müller, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, claiming five and six aerial victories respectively. * On 2 May 1942, then again on 8 May 1942, Leopold Steinbatz, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, claiming six and seven aerial victories respectively. * On 14 May 1942, then again on 28 September 1942,
Karl Gratz Karl Gratz (24 January 1919 – 14 March 2002) was an Austrian-born Luftwaffe fighter pilot during World War II. As a fighter ace, he was credited with 138 aerial victories claimed in more than 900 missions. Gratz claimed the majority of his vict ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, claiming nine and five aerial victories respectively. * On 22 June 1942, then again on 5 September 1942,
Hans Dammers Hans Dammers (8 August 1913 – 17 March 1944) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II. As a fighter ace, he was credited with 113 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions. During his numerous ground ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 7 July 1942, then again on 9 August 1942, Joachim Wandel, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became ace in a day, claiming six and five aerial victories respectively. * On 23 July 1942, then again on 7 August 1942, Waldemar Semelka, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 24 July 1942, then again on 13 August 1942, Johann Badum, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 23 August 1942, then again on 30 August 1942,
Johannes Steinhoff Johannes "Macky" Steinhoff (15 September 1913 – 21 February 1994) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II, German general, and NATO official. He was one of very few Luftwaffe pilots who survived to fly operationally through the whole ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 23 August 1942, then again on 5 March 1943,
Hans Beißwenger Hans BeißwengerHis name, in German, is spelled with a "sharp S"; see ß. (8 November 1916 – 6 March 1943) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. A flying a ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 22 September 1942, then again on 29 November 1942, Josef Zwernemann, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, claiming six and five aerial victories respectively. * On 17 December 1942, then again on 23 February 1943, Günther Schack, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 11 April 1943, then again on 10 May 1943,
Wolf-Udo Ettel Wolf-Udo Ettel (26 February 1921 – 17 July 1943) was a German World War II Luftwaffe flying ace and a posthumous recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 30 May 1943, then again on 22 July 1943,
Werner Quast Werner Hermann Quast (21 June 1920 – 12 July 1962) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day, claiming five and six victories respectively. * On 10 June 1943, then again on 5 July 1943, Max-Hermann Lücke, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day, twice with seven victories. * On 5 July 1943, then again on 4 August 1943,
Karl-Heinz Weber Karl-Heinz Weber (30 January 1922 – 7 June 1944) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Ger ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 5 July 1943, then agin on 14 August 1943,
Horst-Günther von Fassong Horst-Günther von Fassong (27 April 1919 – 1 January 1945) was a German Luftwaffe military aviation, military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. Depending on source, he is credited between 63 and 136 aerial victories achieved in an ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 5 July 1943, then again on 20 October 1943,
Johannes Wiese Johannes Wiese (7 March 1915 – 16 August 1991) was a German Luftwaffe pilot during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 133 enemy aircraft shot down in 480 combat missions. He claimed all of his victories over the Eastern Front, in ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day, claiming twelve and seven aerial victories respectively. * On 2 August 1943, then again on 8 October 1943, Heinrich Sterr, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day, claiming seven and six victories respectively. * On 14 August 1943, then again on 26 September 1943,
Otto Gaiser Otto Gaiser (5 October 1919 – 22 January 1944) was a Luftwaffe ace with 66 confirmed kills, and he was the recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extr ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 5 November 1943, then again on 16 February 1944,
Heinz Wernicke Heinz Wernicke (17 October 1920 – 27 December 1944) was a Luftwaffe World War II fighter ace and was credited with 117 aerial victories—that is, 117 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft. He was also a ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day. * On 11 April 1944, then again on 7 May 1944, potentially on 1 November 1944 as well, Peter Düttmann, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, with six, nine and five victories, respectively. * On 11 April 1944, then again on 4 May 1944, Helmut Bergmann, a Luftwaffe
night fighter A night fighter (also known as all-weather fighter or all-weather interceptor for a period of time after the Second World War) is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility. Night fighters began to be used i ...
pilot, became a two-time ace in a day, with seven and five victories, respectively. * On 4 May 1944, then again on 22 May 1944, Martin Drewes, Luftwaffe night fighter pilot on the Western Front, became a two-time ace in a day, with six and nine victories, respectively. * On 7 May 1944, then again on 8 June 1944, Heinz Sachsenberg, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, with six and five victories, respectively. * On 17 June 1944, then again on 28 June 1944 and potentially on 16 September 1944,
Heinz Arnold Heinz Arnold (12 February 1919 – 17 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace. He is credited with 49 aerial victories including seven victories claimed flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter.For a list of Luftwaffe Jet aces see ''Li ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time, potentially three-time, ace in a day, with nine, six and five victories, respectively. * On 25 May 1944, then again on 21 February 1945,
Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (16 February 1922 – 15 July 1950) was a German Luftwaffe night-fighter pilot and the highest-scoring night fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. A flying ace is a military aviator credited with shootin ...
, a Luftwaffe
night fighter A night fighter (also known as all-weather fighter or all-weather interceptor for a period of time after the Second World War) is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility. Night fighters began to be used i ...
pilot, became a two-time ace in a day, with five and nine victories, respectively. * On 17 and 28 June 1944, Helmut Neumann, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, with eight and five victories, respectively. * On 19 June 1944, then again on 24 October 1944, Commander
David McCampbell Captain David McCampbell (January 16, 1910 – June 30, 1996) was a United States Navy captain, naval aviator, and a Medal of Honor recipient. He retired from the navy in 1964 with 31 years of service. McCampbell is the United States Navy's all ...
, the USN's top ace and Medal of Honor recipient, became a two-time ace in a day, with seven victories during the " Marianas Turkey Shoot", followed by nine victories on the second date. * On 20 and 25 June 1944,
Hans Wind Hans Henrik "Hasse" Wind (30 July 1919, Ekenäs – 24 July 1995, Tampere) was a Finnish fighter pilot and flying ace in World War II, with 75 confirmed air combat victories. He is one of the four double recipients of the Mannerheim Cross 2n ...
, Finland's second highest scoring fighter ace, became a two-time ace in a day, with five victories both days. This was part of his 13-day tally, from 13 June to 25 June, of 29 aerial victories fighting against the Soviet Summer Offensive. His final World War II tally was 75. * On 30 June 1944, then again on 5 March 1945, Ulrich Wernitz, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, with five and eight victories, respectively. * On 31 August 1944, then again on 16 October 1944, Adolf Nehring, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, with six and five victories, respectively. * On 14 September 1944, then again on 22 December 1944, Gerhard Thyben, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day, with six and five victories, respectively. * On 7 October 1944, then again on 24 October 1944, Heinz Marquardt, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, with eight and five victories, respectively. * On 13 and 24 October 1944, Johannes Keller, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day. * On the night of 7/8 February 1945, then again on the night of 15/16 March 1945, Gerhard Raht, Luftwaffe night fighter pilot, became a two-time ace in a day, with six and five victories respectively.


Ace in a day


1940

* On 6 January 1940,
Jorma Sarvanto Jorma Kalevi Sarvanto (22 August 1912 – 16 October 1963) was a Finnish Air Force pilot and the foremost Finnish fighter ace of the Winter War. Early life Sarvanto was born and raised in Turku, Finland. He attended high school in Turku and ...
, a Finnish lieutenant, destroyed six Soviet
DB-3 The Ilyushin DB-3, where "DB" stands for ''Dalniy Bombardirovschik'' ( Russian: Дальний бомбардировщик) meaning "long-range bomber", was a Soviet bomber aircraft of World War II. It was a twin-engined, low-wing monoplane that ...
bombers in four minutes on one flight. Sarvanto was the top scoring pilot in the
Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...
, with 17 kills. * On 14 May 1940, Hans-Karl Mayer, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on Western Front, became an ace in a day. * On 17 May 1940,
Max Bucholz Max Bucholz (3 November 1912 – 19 July 1996) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Bucholz was credited with between 28 and 30 victories, including an ace in a day. Early life a ...
, a German ''Oberleutnant'' of 1./JG 3 shot down four RAF
Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until ...
s, a
Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness b ...
and a French Curtis Hawk 75. These were his first victories. On 13 July 1941, he again claimed five aerial victories on the Eastern Front. * On 29 May 1940 during the
Dunkirk evacuation The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo and also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, or just Dunkirk, was the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allies of World War II, Allied soldiers during the World War II, Second World War from the bea ...
, RAF turret gunner Corporal Albert Lippett and his pilot, Flight Lieutenant Nicholas Gresham Cooke, claimed two
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...
fighters and a
Messerschmitt Bf 110 The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engine (Des ...
fighter during their first sortie, then added five
Junkers Ju 87 The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from ''Sturzkampfflugzeug'', "dive bomber") was a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's ...
bombers in their second that day, becoming Britain's first aces in a day in the Second World War. Both men would die when their
Boulton Paul Defiant The Boulton Paul Defiant is a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any fixed forward-firing guns ...
was shot down on 31 May as they continued to protect the ships and troops at the beach. * On 5 June 1940,
Wilhelm Balthasar Wilhelm Balthasar (2 February 1914 – 3 July 1941) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with seven aerial victories during the Spanish Civil War and further 40 aerial ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Western Front, shot down five French aircraft. * On 15 June 1940,
Pierre Le Gloan Pierre Le Gloan (6 January 1913 – 11 September 1943) was a French flying ace of World War II. Unique in the annals of wartime flying, he scored victories against German, Italian and British forces. Flying in the French and Vichy French air force ...
of the French Air Force destroyed five Italian aircraft in one flight. * On 24 August 1940, Antoni Głowacki, flying with a Polish Squadron in the RAF, (in duty fight R.A.F. 501 (Hawker Hurricane) Squadron shot down three Bf 109s and two Junkers Ju 88 bombers over Ramsgate, to become the first ace in a day of the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
. * Also on 24 August 1940, RAF pilot Ronald Hamlyn shot down five aircraft, flying a Spitfire with 610 Squadron. * On 31 August 1940,
Brian Carbury Brian Carbury, (27 February 1918 – 31 July 1961) was a New Zealand fighter ace of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He was officially credited with destroying enemy aircraft. Born in Wellington, Carbury joined the RAF ...
, a New Zealand flying officer, claimed three Bf 109s and two He 111s in three sorties. * On 27 September 1940,
Albert Gerald Lewis Albert Gerald Lewis, (10 April 1918 – 14 December 1982) was a South African fighter pilot and fighter ace who scored an ace in a day during the Battle of Britain, later being featured in a ''Life'' magazine article about the Battle of Britain. ...
, a South African pilot officer, claimed six German aircraft (three Bf 109s, two Bf 110s and one Ju 88) destroyed, along with two probables and one damaged. * On 7 October 1940,
Archie McKellar Squadron Leader Archibald Ashmore McKellar, & Bar (10 April 1912 – 1 November 1940) was a flying ace of the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. McKellar grew up and joined the family business in his native Scotland, but i ...
. of the RAF shot down five
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...
s during the Battle of Britain. * On 11 December 1940, within six minutes, Charles Dyson of the RAF's No 33 Squadron destroyed six Italian Cr42s.


1941

* On 25 June 1941,
Hans Kolbow Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi a ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 26 June 1941, Reinhold Schmetzer of Luftwaffe
JG 77 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 77 (JG 77) ''Herz As'' ("Ace of Hearts") was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II. It served in all the German theaters of war, from Western Europe to the Eastern Front, and from the high north in Norway to the Mediter ...
shot down 5
Ilyushin DB-3 The Ilyushin DB-3, where "DB" stands for ''Dalniy Bombardirovschik'' ( Russian: Дальний бомбардировщик) meaning "long-range bomber", was a Soviet bomber aircraft of World War II. It was a twin-engined, low-wing monoplane that ...
s. * On 26 June 1941, Robert Olejnik, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 30 June 1941, Hermann-Friedrich Joppien, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 23 July 1941,
Erich Leie Erich Leie (10 September 1916 – 7 March 1945) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 121 aerial victories claimed in more than 500 combat missions. He claimed 44 ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Western Front, became an ace in a day. * On 23 July 1941, Rudolf Pflanz, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Western Front, became an ace in a day. * On 11 August 1941, Eugen Wintergerst, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, claimed seven aerial victories. * On 14 August 1941,
Erbo Graf von Kageneck Erbo Graf von Kageneck (2 April 1918 – 12 January 1942) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. A flying ace, he was credited with 67 aerial victories and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Early li ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 17 September 1941,
Karl Kempf Karl-Heinz Kempf (2 February 1920 – 3 September 1944) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield brave ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 26 September 1941, Heinz Hackler, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 8 October 1941,
Günther Lützow Günther Lützow (4 September 1912 – 24 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe aviator and fighter ace credited with 110 enemy aircraft shot down in over 300 combat missions. Apart from five victories during the Spanish Civil War, most of his cl ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 5 December 1941, within a few minutes,
Clive Caldwell Clive Robertson Caldwell, (28 July 1911 – 5 August 1994) was the leading Australian air ace of World War II. He is officially credited with shooting down 28.5 enemy aircraft in over 300 operational sorties, including an ace in a day. In addit ...
, the leading
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
n ace of the Second World War, destroyed five German aircraft in
North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
.


1942

* On 15 February 1942, Otto Schulz, Luftwaffe fighter pilot in North Africa, became an ace in a day. * On 19 February 1942, while flying
Mitsubishi A6M Zero The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M w ...
fighter during the Attack on Darwin,
Petty Officer A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotation OR-5 or OR-6. In many nations, they are typically equal to a sergeant in comparison to other military branches. Often they may be super ...
Yoshikazu Nagahama first destroyed one
US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
PBY Catalina The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served w ...
flying boat A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fuselag ...
and then single-handedly shot down four
US Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and ...
fighters in a fight against five of them. * On 20 February 1942, after the aborted raid on Rabaul,
Edward O'Hare Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry O'Hare (March 13, 1914 – November 26, 1943) was an American naval aviator of the United States Navy, who on February 20, 1942, became the Navy's first fighter ace of the war when he single-handedly attacked a ...
claimed shooting down five
Mitsubishi G4M The Mitsubishi G4M was a twin-engine, land-based medium bomber formerly manufactured by the Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. Its official designat ...
medium bombers of the
4th Air Group was a land-based bomber aircraft unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) during the Pacific campaign of World War II. The air group was redesignated as the 702nd Air Group on 1 November 1942. History The unit was formed on 10 Febr ...
. While he was officially credited with five kills and received
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
for his action, in reality he most likely only shot down three of them. * On 18 March 1942, Hans Strelow, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, claimed seven aerial victories and became an ace in a day. * On 2 May 1942, Gerhard Köppen, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 14 May 1942, Friedrich Wachowiak, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 4 June 1942, while escorting the morning strike against
Midway Island Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...
,
Petty Officer A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotation OR-5 or OR-6. In many nations, they are typically equal to a sergeant in comparison to other military branches. Often they may be super ...
Shigetaka Ōmori claimed shooting down two US Marine fighters. After he returned to the carrier Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi, ''Akagi'', he and his unit took off again to intercept US Navy strike and claimed shooting down six Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bombers. Nevertheless, some of the bomber kills might have been shared. * On 4 June 1942, during the Battle of Midway, US Navy Lieutenant (junior grade), Lieutenant (jg) Elbert S. McCuskey was credited for destroying three Aichi D3A dive bombers during the Japanese first attack on the carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5), ''Yorktown''. When ''Yorktown'' was hit by the same attack, he landed on USS Enterprise (CV-6), ''Enterprise'', rearmed his Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter and took off to defend ''Yorktown'' against the second attack, during which he claimed two Nakajima B5N torpedo bombers. * On 22 June 1942, Erwin Leykauf, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 26 June 1942, Friedrich Körner, Luftwaffe fighter pilot in North Africa, became an ace in a day. * On 5 July 1942, Hartmann Grasser, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 5 July 1942, Ralph Furch, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 12 July 1942, Lutz-Wilhelm Burckhardt, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 24 July 1942, Leopold Münster, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 1 August 1942, Franz-Josef Beerenbrock, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, claimed nine aerial victories. * On 7 August 1942, Hans Fuß, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, claimed six aerial victories. * On 12 August 1942, Richard John Cork of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm shot down five aircraft during the defence of a Malta Convoy in Operation Pedestal. * On 12 August 1942, Karl-Heinz Bendert, Luftwaffe fighter pilot in North Africa, became an ace in a day. * On 13 August 1942, Johann Badum, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. He may have already become an ace in a day on 24 July 1942. He claimed six aerial victories on 24 and 25 July. According to Matthews and Foreman, all six claims were dated on 24 July. According to Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock, he claimed four on 24 July and two on 25 July. * On 19 August 1942, Josef Wurmheller, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Western Front, became an ace in a day. * On 3 September 1942, Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt, Luftwaffe fighter pilot in North Africa, became an ace in a day, with five victories. * On 15 September 1942, Werner Schröer, Luftwaffe fighter pilot in North Africa, became an ace in a day, with six victories. * On 22 September 1942, Heinrich Bartels, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 29 September 1942, Rudolf Klemm, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 25 October 1942, Captain Joe Foss, United States Marine Corps, USMC VMFA-121, VMF-121, downed five Japanese planes in two sorties during the Guadalcanal Campaign while flying a Grumman F4F Wildcat. Foss was the second highest scoring Marine ace of the war with 26 victories and was awarded the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
. He was also the first Marine to claim ace in a day. * On 26 October 1942, Swede Vejtasa, Stanley "Swede" Vejtasa, a United States Navy (USN) aviator, downed seven Japanese planes in one sortie in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, Battle of Santa Cruz while flying a Grumman F4F Wildcat. * On 1 November 1942, Hubertus von Bonin Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 16 December 1942, Wilhelm Freuwörth Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day when he claimed six aerial victories over Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft. * On 19 December 1942, Kurt Ebener Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 28 December 1942, Helmut Bennemann Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day.


1943

* On 14 January 1943, Alfred Teumer, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 31 January 1943, Captain Jefferson DeBlanc, USMC VMFA-112, VMF-112, scored five victories in the Guadalcanal Campaign. His actions, despite mechanical problems with his aircraft and being vastly outnumbered, earned him the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
. * On 12 February 1943, Gustav Denk, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 7 March 1943, Walter Hoeckner of Luftwaffe Jagdgeschwader 26, JG 26 shot down 4 Ilyushin Il-2, Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmoviks and 2 Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, P-40C Tomahawks. * On 7 April 1943, 1st Lieutenant James E. Swett, USMC VMF-221, scored seven victories fighting against the Japanese Operation I-Go offensive. His actions that day earned him the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
. * On 18 April 1943, 2nd Lieutenants Arthur B. Cleaveland, Richard E. Duffy, and MacArthur Powers, USAAF 57th Operations Group, 57th FG, both claimed five Ju-52 transports over the Mediterranean. * On 13 May 1943, Archie Donahue engaged in a one hour long dogfight west of Florida Island. Donahue possibly became an ace in a day, as he was confirmed to have shot down four Zeros, and most likely shot down a fifth. A fellow Marine verified the fifth kill, but Donahue was never credited for it. also see April 12, 1945. Had it been confirmed, this would have been the first every ace in a day by a carrier based pilot. * On 26 May 1943, Walter Ehle, Luftwaffe night fighter pilot on the Western Front, became an ace in a day. * On 12 June 1943, Lieutenant (JG) Vernon E. Graham, USNR, with a F4F Wildcat carrier fighter unit that intercepted 35 A6M Zero fighters, shot down 5 Zeroes, ran out of fuel mid-combat, and made a dead-stick landing on Pavuvu. *On 16 June 1943, 2nd Lieutenant Murray J. Shubin, USAAF 347th Rescue Group, 347th FG, shot down five Zeroes near Guadalcanal. * On 22 June 1943, Hans-Dieter Frank, Luftwaffe night fighter pilot on the Western Front, became an ace in a day. * On 1 July 1943, Captain Elmer M. Wheadon, USAAF 318th Fighter Group, 318 FG, shot down five Japanese planes. * On 5 July 1943, Johann-Hermann Meier, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 5 July 1943, Rudolf Rademacher, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 5 July 1943, Emil Bitsch, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 5 July 1943, Hans Grünberg, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 13 July 1943, Wilhelm Moritz (Luftwaffe officer), Wilhelm Moritz, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern and Western Front, became an ace in a day. * On 13 July 1943, then again on 7 September 1943, 15 September 1943, 16 February 1945 and 25 April 1945, Günther Josten, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, five times became an ace in a day. * On 15 July 1943, 1st Lieutenant Joseph J. Lesicka, USAAF 318th Fighter Group, 318th FG, downed five Japanese planes in the Pacific Theater. * On 14 August 1943,
Otto Gaiser Otto Gaiser (5 October 1919 – 22 January 1944) was a Luftwaffe ace with 66 confirmed kills, and he was the recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extr ...
, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 21 August 1943, Johannes Bunzek, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 7 September 1943, Albin Wolf, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 16 September 1943, Major Pappy Boyington, USMC VMA-214, VMF-214, scored five victories over the Solomon Islands while flying an F4U Corsair. A
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
recipient, Boyington was the top scoring Marine fighter pilot during the war, shooting down a total of 28 Japanese aircraft before he too was shot down and captured in January 1944. * On 19 September 1943, Friedrich Obleser, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 8 October 1943, Helmut Lipfert, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern, became an ace in a day. * On 9 October 1943, Major William L. Leverette and 2nd Lieutenant Harry T. Hanna, USAAF 14th Operations Group, 14th FG, both became aces in a day over the Aegean Sea with seven and five Stuka victories, respectively. Leverette was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (United States), Distinguished Service Cross and was the first of just two Army Air Forces pilots to claim seven victories in a single mission. * On 10 October 1943, Walter Krupinski, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern, became an ace in a day. * On 11 October 1943, Colonel Neel E. Kearby, Neel. E. Kearby, USAAF 343rd Fighter Group, 343rd FG, shot down six Japanese planes, four Nakajima Ki-43, Ki-43 "Oscar" and two Kawasaki Ki-61, Ki-61 "Tony", during one mission in his P-47 "Fiery Ginger", becoming the first P-47 pacific ace, the first P-47 ace in day and setting a United States Army Air Forces record for most victories in a single mission in the Pacific Theater. He was awarded the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
for this mission, which was presented to him by General Douglas MacArthur in January 1944. * On 12 October 1943, Horst Ademeit, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, claimed six aerial victories. * On 27 October 1943, Alois Lechner, Luftwaffe night fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 2 November 1943, Paul-Heinrich Dähne, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, claimed five aerial victories. * On 1 December 1943, Egon Mayer, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Western Front, became an ace in a day. * On 15 December 1943, Diethelm von Eichel-Streiber, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, claimed six aerial victories plus two further unconfirmed claims. * On 15 December 1943, Konrad Bauer, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, claimed six aerial victories.


1944

* On 14 January 1944, 1st Lieutenant Robert M. Hanson, USMC VMF-215, scored five victories over the Solomon Islands area while flying an F4U Corsair. He was shot down and killed less than one month later. He claimed 25 kills during the war. * On 20 January 1944, Leopold Fellerer, a Luftwaffe night fighter pilot, became an ace in a day. * On 20 February 1944, Rudolf Frank, a German ''Feldwebel'' shot down five Avro Lancasters over Germany. * On 20 February 1944, Heinz Vinke, a Luftwaffe night fighter pilot, became an ace in a day. * On 29 March 1944, Walther Wever (pilot), Walther Wever, a Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 23 April 1944, Horst Berger, a Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 7 May 1944 Hans Waldmann (fighter pilot), Hans Waldmann of the Luftwaffe shot down six Soviet Air Forces, Soviet aircraft, taking his total to 120 aerial victories. * On 7 May 1944, Friedrich Haas, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 8 May 1944, 1st Lieutenant Carl J. Luksic, USAAF 352nd Fighter Group, 352nd FG, shot down three Fw 190s and two Bf 109s in one sortie out of his total of 7 solo and 3 shared victories. He was captured 2 weeks after on the 24th. *On 12 May 1944, 1st Lieutenant Robert J. Rankin, USAAF 56th Operations Group, 56th FG, shot down five planes over Germany. He finished the war with 10 victories. * On 30 May 1944, Otto Fönnekold, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, shot down seven Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter aircraft. * On 6 June 1944, Herbert Huppertz, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Western Front, shot down three Hawker Typhoon, one North American P-51 Mustang and one Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter aircraft to become an ace in a day. * On 10 June 1944, 2nd Lieutenant Herbert B. Hatch Jr., USAAF 1st Operations Group, 1st FG, shot down five enemy planes, probably destroyed a sixth and damaged another over Rumania. * On 15 June 1944, Lieutenant Lloyd G 'Barney' Barnard, USN VF-2, shot down five Japanese Zero fighters in a single mission off the Bonin Islands. * On 19 June 1944, Helmut Grollmus, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day, claiming six aerial victories. * On 19 June 1944, Commander Charles W. Brewer, USN VF-15 (five); Lieutenants George R. Carr, USN VF-15 (five); Alexander Vraciu, USN VF-16 (six); and Ensign Wilbur 'Spider' Webb, USN VF-17 (six+); all became aces in a day over Guam in a single mission. * On 23 June 1944, Wilhelm Hübner, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day, claiming eight aerial victories. * On 30 June 1944, Ilmari Juutilainen, Finland's top scoring fighter ace, shot down six Soviet planes flying against the same Soviet Summer Offensive as colleague and fellow ace in a day Wind. Juutilainen's final World War II score was 94, highest scoring non-German pilot ever. * On 7 July 1944, Fred J. Christensen, USAAF 56th Operations Group, 56th FG, attacked with his squadron 12 Junkers Ju 52 which were landing on Gardelegen Airfield, Gardelegen airfield. Squadron claimed 10 destroyed, thereof Christensen claimed 6 and set record as first pilot in Eighth Air Force, 8th Air Force and first American pilot in European Theater of Operations, United States Army, European Theatre to claim 6 kills in one day and in one sortie. * On 21 July 1944, Sigurd Haala, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day. * On 6 August 1944, George Preddy, USAAF 352nd Fighter Group, 352nd FG, shot down six German Bf 109s. He was the top USAAF P-51 Mustang ace (26.83 kills, including shared kills). * On 5 September 1944, 1st Lieutenant William H. Allen, USAAF 55th Operations Group, 55th FG, shot down five planes over Europe. * On 14 September 1944, Franz Eisenach, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in day with nine aerial victories claimed that day. * On 27 September 1944, 1st Lieutenant William R. Beyer, USAAF 361st Fighter Group, 361st FG, shot down five Fw 190s in the vicinity of Eisenach. He ended war with 9 claims. *On 28 September 1944, 2nd Lieutenant John H. Wainwright Jr., USAAF 405th Air Expeditionary Group, 405th FG, shot down six planes over Europe. * On 12 October 1944, 1st Lieutenant Chuck Yeager, Charles "Chuck" Yeager, USAAF 357th Fighter Group, 357th FG, shot down five Bf 109s in one sortie. He ended the war with 12 victories. On 14 October 1947, flying the Bell X-1 rocket plane, he became the first pilot to break the sound barrier in level flight. *On 24 October 1944, Lieutenant Commander Harold N. Funk, USN VF-23 (five); Lieutenants Carl A. Brown Jr., USN VF-27 (five); Kenneth G. Hippe, USN VC-3 (five); William J. Masoner Jr., USN VF-19 (six); Roy W. Rushing, USN VF-15 (six+); James A. Shirley, USN VF-22 (five); Eugene P. Townsend, USN VF-27 (five+); and Ensign Thomas J. Conroy, USN VF-22 (six); all became aces in a day off the Philippines. * On 2 November 1944, Donald S. Bryan, USAAF 352nd Fighter Group, 352nd FG, shot down five German Bf 109s aircraft while en route to join and escort B-17 bombers on a mission to Germany. * On 16 November 1944, Captain John J. Voll, USAAF 31st Operations Group, 31st FG, shot down five planes over Germany. * On 21 November 1944, Captain William T. Whisner Jr., William T. Whisner, USAAF 352nd Fighter Group, 352nd FG, shot down 6 Fw 190 and 1 probable. Fought in the Korean War and became 1 of 7 aces in two wars (16 solo kills and 1 shared in WW2; 6 solo and 1 shared in Korea). * On 26 November 1944, 1st Lieutenant J. S. Daniell, USAAF 339th Fighter Group, 339th FG, shot down five planes over Germany. * On 27 November 1944, Captain Leonard K. Carson, USAAF 357th Fighter Group, 357th FG, shot down 5 Fw 190. Ended war with 18 claims. * On 4 December 1944, Major William J. Hovde, USAAF 355th Fighter Group, 355th FG, shot down four Fw 190s, one Bf 109, and shared one Fw 190 over Berlin. *On 14 December 1944, Lieutenant Robert H. Anderson, USN VBF-80, shot down five Japanese planes and probably downed a sixth off the Philippines. * On 18 December 1944, 1st Lieutenant David B. Archibald and 1st Lieutenant Paul E. Olson, USAAF 359th Fighter Group, 359th FG, both shot down five Fw 190s before they too were shot down and captured as prisoners of war. * On 21 December 1944, Hans-Joachim Kroschinski, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day * On 23 December 1944, Lieutenant Colonel Edward O. McComas, USAAF 23rd Fighter Group, 23rd FG, shot down five Japanese planes over China. * On 23 December 1944, Lieutenant Colonel David C. Schilling, USAAF 56th Fighter Group, 56th FG, shot down three Bf 109s and two Fw 190s over Bonn. * On 27 December 1944, Captain Ernest Bankey, Ernest E. Bankey, USAAF 364th Fighter Group, 364th FG, shot down four Fw 190s and one Bf 109; and shared one Bf 109 in area of Bonn. Ended war with 9.5 claims. * On 29 December 1944, within seven minutes, Richard Joseph Audet, Richard Joseph "Dick" Audet of No. 411 Squadron RCAF, 411 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF, piloting a Supermarine Spitfire, Spitfire IXe, destroyed two Bf 109s and three Focke-Wulf Fw 190s over Osnabrück.


1945

* On 3 January 1945, Heinz Ewald, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, claimed five aerial victories. * On 11 January 1945, Captain William A. Shomo, USAAF 71st Operations Group, 71st RG, shot down seven Japanese planes in a single mission over the Philippines and was awarded the Medal of Honor. * On 14 January 1945, Captain Felix D. Williamson, USAAF 56th Operations Group, 56th FG, shot down five German fighters in a single mission and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (United States), Distinguished Service Cross. * On 16 February 1945, Lieutenant Alexander L. Anderson, USN VBF-80 (five); Lieutenant Patrick D. Fleming, USN VBF-80 (five); became aces in a day over Tokyo in a single mission. * On the night of 21/22 February 1945, Günther Bahr, Luftwaffe night fighter pilot, became an ace in a day, when he shot down seven bombers. * On 14 March 1945, 1st Lieutenant Gordon H. McDaniel, USAAF 325th Operations Group, 325th FG, shot down five Fw 190s in the Mediterranean Theater of operations. * On 15 March 1945, Ferdinand Löschenkohl, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, claimed five aerial victories. * On 16 March 1945, Erich Jung, Luftwaffe night fighter pilot, became an ace in a day, claiming eight nocturnal aerial victories. * On 18 March 1945, Lieutenant Commander Marshall U. Beebe, USN VF-17, shot down five Japanese fighters over Kyushu. * On 21 March 1945, Johannes Hager, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Western Front, claimed five aerial victories. * On 22 March 1945, Lieutenant Colonel Sidney S. Woods, USAAF 4th Fighter Group, 4th FG, shot down five Fw 190s over Germany. Woods had previously claimed two victories in the Pacific, these were his last claims of the war. * On 24 March 1945, Major Robert A. Elder and Lieutenant Colonel Wayne K. Blickenstaff, USAAF 353d Fighter Group, 353rd FG, both became aces in a day over Germany. Elder shot down four Fw 190s, one Bf 109 and damaged one Fw 190; these were his only claims in the war. Blickenstaff, who was already an ace with five kills, destroyed two Fw 190s and three Bf 109s. These were his last claims in the war. * On 2 April 1945, 1st Lieutenant Bruce W. Carr, USAAF 354th Fighter Group, 354th FG, shot down five planes and damaged a sixth over Germany. * On 12 April 1945, Major Archie Donahue, USMC VMF-451, scored five victories over Okinawa. Donahue was already an ace with nine kills, these were his last claims of the war. This was the first ever official ace in a day by a carrier based f4u pilot.This was his second ace in a day, also see May 13, 1943 * On 17 April 1945, Lieutenant Commander Eugene Valencia, USN VF-9, shot down six Japanese planes over Okinawa. * On 22 April 1945, three American USMC pilots of the VMF-323 "Death Rattlers" squadron, separately became aces in a day in the Battle of Okinawa: Major Jefferson Dorroh (six); Major George C. Axtell (five+); and 1st Lieutenant Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe (five). * On 25 May 1945, two American pilots separately became aces in a day over Okinawa: 1st Lieutenant Richard H. Anderson (pilot), Richard H. Anderson, USAAF 318th Fighter Group, 318th FG, downed five Mitsubishi A6M Zero, Zeros, and had a sixth in his sights when he ran out of ammunition; Captain Herbert J. Valentine, USMC VMF-312, downed five Japanese planes, making him the last Marine of the war to become an ace in a day. * On 28 May 1945, Captain John E. Vogt, USAAF 318th Fighter Group, 318th FG, downed five Zeros over Kyushu, Japan. These were his only claims of the war. * On 10 June 1945, 2nd Lieutenant Robert J. Stone, USAAF 318th Fighter Group, 318th FG, downed five Japanese aircraft over the Pacific. * On 13 August 1945, becoming the last fighter ace of World War II just two days before the surrender of Japan, 1st Lieutenant Oscar Perdomo, USAAF 475th Fighter Group, 475th FG, scored all of his five career victories fighting a Japanese attack near Seoul, Keijo (Seoul), Korea.


Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Muhammad Mahmood Alam downed five aircraft in a single sortie on 7 September 1965 with four in less than a minute, establishing a world record. These claims, however, have been widely contested by Indian Air Force and retired PAF Air Commodore Sajad S. Haider since the gun camera footage was never made public.


Russo-Ukrainian War

On 13 October 2022, the Ukrainian government claims that Ukrainian pilot Vadym Voroshylov shot down 5 Shahed 136 drones before being forced to eject from his MiG-29 aircraft after it was hit by debris from the last Shahed-136 that had shot down. Voroshylov had shot down two Russian cruise missiles the day prior, though this has yet to be officially verified by independent sources.https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/inside-ukraines-desperate-fight-against-drones-with-mig-29-pilot-juice


Notes


References


Citations


Bibliography

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Further reading

* * * * * * {{Lists of flying aces Lists of military personnel, Aviators who became ace in a day Flying aces, *