United States
Of 40 United States military servicemen who attained ace status in Korea, all but one of them flew primarily the F-86 Sabre during their air-to-air fights. Early in the war against the older North Korean People's Air Force aircraft, US pilots flew a variety of aircraft including the F-51 Mustang, F-80 Shooting Star and F-82 Twin Mustang. However, with the introduction of the MiG 15 when the People's Liberation Army Air Force entered the conflict, only the Sabre fighter could match the Soviet-built fighters in single combat.
The pilots who attained ace status in the war scored a disproportionate number of kills in the conflict. Of 1,000 fighter pilots who served in the war, only 355 were credited with aerial victories. A total of 756.5 victories were credited for aircraft shot down by the UN, with the 40 aces shooting down a total of 310.5 aircraft, or 40 percent of the total. The top five aces are credited with a combined ten percent of the UN aircraft victories of the war. In addition to the 40 pilots who attained ace status in the Korean War, another 17 US pilots who had been aces in World War II claimed additional kills in the Korean War. Two Canadian World War II aces, J. Lindsay and John McKay, also garnered additional kills in the conflict.
This with the * indicates that the pilot was either killed in action or killed in a training event during the war.
| Photo | Name | Service | Rank | Victories | Unit | Aircraft | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McConnell, Joseph C.Joseph C. McConnell | USAF | Captain | 16016 | 39th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Was a navigator for the B-24 Liberator during World War II. Killed in a 1954 training accident. | |
| Jabara, JamesJames Jabara | USAF | Major | 15015 | 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron |
F-86 Sabre | Also claimed 1.5 kills (1 shared) flying a P-51 Mustang in World War II. | |
| Manuel J. "Pete" Fernandez | USAF | Captain | 14514.5 (1 Shared) | 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Killed in a 1980 aircraft crash. | |
| George A. Davis* | USAF | Captain | 14014 | 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Shot down 10 February 1952. His death generated controversy between China and the Soviet Union, in which both MiG pilots Zhang Jihui and Mikhail A. Averin had claimed to be his assailant. Received the Medal of Honor for his actions. Also claimed 7 kills in World War II. | |
| Royal N. "King" Baker | USAF | Colonel | 13013 | 48th Fighter Group | F-86 Sabre | Also claimed 3.5 kills (1 shared) in World War II. | |
| Frederick C. "Boots" Blesse | USAF | US Major | 10010 | 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | P-51 Mustang F-80 Shooting Star F-86 Sabre |
||
| Harold E. Fischer | USAF | First Lieutenant | 10010 | 39th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Shot down and captured in China on April 7, 1953. | |
| — | James K. Johnson | USAF | Colonel | 10010 | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Also claimed 1 kill in World War II. |
| — | Lonnie R. Moore | USAF | Captain | 10010 | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Killed in a 1956 aircraft crash. |
| Ralph Parr | USAF | Captain | 10010 | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | ||
| Vermont Garrison | USAF | Lieutenant Colonel | 10010 | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Also claimed 7.3 kills (1 Shared among three pilots) in World War II | |
| Cecil G. Foster | USAF | Captain | 0909 | 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | ||
| — | James F. Low | USAF | First Lieutenant | 0909 | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | |
| — | James P. Hagerstrom | USAF | Major | 0858.5 (1 Shared) | 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 67th Fighter-Bomber Squadron |
F-86 Sabre | Also claimed 6 kills in World War II. |
| Robinson Risner | USAF | Major | 0808 | 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | ||
| George I. Ruddell | USAF | Lieutenant Colonel | 0808 | 39th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | ||
| Henry Buttelman | USAF | First Lieutenant | 0707 | 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Was the youngest American ace of the war, claiming 5 victories in 12 days. | |
| — | Clifford D. Jolley | USAF | Captain | 0707 | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | |
| — | Leonard W. Lilley | USAF | Captain | 0707 | 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | |
| Donald E. Adams* | USAF | Major | 0656.5 (1 Shared) | 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Killed in an airshow crash on August 30, 1952. | |
| Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski | USAF | Colonel | 0656.5 (1 Shared) | 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing |
F-86 Sabre | Also claimed 28 kills in World War II. | |
| — | George L. Jones | USAF | Lieutenant Colonel | 0656.5 (1 Shared) | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing |
F-86 Sabre | |
| Winton W. Marshall | USAF | Major | 0656.5 (1 Shared) | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | ||
| John F. Bolt | USMC | Major | 0606 | 39th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Also claimed 6 kills in World War II. | |
| James H. Kasler | USAF | First Lieutenant | 0606 | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | ||
| — | Robert J. Love | USAF | Captain | 0606 | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | |
| William T. Whisner | USAF | Major | 0555.5 (1 Shared) | 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron |
F-86 Sabre | ||
| Robert P. Baldwin | USAF | Colonel | 0505 | 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 39th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron |
F-86 Sabre | ||
| — | Richard S. Becker | USAF | Captain | 0505 | 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | |
| — | Stephen L. Bettinger | USAF | Major | 0505 | 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Also claimed 1 kill in World War II. Was the final American ace of the war with his final victory claimed on July 20, 1953. Was subsequently shot down and taken prisoner. |
| Guy Bordelon | USN | Lieutenant (Senior Grade) | 0505 | Composite Squadron 3 | F4U-5NL Corsair | Only US Navy aviator to be awarded ace status. | |
| — | Richard D. Creighton | USAF | Major | 0505 | 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | |
| — | Clyde A. Curtin | USAF | Captain | 0505 | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | |
| — | Ralph D. "Hoot" Gibson | USAF | Captain | 0505 | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | |
| Iven C. Kincheloe | USAF | Captain | 0505 | 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Killed in a 1958 aircraft crash. | |
| — | Robert T. Latshaw | USAF | Captain | 0505 | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | |
| Robert H. Moore | USAF | Captain | 0505 | 336th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron |
F-86 Sabre | ||
| Dolphin D. Overton | USAF | Captain | 0505 | 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Attained Ace status in the shortest time of any American pilot in the war with five victories in four days. | |
| Harrison R. Thyng | USAF | Colonel | 0505 | 335th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing |
F-86 Sabre | Also claimed 5 kills in World War II. Credited to have shot down pilots of more nationalities of any American ace, with victories against Nazi Germany, Vichy France and the Empire of Japan. | |
| William Westcott | USAF | Major | 0505 | 25th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing |
F-86 Sabre | ||
| Charles G. Cleveland | USAF | First Lieutenant | 0505 | 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron | F-86 Sabre | Fifth victory was not recognized by the US Air Force until 2008. |
Read more about this topic: List Of Korean War Flying Aces, List of Aces
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