List of German World War II night fighter aces

A German Bf 110G-4 night fighter at the RAF Museum in London.

A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.[1] German day and night fighter pilots claimed roughly 70,000 aerial victories during World War II, 25,000 over British or American and 45,000 over Soviet flown aircraft. 103 German fighter pilots shot down more than 100 enemy aircraft for a total of roughly 15,400 aerial victories. Roughly a further 360 pilots claimed between 40 and 100 aerial victories for round about 21,000 victories. Another 500 fighter pilots claimed between 20 and 40 victories for a total of 15,000 victories. According to Obermeier, it is relatively certain, that 2,500 German fighter pilots attained ace status, having achieved at least 5 aerial victories.[2] 453 German day and Zerstörer (destroyer) pilots received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. 85 night fighter pilots, including 14 crew members, were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.[3] The list is sorted by the number of aerial victories claimed at night.

Due to the worsening war situation for Germany and Luftwaffe policies, night fighter aces remained in frontline roles until they were killed or wounded in combat or no longer capable of flying due to exhaustion.[4]

German night fighter aces

  This along with the * (asterisk), indicates that the pilot was either killed in action, missing in action or killed in a flying accident.

Name Rank Night
victories claimed 		Day
victories claimed 		Total wartime
victories claimed 		Unit Notes
Schnaufer, Heinz-WolfgangHeinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer[5] Major 121 0 121 NJG 1, NJG 4 Nicknamed "The Spook of St. Trond",
—
Lent, HelmutHelmut Lent*[5] Oberst 102 8 110 ZG 76, NJG 1, NJG 2, NJG 3 killed in flying accident 7 October 1944
Sayn-Wittgenstein, Heinrich-Alexander Prinz zuHeinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein*[5] Major 83 0 83 NJG 2 killed in action 21 January 1944
—
Streib, WernerWerner Streib[5] Oberst 67 1 68 ZG 1, NJG 1
—
—
Meurer, ManfredManfred Meurer*[5] Hauptmann 65 0 65 NJG 1, NJG 5 killed in action 21 January 1944
—
Radusch, GüntherGünther Radusch[5] Oberst 64 1 65 ZG 1, NJG 1, NJG 3, NJG 2
—
—
Schoenert, RudolfRudolf Schoenert[5] Major 64 0 64 NJG 1, NJG 2, NJG 3, NJG 100, NJGr 10, NJG 5
—
—
Rokker, HeinzHeinz Rökker[5] Hauptmann 63 1 64 NJG 2
—
—
Zorner, PaulPaul Zorner[5] Major 59 0 59 NJG 2, NJG 3, NJG 100, NJG 5
—
—
Becker, MartinMartin Becker[5] Hauptmann 58 0 58 NJG 4, NJG 6
—
—
Raht, GerhardGerhard Raht[5] Hauptmann 58 0 58 NJG 3, NJG 2
—
—
Herget, WilhelmWilhelm Herget[5] Major 57 16 73 ZG 76, NJG 3, NJG 1, NJG 4, JV 44
—
—
Welter, KurtKurt Welter[5] Oberleutnant 56 7 63 JG 301, Kdo Welter, NJG 11
—
—
Francsi, GustavGustav Francsi[5] Oberleutnant 56 0 56 NJG 100
—
—
Kraft, JosefJosef Kraft[5] Hauptmann 56 0 56 NJG 4, NJG 5, NJG 6, NJG 1
—
—
Struning, HeinzHeinz Strüning*[5] Hauptmann 56 0 56 ZG 26, NJG 2, NJG 1 killed in action 25 December 1944
Frank, Hans-DieterHans-Dieter Frank*[5] Hauptmann 55 0 55 ZG 1, NJG 1 killed in action 27 September 1943
—
Vinke, HeinzHeinz Vinke*[5] Oberfeldwebel 54 0 54 NJG 1 killed in action 26 February 1944
—
Geiger, AugustAugust Geiger*[5] Hauptmann 53 0 53 NJG 1 killed in action 29 September 1943
—
Lippe-Weißenfeld, Egmont Prinz zurEgmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld*[5] Major 51 0 51 ZG 76, NJG 1, NJG 2, NJG 5 Killed in flying accident 22 March 1944
Hoffmann, WernerWerner Hoffmann[5] Major 50 1 51 ZG 52, ZG 2, NJG 3, NJG 5
—
—
Kollak, ReinhardReinhard Kollak[5] Stabsfeldwebel 49 0 49 NJG 1, NJG 4
—
—
Greiner, HermannHermann Greiner[5] Hauptmann 47 4 51 NJG 1
—
—
Lütje, HerbertHerbert Lütje[5] Oberstleutnant 47 3 50 NJG 1, NJG 6
—
Hager, JohannesJohannes Hager[6] Hauptmann 47 1 48 NJG 1
—
—
Gildner, PaulPaul Gildner*[7] Oberleutnant 46 2 48 ZG 1, NJG 1 killed in action 24 February 1943
—
Augenstein, Hans-HeinzHans-Heinz Augenstein*[8] Hauptmann 46 0 46 NJG 1 killed in action 7 December 1944
—
Becker, LudwigLudwig Becker*[7] Hauptmann 46 0 46 NJG 1 killed in action 26 February 1943
—
Semrau, PaulPaul Semrau*[9] Major 46 0 46 NJG 2 killed in action 8 February 1945
Drünkler, Ernst-GeorgErnst-Georg Drünkler[10] Hauptmann 45 2 47 ZG 2, NJG 1, NJG 5
—
—
Frank, RudolfRudolf Frank[11] Leutnant 45 0 45 NJG 3
—
—
Lechner, AloisAlois Lechner*[12] Major 45 0 45 NJG 2, NJG 100 missing in action 23 February 1944
—
Knacke, ReinholdReinhold Knacke*[13] Hauptmann 44 0 44 ZG 1, NJG 1 killed in action 3 February 1943
—
Borchers, WalterWalter Borchers*[14] Oberstleutnant 43 16 59 NJG 5 killed in action 6 March 1945
Drewes, MartinMartin Drewes[9] Major 43 6 49 ZG 76, NJG 1
—
—
Baake, WernerWerner Baake[15] Hauptmann 41 0 41 NJG 1
—
—
Schmidt, DietrichDietrich Schmidt[16] Hauptmann 40 0 40 NJG 1
—
—
Fellerer, LeopoldLeopold Fellerer[17] Hauptmann 39 2 41 NJG 1, NJG 5, NJG 6
—
—
Meister, LudwigLudwig Meister[18] Hauptmann 38 1 39 NJG 1, NJG 4
—
—
Bonin, Eckart-Wilhelm vonEckart-Wilhelm von Bonin[19] Major 37 2 39 NJG 1, NJG 102
—
—
Ehle, WalterWalter Ehle[20] Major 35 4 39 ZG 1, NJG 1
—
—
Beier, WilhelmWilhelm Beier[21] Oberleutnant 38 0 38 NJG 2, NJG 1, NJG 3
—
—
Bergmann, HelmutHelmut Bergmann*[22] Hauptmann 36 0 36 NJG 4, NJG 1 killed in action 6 August 1944
—
Bertram, GüntherGünther Bertram Oberleutnant 35 0 35 NJG 100
—
—
Bahr, GüntherGünther Bahr[23] Oberfeldwebel 34 3 37 SKG 210, NJG 4, NJG 6
—
—
Hißbach, Heinz-HorstHeinz-Horst Hißbach*[24] Hauptmann 34 0 34 NJG 2 killed in action 14 April 1945
—
Husemann, WernerWerner Husemann[25] Major 34 0 34 NJG 1, NJG 3
—
—
Johnen, WilhelmWilhelm Johnen[26] Hauptmann 34 0 34 NJG 1, NJG 5, NJG 6
—
—
Modrow, Ernst-WilhelmErnst-Wilhelm Modrow[27] Hauptmann 34 0 34 NJG 1
—
—
Hadeball, Heinz-MartinHeinz-Martin Hadeball[28] Hauptmann 33 0 33 NJG 1, NJG 4, NJG 6, NJGr 10
—
—
Kociok, JosefJosef Kociok[29] Oberfeldwebel 33 0 33 ZG 76, SKG 210, 10(NJ)/ZG 1 killed in action 26 September 1943
—
Scherfling, Karl-HeinzKarl-Heinz Scherfling*[30] Oberfeldwebel 33 0 33 NJG 1 killed in action 21 July 1944
—
Rauh, Paul-HubertPaul-Hubert Rauh[31] Major 31 0 31 NJG 1, NJG 4
—
—
Friedrich, GerhardGerhard Friedrich*[32] Major 30 0 30 NJG 4, NJG 6 killed in action 16 March 1945
—
Ferger, HeinzHeinz Ferger Hauptmann 30 0 30 NJG 2, NJG 3
—
—
Leickhardt, HansHans Leickhardt Major 30 0 30 NJG 3, NJG 1, NJG 5 missing in action 5 March 1945
—
Müller, Friedrich-KarlFriedrich-Karl Müller[33] Major 30 0 30 JG 300, NJGr 10
—
—
Szameitat, PaulPaul Szameitat*[34] Hauptmann 28 1 29 NJG 1, NJG 5, NJG 3 killed in action 2 January 1944
—
Jabs, Hans-JoachimHans-Joachim Jabs[35] Oberstleutnant 28 22 50 ZG 76, NJG 1
—
Sigmund, RudolfRudolf Sigmund*[36] Hauptmann 27 2 28 NJG 1 killed in action 4 October 1943
—
Grimm, HeinzHeinz Grimm*[37] Leutnant 26 1 27 NJG 1 Died of wounds 13 October 1943
—
Köster, AlfonsAlfons Köster*[38] Hauptmann 25 1 26 NJG 1, NJG 2, NJG 3 killed in action 6 January 1945
—
Schulte, HelmuthHelmuth Schulte[39] Hauptmann 25 0 25 NJG 5, NJG 6
—
—
Linke, LotharLothar Linke*[40] Oberleutnant 24 3 27 ZG 76, NJG 1, NJG 2 killed in action 14 May 1943
—
Spoden, PeterPeter Spoden Hauptmann 24 0 24 NJG 5, NJG 6
—
—
Thimmig, WolfgangWolfgang Thimmig Oberstleutnant 24 0 24 NJG 1, NJG 2, NJG 4
—
—
Schneeweis, WolfgangWolfgang Schneeweis*[41] Hauptmann 17 0 17 NJG 200 missing in action 28/29 July 1943
—
Woltersdorf, HelmutHelmut Woltersdorf* Oberleutnant 16 8 24 ZG 141, ZG 76, NJG 1 killed in action 2 June 1942
—
Hahn, HansHans Hahn*[6] Leutnant 13 0 13 NJG 2 killed in flying accident 11 October 1941
—

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Spick 1996, pp. 3–4.
  2. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 241.
  3. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 14.
  4. ↑ Spick 1996, p. 6
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Scutts 1998, p. 88.
  6. 1 2 Obermaier 1989, p. 127.
  7. 1 2 Obermaier 1989, p. 56.
  8. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 82.
  9. 1 2 Obermaier 1989, p. 77.
  10. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 103.
  11. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 68.
  12. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 155.
  13. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 55.
  14. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 92.
  15. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 83.
  16. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 197.
  17. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 110.
  18. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 167.
  19. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 91.
  20. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 106.
  21. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 86.
  22. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 87.
  23. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 84.
  24. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 133.
  25. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 138.
  26. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 141.
  27. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 170.
  28. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 126.
  29. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 147.
  30. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 194.
  31. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 184.
  32. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 114.
  33. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 171.
  34. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 213.
  35. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 62.
  36. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 206.
  37. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 121.
  38. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 149.
  39. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 202.
  40. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 159.
  41. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 199.

Bibliography

  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1941 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7. 
  • Scutts, Jerry (1998). German Night Fighter Aces of World War 2. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-696-5. .
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2. .
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