List of aviators who became ace in a day

A Bristol F2B crew – Canadian pilot Captain Alfred Atkey 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. 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 most successful observer ace of all time.[2]

René Fonck, the top scoring French Aéronautique Militaire and Allied ace of the war, scored six in a day on both 9 May and 26 September 1918.[3]

The first aviators to ever achieve "ace in a day" were pilot Julius Arigi and observer/gunner Johann Lasi of the Austro-Hungarian air force, on 22 August 1916, when they downed five Italian planes.[4]

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. 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.[5]

• Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor, the top scoring South African ace of the war, was piloting an SE5a fighter with Royal Air Force No 84 Squadron when he shot down five German aircraft on 19 May 1918.[6]
• Raymond Collishaw, a Canadian who was the top scoring Royal Naval Air Service ace, piloted a Sopwith Triplane when scoring six Albatros D.V fighters near Menen, 6 July 1917.
• John Lightfoot Trollope of the Royal Air Force shot down and destroyed seven German planes on 24 March 1918.[7]
• Henry Woollett of the Royal Air Force shot down and destroyed six German airplanes on 12 April 1918, setting two afire.[8]
• Frederick McCall, Canadian flying ace, shot down five German fighters, four (3 Albatros D.V 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.
• John Inglis Gilmour 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 fighter.[9]
• Billy Bishop, the top scoring Canadian and British Empire ace of the war, was piloting an S.E.5 on 19 June 1918, when he scored four Pfalz D.III fighters and a LVG C two-seat reconnaissance aircraft near Ploegsteert.
• Heinrich Gontermann of the Luftstreitkräfte 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.[10]
• Arthur Spurling, a Bermudian pilot of 49 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, 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.[11]
• Frank Luke of the US Army Air Service, at the controls of a SPAD XIII fighter, achieved five victories on 18 September 1918, destroying two Fokker D.VII fighters, two observation balloons and an LVG reconnaissance plane. Luke was killed in action 11 days later.[12]

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:[13]

• Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down 17 Allied fighters in three sorties over North Africa on 1 September 1942.[14]
• Emil Lang shot down 18 Soviet fighters on 3 November 1943, the most kills on a single day by any pilot in history.[15]
• August Lambert shot down 17 Soviet aircraft on a single day in 1944.[16]
• Hubert Strassl shot down 15 Soviet aircraft on 5 July 1943 near Orel.[17]
• Wilhelm Batz claimed 15 Soviet aircraft shot down on 31 May 1944.[18]

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, 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.
• Adolf Dickfeld claimed eleven Soviet aircraft shot down on 8 May 1942.[19]
• Hermann Graf, the first fighter pilot to claim 200 aerial victories, shot down ten Soviet aircraft on 23 September 1942.[20]
• Max Stotz claimed ten Soviet aircraft shot down on 30 December 1942.[21]
• Walter Nowotny, 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.[22]
• Erich Rudorffer 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.[23]
• Johannes Wiese claimed twelve Soviet aircraft shot down on 5 July 1943.[24][25]
• Walter Wolfrum 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.[26]
• Walter Schuck claimed eleven Soviet aircraft shot down on 17 June 1944.[27]
• Erich Hartmann, 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, by then Germany's highest military award for standard servicemen.[28]
• Franz Schall 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.[29]
• Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer: although claiming only nine aircraft shot down, he destroyed ten RAF bombers on 21 February 1945.[30]

• On 6 January 1940, Jorma Sarvanto, a Finnish lieutenant, destroyed six Soviet DB-3 bombers in four minutes on one flight. Sarvanto was the top scoring pilot in the Winter War, with 17 kills.[31]
• On 17 May 1940, Max Bucholz, a German Oberleutnant of 1./JG 3 shot down four RAF Bristol Blenheims, a Hawker Hurricane and a French Curtis Hawk 75. These were his first victories.[32]
• On 29 May 1940 during the Dunkirk evacuation, RAF turret gunner Corporal Albert Lippett and his pilot, Flight Lieutenant Nicholas Gresham Cooke, claimed two Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters and a Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighter during their first sortie, then added five Junkers Ju 87 bombers in their second that day, becoming Britain's first aces in a day in the Second World War.[33] Both men would die when their Boulton Paul Defiant was shot down on 31 May as they continued to protect the ships and troops at the beach.
• On 5 June 1940, Wilhelm Balthasar, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Western Front, shot down five French aircraft.[34]
• On 15 June 1940, Pierre Le Gloan of the French Air Force destroyed five Italian aircraft in one flight.[35]
• On 24 August 1940, Antoni Głowacki, flying with a Polish Squadron in the RAF, 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.[36]
• 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, a New Zealand flying officer, claimed three Bf 109s and two He 113s (presumably Bf 109s) in two sorties.
• On 27 September 1940, Albert Gerald Lewis, 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. of the RAF shot down five Messerschmitt Bf 109s during the Battle of Britain.[37]
• On 11 December 1940, within six minutes, Charles Dyson of the RAF's No 33 Squadron destroyed six Italian Cr42s.[38]

• 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.[39]
• On 26 June 1941, Reinhold Schmetzer of Luftwaffe JG 77 shot down 5 Ilyushin DB-3s.[40]
• 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.[41]
• 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, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern and Western Front, became a six-time ace in a day.[42]
• On 10 July 1941, then again on 12 July 1941 and 12 August 1941, Walter Oesau, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern and Western Front, became a three-time ace in a day, with five, seven and six victories, respectively.[43]
• On 2 August 1941, then again on 16 September 1941, Heinrich Hoffmann, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day.[44]
• On 17 August 1941, then again on 20 August 1942 and 5 July 1943, Werner Lucas, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day.[45]
• On 8 October 1941, Günther Lützow, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day.[46]
• On 5 December 1941, within a few minutes, Clive Caldwell, the leading Australian ace of the Second World War, destroyed five German aircraft in North Africa.[47]

• On 19 February 1942, while flying Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter during the Attack on Darwin, Petty Officer Yoshikazu Nagahama first destroyed one US Navy PBY Catalina flying boat and then single-handedly shot down four US Army Air Force P-40 Warhawk fighters in a fight against five of them.[48][49]
• 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.[50]
• 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.[51]
• On 4 June 1942, while escorting the morning strike against Midway Island, Petty Officer Shigetaka Ōmori claimed shooting down two US Marine fighters. After he returned to the carrier Akagi, he and his unit took off again to intercept US Navy strike and claimed shooting down six Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bombers.[49][52] Nevertheless, some of the bomber kills might have been shared.[49]
• On 4 June 1942, during the Battle of Midway, US Navy Lieutenant (jg) Elbert S. McCuskey was credited for destroying three Aichi D3A dive bombers during the Japanese first attack on the carrier Yorktown. When Yorktown was hit by the same attack, he landed on 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.[53][52]
• 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.[54]
• On 22 June 1942, then again on 5 September 1942, Hans Dammers, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day.[55]
• On 5 July 1942, Hartmann Grasser, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day.[56]
• 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.[57]
• 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.[58]
• On 26 July 1942, then again on 7 August 1942 and 5 July 1943, Kurt Brändle, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day.[59]
• On 1 August 1942, Franz-Josef Beerenbrock, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, claimed nine aerial victories.[60]
• On 7 August 1942, Hans Fuß, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, claimed six aerial victories.[61]
• 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.[62]
• On 19 August 1942, Josef Wurmheller, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Western Front, became an ace in a day.[63]
• 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.[64]
• On 3 September 1942, Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt, Luftwaffe fighter pilot in North Africa, became an ace in a day, with five victories.[65]
• 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.[66]
• On 22 September 1942, Heinrich Bartels, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day.[67]
• On 25 October 1942, Captain Joe Foss, USMC 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. He was also the first Marine to claim ace in a day.[68]
• On 26 October 1942, Stanley "Swede" Vejtasa, a United States Navy (USN) aviator, downed seven Japanese planes in one sortie in the Battle of Santa Cruz while flying a Grumman F4F Wildcat.[69]
• 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.[70]
• 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.[71][72]

• 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, 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.[73]
• On 31 January 1943, Captain Jefferson DeBlanc, USMC 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.[68]
• On 7 March 1943, Walter Hoeckner of Luftwaffe JG 26 shot down 4 Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmoviks and 2 P-40C Tomahawks.[74]
• 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, 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.[75]
• 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.[68][76]
• On 11 April 1943, then again on 10 May 1943, Wolf-Udo Ettel, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day.[77]
• On 18 April 1943, 2nd Lieutenants Arthur B. Cleaveland,[78] Richard E. Duffy,[79] and MacArthur Powers,[80] USAAF 57th FG, both claimed five Ju-52 transports over the Mediterranean.
• On 20 April 1943, then again on 8 May 1943, 5 July 1943 and 7 July 1943, Joachim Kirschner, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a four-time ace in a day, with eight, seven, eight and five victories, respectively.[81]
• 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.[82]
• On 3 May 1943, then again on 20 August 1943 and 10 October 1943, Günther Rall, 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.[83]
• On 26 May 1943, then again on 27 May and 4 August 1943, Berthold Korts, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a three-time ace in a day, with five, five and nine victories, respectively.[84]
• 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.[85]
• On 16 June 1943, 2nd Lieutenant Murray J. Shubin, USAAF 347th FG, shot down five Zeroes near Guadalcanal.[86]
• On 1 July 1943, Captain Elmer M. Wheadon, USAAF 318 FG, shot down five Japanese planes.[87]
• 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.[88]
• On 5 July 1943, then again on 4 August 1943, Karl-Heinz Weber, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in a day.[89]
• 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.[90]
• On 13 July 1943, Wilhelm Moritz, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern and Western Front, became an ace in a day.[91]
• On 15 July 1943, 1st Lieutenant Joseph J. Lesicka, USAAF 318th FG, downed five Japanese planes in the Pacific Theater.[92]
• On 20 July 1943, then again on 2 January 1944 and 21 January 1944, Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, 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.[93]
• On 1 August, 4 August, 5 August, and 7 August 1943, Luftwaffe fighter pilot Erich Hartmann 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.[28]
• 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.[94]
• On 7 September 1943, Albin Wolf, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became an ace in a day.[95]
• On 16 September 1943, Major Pappy Boyington, USMC VMF-214, scored five victories over the Solomon Islands while flying an F4U Corsair. A Medal of Honor 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.[68]
• On 9 October 1943, Major William L. Leverette and 2nd Lieutenant Harry T. Hanna, USAAF 14th FG, both became aces in a day over the Aegean Sea with seven[96] and five[97] Stuka victories, respectively. Leverette was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and was the first of just two Army Air Forces pilots to claim seven victories in a single mission.[96]
• On 11 October 1943, Colonel Neel. E. Kearby, USAAF 343rd FG, shot down six Japanese planes, four Ki-43 "Oscar" and two 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 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.[98]
• On 1 December 1943, Egon Mayer, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Western Front, became an ace in a day.[99]
• On 15 December 1943, Diethelm von Eichel-Streiber, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, claimed six aerial victories plus two further unconfirmed claims.[100]

• 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.[101]
• 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.[68]
• On 20 January 1944, Leopold Fellerer, a Luftwaffe night fighter pilot, became an ace in a day.[102]
• On 20 February 1944, Rudolf Frank, a German Feldwebel shot down five Avro Lancasters over Germany.[103]
• On 22 March 1944, deputy Group commander of 4th FG, Sydney S. Woods, shot down 5 Fw 190 of his total 7. 3 weeks after was shot down over Prague and held in captivity.
• On 8 April 1944, then again on 9 April 1944, 17 April 1944, 18 April 1944 and 7 May 1944, Gerhard Hoffmann, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a five-time ace in a day.[104]
• On 11 April 1944, then again on 7 May 1944, Peter Düttmann, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, became a two-time ace in a day, with six and nine victories, respectively.[105]
• On 7 May 1944 Hans Waldmann of the Luftwaffe shot down six Soviet aircraft, taking his total to 120 aerial victories.[106]
• 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.[107]
• On 8 May 1944, 1st Lieutenant Carl J. Luksic, USAAF 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.[108]
• On 12 May 1944, 1st Lieutenant Robert J. Rankin, USAAF 56th FG, shot down five planes over Germany. He finished the war with 10 victories.[109]
• 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.[110]
• On 25 May 1944, then again on 21 February 1945, Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, a Luftwaffe night fighter pilot, became a two-time ace in a day, with five and nine victories, respectively.[111]
• On 30 May 1944, Otto Fönnekold, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, shot down seven Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter aircraft.[112]
• On 10 June 1944, 2nd Lieutenant Herbert B. Hatch Jr., USAAF 1st FG, shot down five enemy planes, probably destroyed a sixth and damaged another over Rumania.[113]
• 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.[114][115]
• On 19 June 1944, then again on 24 October 1944, Commander David McCampbell, 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.[116]
• Also on 19 June 1944, Commander Charles W. Brewer, USN VF-15 (five);[117] Lieutenants George R. Carr, USN VF-15 (five);[118] Alexander Vraciu, USN VF-16 (six);[119] and Ensign Wilbur 'Spider' Webb, USN VF-17 (six+);[120] all became aces in a day over Guam in a single mission.[121]
• On 20 and 25 June 1944, Hans Wind, 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.[122]
• 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 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.[123]
• On 7 July 1944, Fred J. Christensen, USAAF 56th FG, attacked with his squadron 12 Junkers Ju 52 which were landing on Gardelegen airfield. Squadron claimed 10 destroyed, thereof Christensen claimed 6 and set record as first pilot in 8th Air Force and first American pilot in European Theatre to claim 6 kills in one day and in one sortie.[124]
• On 6 August 1944, George Preddy, USAAF 352nd FG, shot down six German Bf 109s. He was the top USAAF P-51 Mustang ace (26.83 kills, including shared kills).[92]
• On 5 September 1944, 1st Lieutenant William H. Allen, USAAF 55th FG, shot down five planes over Europe.[92][125]
• 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.[126]
• On 27 September 1944, 1st Lieutenant William R. Beyer, USAAF 361st FG, shot down five Fw 190s in the vicinity of Eisenach. He ended war with 9 claims.[92]
• On 28 September 1944, 2nd Lieutenant John H. Wainwright Jr., USAAF 405th FG, shot down six planes over Europe.[127]
• 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.[128]
• On 12 October 1944, 1st Lieutenant Charles "Chuck" Yeager, USAAF 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.[92]
• On 24 October 1944, Lieutenant Commander Harold N. Funk, USN VF-23 (five);[129] Lieutenants Carl A. Brown Jr., USN VF-27 (five);[130] Kenneth G. Hippe, USN VC-3 (five);[131] William J. Masoner Jr., USN VF-19 (six);[132] Roy W. Rushing, USN VF-15 (six+);[133] James A. Shirley, USN VF-22 (five);[134] Eugene P. Townsend, USN VF-27 (five+);[135] and Ensign Thomas J. Conroy, USN VF-22 (six);[136] all became aces in a day off the Philippines.
• On 2 November 1944, Donald S. "Bush" Bryan, USAAF 352nd FG, shot down five German Bf 109s aircraft while en route to join and escort B-17 bombers on a mission to Germany.[137]
• On 16 November 1944, Captain John J. Voll, USAAF 31st FG, shot down five planes over Germany.[138]
• On 21 November 1944, Captain William T. Whisner, USAAF 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).[92][139]
• On 26 November 1944, 1st Lieutenant J. S. Daniell, USAAF 339th FG, shot down five planes over Germany.[140]
• On 27 November 1944, Captain Leonard K. Carson, USAAF 357th FG, shot down 5 Fw 190. Ended war with 18 claims.[92]
• On 4 December 1944, Major William J. Hovde, USAAF 355th FG, shot down four Fw 190s, one Bf 109, and shared one Fw 190 over Berlin.[141]
• On 14 December 1944, Lieutenant Robert H. Anderson, USN VBF-80, shot down five Japanese planes and probably downed a sixth off the Philippines.[142]
• On 18 December 1944, 1st Lieutenant David B. Archibald[143] and 1st Lieutenant Paul E. Olson,[144] USAAF 359th FG, both shot down five Fw 190s before they too were shot down and captured as prisoners of war.
• On 23 December 1944, Lieutenant Colonel Edward O. McComas, USAAF 23rd FG, shot down five Japanese planes over China.[92]
• On 23 December 1944, Lieutenant Colonel David C. Schilling, USAAF 56th FG, shot down three Bf 109s and two Fw 190s over Bonn.[145]
• On 27 December 1944, Captain Ernest E. Bankey, USAAF 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.[146]
• On 29 December 1944, within seven minutes, Richard Joseph "Dick" Audet of 411 Squadron RCAF, piloting a Spitfire IXe, destroyed two Bf 109s and three Focke-Wulf Fw 190s over Osnabrück.

• On 11 January 1945, Captain William A. Shomo, USAAF 71st RG, shot down seven Japanese planes in a single mission over the Philippines and was awarded the Medal of Honor.[147]
• On 14 January 1945, Captain Felix D. Williamson, USAAF 56th FG, shot down five German fighters in a single mission and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.[148]
• 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.[149]
• On 16 February 1945, Lieutenant Alexander L. Anderson, USN VBF-80, shot down five Japanese planes over Tokyo.[150]
• 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.[151]
• On 14 March 1945, 1st Lieutenant Gordon H. McDaniel, USAAF 325th FG, shot down five Fw 190s in the Mediterranean Theater of operations.[152]
• On 18 March 1945, Lieutenant Commander Marshall U. Beebe, USN VF-17, shot down five Japanese fighters over Kyushu.[153]
• On 22 March 1945, Lieutenant Colonel Sidney S. Woods, USAAF 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.[154]
• On 24 March 1945, Major Robert A. Elder and Lieutenant Colonel Wayne K. Blickenstaff, USAAF 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.[155] 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.[156]
• On 2 April 1945, 1st Lieutenant Bruce W. Carr, USAAF 354th FG, shot down five planes and damaged a sixth over Germany.[157]
• 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.[158]
• 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);[159] Major George C. Axtell (five+);[160] and 1st Lieutenant Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe (five).[161]
• On 25 May 1945, two American pilots separately became aces in a day over Okinawa: 1st Lieutenant Richard H. Anderson, USAAF 318th FG, downed five Zeros, and had a sixth in his sights when he ran out of ammunition;[162] 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.[163]
• On 28 May 1945, Captain John E. Vogt, USAAF 318th FG, downed five Zeros over Kyushu, Japan. These were his only claims of the war.[164]
• On 10 June 1945, 2nd Lieutenant Robert J. Stone, USAAF 318th FG, downed five Japanese aircraft over the Pacific.[92]
• 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 FG, scored all of his five career victories fighting a Japanese attack near Keijo (Seoul), Korea.[165]