Ace of aces is a title accorded to the top active
ace
An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...
within a branch of service in a nation's military in time of war. The title is most closely associated with
fighter aces, though there are other types, such as tank aces and submarine aces.
Flying aces
Ace of aces is a title accorded to the top
flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
of a nation's
air force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...
during time of war.
World War I
World War II
Post-World War II era
Submarine aces
Ace of the Deep is a title accorded to the top subsea ace/undersea ace/submarine ace of a nation's submarine force during time of war.
Submarine hunters
Tank aces
A "tank ace" or
Panzer ace
Panzer ace (tank ace) is a contemporary term used in English-speaking popular culture to describe highly decorated German tank ("panzer") commanders and crews during World War II. The ''Wehrmacht'' as well as British and American militaries did n ...
has been described by Historian Robert Kershaw, as being the minority of tank commanders that accounted for the most destroyed enemy armor, saying it is roughly analogous with a flying ace.
[Kershaw, Robert. ''Tank Men: the Human Story of Tanks at War'', Hodder, p. 332.]
See also
*
Ace (military)
References
Citations
General and cited references
World War I sources
*
*
Later wars
Aces of WWII* .
* Toliver, Raymond F. and
Trevor J. Constable (1998). ''Die deutschen Jagdflieger-Asse 1939 – 1945''. Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. .
* Samuel, Wolfgang W.E. (2004). ''American Raiders — The Race to Capture the Luftwaffe's Secrets''. University Press of Mississippi. .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aces Of Aces
Aces
Lists of military personnel