The official US Air Force definition of an ‘Ace’, is a pilot who has destroyed a minimum of five enemy aircraft.
There are conflicting lists of top-scoring aces. Some take into consideration planes claimed on the last mission which were not confirmed by cine camera film or independent eye witnesses; others list only aerial victories. We have simply taken the list that is officially confirmed by the War Department.
| Maj John T. Godfrey | 36 |
| Maj James A. Goodson | 32 |
| Maj Don S. Gentile | 30 |
| 1st Lt Ralph K. Hofer | 27 |
| Maj Duane W. Beeson | 25 |
| Maj Fred W. Glover | 24 |
| Lt Col Claiborne H. Kinnard | 20 |
| Capt Nicholas Megura | 19 |
| Maj Pierce W. McKennon | 19 |
| Maj George Carpenter | 18 |
| Capt Charles F. Anderson | 18 |
| Col Donald J.M. Blakeslee | 17 |
| Maj Gerald E. Montgomery | 17 |
| Lt Col James A. Clark | 16 |
| Maj Louis L. Norley | 16 |
| Capt Willard W. Millikan | 15 |
| Maj Howard (Deacon) Hively | 15 |
| Capt Albert L. Schlegel | 15 |
| 1st Lt H. Thomas Biel | 13 |
| Capt Joseph L. Lang | 12 |
| Lt Col Sidney S. Woods | 12 |
| 1st Lt Paul S. Riley | 11 |
| Capt Kendall E. Carlson | 11 |
| Capt Shelton W. Monroe | 11 |
| Col Everett W. Stewart | 10 |
| Capt Frank C. Jones | 10 |
| Capt Donald M. Malmsten | 10 |
| Capt Ted E. Lines | 10 |
| Capt Victor J. France | 10 |
| Capt Donald R. Emerson | 10 |
| Maj James R. Happel | 10 |
| Capt Joseph H. Bennett | 9 |
| Capt Bernard L. McGrattan | 9 |
| Lt Vermont Garrison | 9 |
| Capt David W. Howe | 9 |
| Lt Col Jack Oberhansley | 9 |
| 1st Lt Grover C. Siems | 9 |
| 1st Lt Van E. Chandler | 9 |
| Capt William B. Smith | 9 |
| 1st Lt James W. Ayers | 8 |
| Capt Carl R. Alfred | 8 |
| 1st Lt Joe H. Joiner | 7 |
| Col Chesley G. Peterson | 7 |
| Capt Raymond C. Care | 7 |
| 1st Lt William O. Antonides | 7 |
| Maj Henry L. Mills | 6 |
| Capt Kenneth G. Smith | 6 |
| Maj Winslow M. Sobanski | 6 |
| Maj Michael G.H. McPharlin | 6 |
| 1st Lt Clemens A. Fiedler | 6 |
| Capt Archie W. Chatterly | 6 |
| 1st Lt Robert F. Nelson | 6 |
| 1st Lt Frank E. Speer | 6 |
| 1st Lt Douglas P. Pederson | 6 |
| 1st Lt Arthur R. Bowers | 6 |
| Capt Carl G. Payne | 5 |
| 1st Lt Gilert L. Kesler | 5 |
| Capt Thomas P. Bell | 5 |
| 1st Lt Loton D. Jennings | 5 |
| Lt Col Roy W. Evans | 5 |
| 1st Lt Spiros N. Pissanos | 5 |
| Maj Gerald C. Brown | 5 |
| 1st Lt Alex Rafalovich | 5 |
| Capt Vasseure H. Wynn | 5 |
| 1st Lt Jack D. McFaddan | 5 |
| Capt Robert D. Hobert | 5 |
| Capt Nelson M. Dickey | 5 |
| 1st Lt Kenneth G. Helfrecht | 5 |
| 1st Lt Gordon A. Denson | 5 |
| F/O Donald P. Baugh | 5 |
Pilots of the Eagle Squadrons at the time of transfer to the Fourth Fighter Group, of the Eighth Air Force in September, 1942.
71st EAGLE SQUADRON
Maj Gus Daymond, commander, Burbank, Calif.
Capt Oscar H. Coen, Carbondale, Ill.
Capt R.S. Sprague, San Diego, Calif.
Lt M.G. McPharlin, Hastings, Mich.
Capt S.A. Maureillo, Astoria, N.Y.
Lt T.J. Andrews, Costa Mesa, Calif.
Lt W.T. O’Regan, Los Angeles, Calif.
Lt H.H. Strickland, Washington, D.C.
Lt R.D. McMinn, Salt Lake City, Utah
Lt W.J. Hollander, Raleigh, N.C.
Lt H.L. Stewart, Raleigh, N.C.
Lt James A. Clark, Jr., Westbury, L.I.
Lt W.C. Brite, Evansville, Ind.
Lt G.C. Ross, Albuquerque, N.M.
Lt. A.H. (Hoppy)
Hopson, Dallas, Tex.
Lt Robert (Junior)
Priser, Tucson, Ariz.
Lt G.H. Witlow, Denver, Colo.
Lt J.F. Lutz, Fulton, Mo.
Lt Howard (Deacon)
Hively, Athens, O.
Lt S.M. Anderson, Indianapolis, Ind.
Lt M.S. Vosberg, Azusa, Calif.
Lt H.L. (Hank) Mills, Leonia, N.J.
Lt Duane W. Beeson, Boise, Idaho.
Lt R.C. (Bud) Care, Angola, Ind.
Lt R.A. Boock, Springfield, Ill.
Lt J.C. Harrington, Buffalo, N.Y.
Lt A.J. Seaman, Greenville, N.C.
Lt Victor J. France, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Lt Vernon A. Boehle, Indianapolis, Ind.
Lt W.B. Morgan, Honolulu, T.H.
121st EAGLE SQUADRON
Maj W.J. Daley, commander, Amarillo, Tex.
Capt Selden R. Edner, San Jose, Calif.
Lt Gilbert (Gunner)
Halsey, Chickasha, Okla.
Lt G.B. Fetrow Upland, Calif.
Lt Frank R. Boyles, Mt. Vernon, N.Y.
Lt E.D. Beattie, Albany, Ga.
Lt F.O. Smith, Foard City, Tex.
Lt A.D. Young, Buffalo, Kan.
Lt B.A. Taylor, Salem, Ore.
Lt J.M. Osborne, Washington, D.C.
Lt Cadman V. Padgett, Bethseda, Md.
Lt Frank M. Fink, Philadelphia, Penn.
Lt D.K. Willis, Leavenworth, Ind.
Lt R.G. Patterson, Los Angeles, Calif.
Lt K.G. Smith, Boise, Idaho.
Lt J.G. Matthews, Wallington, N.J.
Lt C.A. Hardin, Harrodsbury, Ky.
Lt George Carpenter, Oil City, Pa.
Lt Paul M. Ellington, Tulsa, Okla.
Lt Leon M. Blanding, Sumter, S.C.
Lt R.J. Fox, Larchmont, N.Y.
Lt Jimmie Happel, Paulsboro, N.J.
Lt Roy Evans, San Bernardino, Calif.
Lt W.P. Kelly, Saratoga, N.Y.
Lt J.M. Saunders, Nashville, Tenn.
Lt J.T. Slater, Waverly, N.Y.
Lt Thomas Wallace, Pasadena, Calif.
133rd EAGLE SQUADRON
Maj C.W. McColpin, commander, Buffalo, N.Y.
Capt M.E. Jackson,
Corpus Christi, Tex.
Capt C.A. Cook, Jr., Alhambra, Calif.
Lt W.H. Baker, Temple, Tex.
Lt G.B. Sperry, Alhambra, Calif.
Lt R.M. Beaty, Rye, N.Y.
Lt L.T. Ryerson, Whitinsville, Mass.
Lt Don S. Gentile, Piqua, O.
Lt D.D. Smith, Orlando, Fla.
Lt G.G. Wright, Wilkes Barre, Pa.
Lt G.H. Middletown, Visilia, Calif.
Lt E.L. Miller, Oakland, Calif.
Lt R.E. Smith, Washington, D.C.
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Lt Leroy Gover, San Carlos, Calif.
Lt D.E. Lambert, Exeter, Calif.
Lt Carl H. Miley, Toledo, O.
Lt Don D. Nee, Long Beach, Calif.
Lt G.J. Smart, Solan, Kans.
Lt H.L. Ayres, Indianapolis, Ind.
Lt R.L. Alexander, Aylmer, Ontario
Lt W.C. Slade, Jr., Brama, Okla.
Lt C.H. Patterson, Fort Worth, Tex.
Lt Joe L. Bennett, Tusumcari, N.M.
Lt J. Mitchelweis, Jr., Rockford, Ill.
Lt J. Goodson, New York, N.Y.
Lt Raymond Fuchs, St. Louis, Mo.
Top Scorers of other Eighth
Air Force Fighter Groups
(20 and above)
Aces of the 55th Fighter Group
| Lt Col Elwyn G. Righetti | 33 |
Aces of the 56th Fighter Group
| Capt Fred J. Christenson | 21 |
| Lt Col Francis S. Gabreski* | 33 |
| Capt Robert S. Johnson | 28 |
| Col Dave C. Schilling | 32 |
| Col Hobert Zemke | 28 |
* Lt Col Gabreski scored 6 more victories in the Korean war
Aces of the 78th Fighter Group
| Col John D. Landers | 28 |
Aces of the 339th Fighter Group
| Lt Col Joseph L. Thury | 28 |
Aces of the 352nd Fighter Group
| Capt Edwin L. Heller | 22 |
| Capt Raymond H. Littge | 23 |
| Lt Col John C. Meyer | 37 |
| Maj George E. Preddy | 30 |
Aces of the 353rd Fighter Group
| Col Glenn E. Duncan | 26 |
Aces of the 355th Fighter Group
| Capt Henry W. Brown | 31 |
| Lt William J. Cullerton | 27 |
| Lt Col John L. Elder | 21 |
| Col Claiborne H. Kinnard | 25 |
Aces of the 357th Fighter Group
| Maj Leonard K. Carson | 22 |
| Maj Robert W. Foy | 20 |
| Lt Col John D. Landers | 28 |
Aces of the 359th Fighter Group
| Maj Ray S. Wetmore | 24 |
Aces of the 479th Fighter Group
| Maj Robin Olds | 23 |
*
NB: Wing Commander W. Urban-owitz, Polish but now an American citizen, scored 20 victories, of which 17 were with the RAF in Europe and 3 with the USAAF.