List of German World War II jet aces


This list of German World War II jet aces has a sortable table of notable German jet ace pilots during World War II.

Background

A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. During World War II, hundreds of German Luftwaffe fighter pilots achieved this feat flying contemporary piston engine fighter aircraft. However, only 28 pilots are credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft while flying a jet-powered aircraft.
Jet aircraft first engaged in air combat on 26 July 1944, when Leutnant Alfred Schreiber, flying Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a W.Nr. 130 017, attacked an unarmed photo-reconnaissance De Havilland Mosquito PR Mk XVI, of No. 540 Squadron RAF, over the Alps. Some sources refer to this as the first victory in air combat by a pilot of a jet fighter, although the crew of the damaged Mosquito managed to return to an Allied airfield in Italy.
The first confirmed destruction of an enemy aircraft by an Me 262 pilot occurred on 8 August 1944, when Leutnant Joachim Weber shot down another Mosquito PR XVI from No. 540 Squadron, over Ohlstadt, in Bavaria.
On 15 August 1944, Schreiber took off to intercept a Mosquito PR XVI of 60 Squadron, South African Air Force crewed by Captain S. Pienaar and Lieutenant A. Lockhart-Ross, who were tasked with photographing airfields in the Black Forest area. Schreiber caused severe damage in his first attack and made more than 10 passes at the Mosquito before low fuel levels cause him to break off. Pienaar and Lockhart-Ross survived a crash landing at San Severo in Italy; their reconnaissance film and debriefing provided the Allies with valuable intelligence on the Me 262.
During 1944–45, the Luftwaffe committed two other jet- or rocket-powered fighters to combat operations. In addition to the Me 262, the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet and the Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger both become operational. Few claims were made by pilots of the Me 163 and He 162, and none achieved ace status on either of these types.

German jet aces

The list is initially sorted by the number of jet victories claimed.
NameRankVictories flying jetsJet fighter unitTotal wartime victoriesNotes
Oberleutnant20+ Kdo Welter, 10./NJG 1163Possible all-time leading jet ace, but he did overclaim up to 10.
Oberstleutnant16EJG 2, JV 44220Started jet combat in 1945; flew the only Me 262 A-1a/U5 with 6-30mm MK108's
*Hauptmann14, JG 7137Killed in flying accident 10 April 1945
Oberfeldwebel12Kdo Nowotny
JG 7		58
Major12Kdo Nowotny
JG 7		78Wounded 16 February 1945
Major12JG 7222
Leutnant11EKdo 262
Kdo Nowotny
JG 7		46Wounded 30 March 1945
*Oberfeldwebel8EKdo 262
Kdo Nowotny
JG 7		8Killed in action 20 March 1945
Feldwebel8EKdo 262
Kdo Nowotny
JG 7		13First aerial victory over a B-17 Flying Fortress by a jet fighter on 15 August 1944.
Leutnant8JG 7126
Oberleutnant8JG 7206
Oberleutnant8EKdo 262
JG 7		14Wounded 18 March 1945
Leutnant8JG 78Midair collision with Hans Waldmann on 18 March 1945, killing Waldmann.
Major8JG 7208
Leutnant7JG 77
*Oberfeldwebel7JG 749Killed in action 17 April 1945
Arnold's Me 262 A-1a W.Nr.500491 "Yellow 7" of II./JG 7 bearing his personal victory marks is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.
Feldwebel710./NJG 117Suspect, as This unit overclaimed
Generalleutnant7JV 44104Assigned to create JV44 in March 1945. Wounded 26 April 1945
Unteroffizier7EJG 2
JG 7
JV 44		7
Leutnant6JG 722
Oberst6JG 7
JV 44		176Wounded 18 April 1945
*Oberfeldwebel5Kdo Nowotny
JG 7		20Killed in action 22 February 1945
*Major5JG 7206Killed in action 4 April 1945
Oberleutnant5JG 7
JV 44		82
*Gefreiter5JG 75Killed in action 10 April 1945
Leutnant5JG 7
JV 44		37
*Leutnant5Kdo Nowotny
JG 7		5First jet ace in aviation history
Killed in flying accident 26 November 1944
Major5
JV 44		99

Citations