"Favorite WWI Ace?" Topic

Which ace pilot of WWI is your favorite?

Frank Luke.

Ball – my great grandfather was in the RFC, one of the first to join, and consequently went from being a pilot on the front line to being a trainer.

He knew Ball, Maddock and others. Ball was the one that my grandfather thought was a natural.

Red Baron – only name I can remember so he wins by default.

Barker if I had to choose, but there were a lot of interesting guys.

Ball and then Raoul Lufbery

Probably Josef Jacobs for me, but it definitely changes depending what I've been reading most recently. Other candidates would include McCudden, Udet, Collishaw, Berthold, Pinsard, and of course not-an-ace-but-a-legend Louis Strange.

Oswald Boelke.

To quote JE Johnson's book..

In January, they (Boelke and Immelmann) were awarded a high decoration, the 'Pour le Merite', and 2 days later Boelke celebrated by accounting for his ninth Allied aeroplane.
During the previous summer Boelke had dived into a canal and rescued a French youth from drowning. His commanding officer recommended him for the German life saving medal, and this was duly awarded. It says much for the character of the German pilot that he derived almost as much pleasure from this medal as for the 'Pour le Merite'.

M.v.Richthofen, Boelke, Udet, then about 50 tied for 4th…

Boelke & Mannock

Willy Cowpens and Eddie Rickenbacker, and Nathan Zackery (LOL)

Frank Luke the balloon buster

Wener Voss, Raymond Coltishaw, James McCudden

I have to admit since I was a kid I've been fascinated by Richthofen. I have every book about him I've been able to track down. BUT…there are a number of very colorful and interesting personalities among the WWI pilots.

What about Göring?

Luke, Rickenbacker, & Stark (I like his pink DVII)

Ltd. David Endicot Putnam.

Voss

Oh man, I forgot about Voss! So, about 50 tied for 5th…

Albert Ball

There's a poem in "Billy Bishop Goes to War" with the refrain

He courted the Reaper like the woman of his dreams
And the Reaper smiled each time he came to call.
But the English like their heroes cold and dead, it seems,
And the coldest of them all was Albert Ball.

I can relate.

LT

Edmond Thieffry

Billy Bishop all the way

If only one, then Rickenbacker.

Tom

Udet & Voss

Voss's Triplane,

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Raymond Collishaw

link

James McCudden

Billy Bishop!

Voss.. His final dogfight was amazing…

Frank Luke, fellow 27th squadon member.

Voss, Guynemer, Richthofen, Ball and Rickenbacker are my top five.

Raoul Lufbery.

Manfred von Richtofen, though Boelke gets honorable mention for his dicta.

Don't know about Voss, Udet, and the others. May need to read up on them a bit, again.

A great starting point, for any who aren't already there:

theaerodrome.com/index.php

Just remember the OP was about a "favorite."

Francesco Baracca you guys are too mainstream ;)

Charles Nungesser.

Baracca lives on to this day. The prancing horse that was always featured on his a/c was later adopted by Enzo Ferrari as the logo for his automobile company.

Rene Fonck, highest scoring Entente ace, deserves mention.

Totally agree with C Wimbrow re The Aerodrome Forum – an indispensable reference source populated by people who actually know what they are talking about.

Also well worth a visit –

thevintageaviator.co.nz

- a WW1 aviation company owned by Peter Jackson (yes Gimli, THAT Peter Jackson) which is doing some absolutely mind-blowing work. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED …. especially if you are interested in learning what is involved in the manufacture of brand new vintage WW1 aviation engines (Bentleys, Clergets, Oberursels, Mercedes). Very cool site.

B

Bruno Stachel

Rickenbacker as I had a Rickenbacker guitar. The company slightly changed their name to honour the Ace. I think the original was Richenbacker or similar.

Voss as he was a natural pilot, worked with the ground crew on his aircraft and was clearly fearless. At one point, before he threw his life away, it was looking likely that he could eclipse Richthofen's score.

Victor Maslin Yeates.

Josef Kiss

Mannock. He wasn't a natural but he overcame his modest background and being blind in one eye to become the top British ace and could have scored more kills than Von Richthoven had he been more selfish and claimed the credit for shared kills. He had a no-nonsense approach to combat as well. A complicated character as well which makes him more intriguing.

Forgot about Mannock, he was a good one.

Raymond Collishaw, as apparently my dad took me to meet him at some dinner event back somewhere in British Columbia when I was about five or six years old.

Can't remember the event of course, but at least I can say I have been spoken to by a living WW1 flying ace!

Victor Maslin Yeates- Winged Victory is still one of my favourite war novels, ever.

Snoopy of course

Bartholomew Wolfe Bandy.

link

Michael in Cloverdale.

Michael – every now and again I take out the Bandy Papers and read the whole series, just for fun. Love them!

Rickenbacker

Albert Ball and Ernst Udet.

Albert Ball.

Ernst Udet tops them all in my book. Highest scoring surviving WW1 German pilot with 62 kills. Flying as a barnstormer and movie stuntman between the wars. Helping to create the Luftwaffe and pioneering German dive bombing tactics. He was a true adventurer and aviation pioneer. Unfortunately, he had a dark side as well. He drank to excess and was a known womanizer. His affiliation with the Nazi party, Hitler and Goering led to his eventual downfall and suicide. All in all, the man led a hell of a life!

Silvio Scaroni is my favorite Italian ace -- he didn't score as many victories as Francesco Baracca, but he racked up an impressive number in a short time. He may have even surpassed Baracca if an almost fatal event hadn't kept him out for the last six months of the war.

Also he flew a Hanriot HD.1 which one of my favorite fighters. :-)