Distinguished Air Aces
| Name | Country | Service | Victories | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lev L. Shestakov | Russia | 4ª Escuadrilla de Moscas | 39 | His total victory count may be 42 |
| Sergei I. Gritsevets | Russia | 5ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 30 | Nicknamed "Sergio" |
| Manuel Zarauza Clavero | Spain | 3ª & 4ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 23 | Reputed to be the most skilled Spanish pilot on the Mosca. Exiled in the USSR and KIFA over Baku on 12/October/1942 |
| Leopoldo Morquillas Rubio | Spain | 3ª & 2ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 21 | Also in Escuadrilla Vasca |
| Pavel Rychagov | Russia | 1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos | 20 | Nicknamed "Pablo Palancar". Arrested and executed in Stalin's 1941 purge |
| Anatol Serov | Russia | 1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos | 16 | Nicknamed "Mateo Rodrigo" He established the Escuadrilla Vuelo Nocturno night-flight squadron |
| Vladimir Bobrov | Russia | 13 | Flew more than 100 combat missions | |
| Andrés García La Calle | Spain | 1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos | 11 | Supreme commander of the fighter squadrons of the Spanish Republic in Dec. 1938 |
| Manuel Aguirre López | Spain | 1ª Escuadrilla, Grupo 21 | 11 | Also in 3ª Escuadrilla de Moscas |
| Abel Guidez | France | Escuadrilla España | 10 | |
| José María Bravo Fernández | Spain | 1ª & 3ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 10 | Became Commander of 3ª Escuadrilla de Caza and Grupo 21. Exiled in the USSR he took part in WW2 as a Soviet pilot. Some documents ascribe him 23 victories |
| Juan Comas Borrás | Spain | 3ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 10 | Also in Escuadrilla Lacalle & Esc. Vasca. KIA on 24/Jan/1939 |
| Emilio Ramirez Bravo | Spain | 4ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 10 | Also in Escuadrilla Lacalle |
| Miguel Zambudio Martinez | Spain | Escuadrilla Vasca | 10 | Also in 3ª Escuadrilla de Caza, 26 Grupo de Caza |
| Antonio Arias Arias | Spain | 1ª, 3ª & 4ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 9 | Exiled in Russia, Arias fought in the Soviet Air Forces during WW2. He returned to Madrid as an old man in 1990 and retired. |
| Vicente Beltrán Rodrigo | Spain | 1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos | 9 | Also in 3ª Escuadrilla, Grupo 21, shot down in Battle of the Ebro. Exiled in Russia, joined the Soviet Air Forces. Returned to Spain in 1958 |
| Frank Glasgow Tinker | USA | 1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos | 8 | Part of the Yankee Squadron |
| Sabino Cortizo Bertolo | Spain | 5ª & 3ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 8 | KIA on 21/Jan/1939 |
| José Falcón San Martín | Spain | 5ª & 3ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 8 | Also in Escuadrilla Vuelo Nocturno |
| Pavel Agafonov | Spain | Escuadrilla Palancar | 8 | Nicknamed "Ahmed Amba". Returned to the USSR in April 1937 |
| Felipe del Río Crespo | Spain | Escuadrilla Vasca | 7 | Also in Escuadrilla Norte (1937); KIA on 23/Apr/1937 |
| Juan Lario Sanchez | Spain | 4ª & 2ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 7 | |
| Jan Ferák | Czechoslovakia | Escuadrilla España | 7 | Dewoitine D.372 pilot |
| Francisco Meroño Pellicer | Spain | 1ª & 6ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 7 | Also in Escuadrilla Norte (1937) |
| Orrin B. Bell | USA | 1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos | 7 | Shot down 7 He 51 over the Córdoba-Granada front |
| Andrés Fierro Menú | Spain | 1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos | 7 | Had engine trouble during a mission protecting Tupolev SB bombers; was taken prisoner following emergency landing at Almenar airfield. After escaping he reached the USSR where he joined the Soviet Air Forces |
| Francisco Tarazona Torán | Mexico | 1ª & 3ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 6 | Claims 8 victories in his autobiographical book. |
| José Pascual Santamaria | Spain | 1ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 6 | Also in Escuadrilla Norte (1937) |
| Ivan Trofimovich Yeryomenko | Russia | 1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos | 6 | Nicknamed "Ramón", "Antonio Aragón". or "Alexandrio" Leader of the 1ª Escuadrilla between May and October 1937. |
| Evgeny Nikolayevitch Stepanov | Russia | 1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos | 6 | Knew how to use the "aerial ramming" technique. Shot down over Ojos Negros and made prisoner on 17/Jan/1938 Returned to Russia and fought in WW2 in the Soviet Air Forces |
| Božidar "Boško" Petrović | Yugoslavia | 2ª Escuadrilla, Grupo 12 | 5 | Nicknamed "Fernandez Garcia" |
| Rafael Magrina Vidal | Spain | 2ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 5 | KIA on 16/Jul/1937 |
| Julio Pereiro Peréz | Spain | 2ª, 4ª & 5ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 5 | |
| Harold E. Dahl | USA | Escuadrilla Lacalle | 5 | Nicknamed "Rubio". Also in 1ª Escuadrilla de Caza |
| Sergei Fyodorovich Tarkhov | Russia | 1ª Escuadrilla de Caza | 5 | Nicknamed "Capitán Antonio". Some authors claim Tarkhov flew a Chato. However, he was most likely a Mosca pilot. |
| William Labussière | France | 1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos | 5 | Fought also in WW2 |
| James Peck | USA | 1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos | 5 | One of the few African-American pilots in the Spanish Republican Air Force. 4 victories unconfirmed |
| Albert J. Baumler | USA | Escuadrilla Tarkhov | 4 | Also in Escuadrilla Lacalle and 1ª Escuadrilla de Caza |
| Benjamin Leider | USA | Escuadrilla Lacalle | 3 | Nicknamed "Ben Landon". A true volunteer refusing payment for his services to the Spanish Republic |
| Jesús García Herguido | Spain | 1ª Escuadrilla de Chatos | 3 | Nicknamed "Dimoni Roig". KIA on 6/Jan/1937 |
| Manuel Orozco Rovira | Spain | 4ª Escuadrilla de Chatos | 3 | Became a lieutenant on 22/Feb/1938 |
| Josip Križaj | Yugoslavia | Escuadrilla España, 2ª Escuadrilla Lafayette, 1ª Escuadrilla, grupo 71 | 3 | Dewoitine D.371 pilot nicknamed "José Antonio Galiasso" Victories not confirmed. |
Read more about this topic: Spanish Republican Air Force
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