List of World War II aces from Germany: Q–S
This is a list of fighter aces in World War II from Germany with their surname starting from Q to S. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Aces are listed alphabetically by last name.
Aces
By surname:
A–F • G–L • M–P • T–Z
This along with the * (asterisk), indicates that the pilot was either killed in action (KIA), missing in action (MIA), died of wounds (DOW), killed in a flying accident (KIFA), or killed in a car accident (KICA).
This and the / (slash) indicates information discrepancies listed by Aders, Boiten, Caldwell, Girbig, Held, Obermaier, Spick, Ring, Mathews, Foreman and Zabecki .
Q
R
Name
Rank
Claims
Unit
Notes
Walter Rabenstein*
Leutnant
5
JG 27
KIA 2 July 1944
Josef Rabieger
Oberfeldwebel
20+
JG 52
Rudolf Rademacher
Oberleutnant
126/93
JG 54 , JG 7
Knight's Cross
Waldemar Radener
37/23
JG 26 , JG 300
Knight's Cross
Günther Radusch
Oberst
64 (+1 in Spain)
NJG 1 , NJG 2 , NJG 3
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Gerhard Raht
Hauptmann
58/59
NJG 2
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Alfons Raich
Oberleutnant
10
JG 3
Günther Rall
Major
275 /274
JG 52 , JG 11
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords mission-to-claim ratio of 2.26.
Karl Rammelt
41
JG 51
Knight's Cross
Alfred Rauch
Leutnant
60
JG 51
Knight's Cross
Paul-Hubert Rauh
Hauptmann
31
NJG 4
Knight's Cross
Karl-Wolfgang Redlich *
Major
43/41 (incl. 2 in Spain)
JG 27
Knight's Cross KIA 29 May 1944
Hans Reiff
Oberfeldwebel
54
JG 3
Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert
Oberleutnant
174/168
JG 77 , JG 27
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Hans-Günther Reinhard
Oberfeldwebel
42
JG 54
Peter Reischer
Oberleutnant
20
JG 26
Hans Remmer *
Hauptmann
27/21
JG 27
Knight's Cross KIA 2 April 1944
Anton Resch
Oberleutnant
91
JG 52
Knight's Cross
Rudolf Resch *
Major
94 (incl. 1 in Spain)
JG 52 , JG 51
Knight's Cross KIA 11 July 1943
Willi Reschke
Oberfeldwebel
28
JG 302 , JG 301
Knight's Cross incl. 20 heavy bombers
Ralph von Rettberg
Oberst
8
ZG 26 , ZG 1
Knight's Cross
Horst Reuter
Leutnant
21
JG 27
Ernst Richter
Oberfeldwebel
8
JG 54
Hans Richter
Leutnant
22
JG 27
Horst Reuter
Unteroffizier
26
JG 27
Eckhard Roch
Oberleutnant
5
JG 26
Gustav Rödel
Oberst
98
JG 27
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Hans Röhrig *
Hauptmann
75
JG 53
Knight's Cross KIA 13 July 1943
Detlev Rohwer
38
JG 3 , JG 1
Knight's Cross
Heinz Rökker
64
NJG 2
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Herbert Rollwage
Oberleutnant
102
JG 53
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Oskar Romm
92
JG 51 , JG 3
Knight's Cross
Heinrich Rosenberg
12
JG 27
Theodor Rossiwall
Oberstleutnant
19 (incl. 2 in Spain)
ZG 76 , NJG 4
Knight's Cross
Edmund Roßmann
Leutnant
93
JG 52
Knight's Cross
Willi Roth
20
JG 26 , JG 103, JG 102, JV 44
Günther Rübell
Hauptmann
50
JG 51 , JG 104
Knight's Cross
Hans-Ulrich Rudel
Oberst
9+
SG 2
Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (sole recipient in the entire Wehrmacht )
Erich Rudorffer
Major
222/219
JG 2 , JG 54 , JG 7
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords 13 in one mission
Helmut Rüffler
Oberfeldwebel
98/88
JG 3
Knight's Cross
Franz Ruhl *
Oberleutnant
36
JG 3
Knight's Cross KIA 24 December 1944
Friedrich Rupp *
Leutnant
52
JG 54
Knight's Cross KIA 15 May 1943
Martin Rysavy
Oberleutnant
8
JG 26
S
Name
Rank
Claims
Unit
Notes
Heinz Sachsenberg
Leutnant
104
JG 52
Knight's Cross
Florian Salwender
Feldwebel
25
JG 77 , JG 5
POW Died in Soviet Prison
Carl Sattig*
Hauptmann
53
JG 54
Knight's Cross KIA 10 August 1942
Erwin Sawallisch*
Oberfeldwebel
35
JG 27
Suicide
Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein *
Major
83/79
NJG 2 , NJG 3
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords KIA 21/22 January 1944
Günther Schack
Hauptmann
174
JG 51 , JG 3
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Hans Schäfer
Feldwebel
6
JG 3
Hans Schäfer
Oberleutnant
12
NJG 2 , NJG 3
Johann Schalk
Oberst
15
ZG 26 , NJG 3 , NJG 4
Knight's Cross
Franz Schall *
Hauptmann
137/133
JG 52 , Kdo Nowotny , JG 7
Knight's Cross KIFA 10 April 1945 mission-to-claim ratio of 4.01.
Ludwig Scharf
Unteroffizier
7+
JG 5
Gerhard Schaschke
Hauptmann
19+
ZG 76
Paul Schauder
21
JG 26
Jakob Schaus
Leutnant
23
NJG 4
Günther Scheel *
Leutnant
71
JG 54
Knight's Cross MIA 16 July 1943 only 70 combat missions, with a mission-to-claim ratio of 0.99.
Klaus Scheer
Leutnant
24/23
NJG 100
Rudolf Scheffel
Hauptmann
7
ZG 1 , ZG 26
Knight's Cross
Wolfgang Schellmann *
Oberstleutnant
26 (incl. 12 in Spain)
JG 2 , JG 27
Knight's Cross KIA 22 June 1941
Fritz Schellwat
Oberfeldwebel
19
NJG 1
Wolfgang Schenck
Oberstleutnant
18
SG 2 , ZG 1 , SKG 210 , KG 51
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Georg Schentke *
Oberleutnant
90/87
JG 3
Knight's Cross KIA 25 December 1942
Karl-Heinz Scherfling *
Oberfeldwebel
33
NJG 1
Knight's Cross KIA 21 July 1944
Ernst Scheufele
Oberleutnant
14
JG 5 , JG 4
Erich Scheyda
Oberfeldwebel
20
JG 26
Franz Schieß *
Hauptmann
67
JG 53
Knight's Cross KIA 2 September 1943
Wilhelm Schilling
Oberleutnant
63
JG 54 , EJG 1
Knight's Cross
Hans Schleef *
98
JG 3 , JG 5 , JG 4
Knight's Cross KIA 31 December 1944
Hermann Schleinhege
Leutnant
97/96
JG 3 , JG 54
Knight's Cross
Joachim Schlichting
Major
8 (incl. 5 in Spain)
JG 27
Knight's Cross
Karl-Friedrich Schlosstein
Hauptmann
5+
JG 77 , JG 5
Johann Schmid *
Major
45
JG 2 , JG 26
Knight's Cross KIA 6 November 1941 mission-to-claim ratio of 3.34.
Dietrich Schmidt
Hauptmann
39
NJG 1
Knight's Cross
Erich Schmidt *
Oberleutnant
47
JG 53
Knight's Cross KIA 31 August 1941
Franz Schmidt*
Unteroffizier
6
JG 77
KIA 4 November 1941
Heinz Schmidt *
Hauptmann
173
JG 52
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves MIA 5 September 1943 mission-to-claim ratio of 4.05.
Johannes Schmidt
Oberleutnant
12
JG 26
Rudolf Schmidt*
Feldwebel
42
JG 77
Knight's Cross KIA 6 April 1942
Winfried Schmidt
Hauptmann
19
JG 3
Lothar Schmitt
Leutnant
7
LG 2 , SG 1
Hans Schmoller-Haldy
Hauptmann
12
JG 54
Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer
Major
121/119
NJG 1 , NJG 4
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds Top Night Fighter Ace of World War II
August Schneider
Leutnant
9
JG 5
Gerhard Schneider
41
JG 51 , JGr Ost
Hugo Schneider
Oberleutnant
6
JG 27
Walter Schneider
20
JG 26
Karl-Heinz Schnell
Major
72
JG 51 , JG 53 , JV 44
Knight's Cross
"Wumm" Siegfried Schnell *
93
JG 54 , JG 2
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves KIA 25 February 1944
Karl "Quax" Schnörrer
Leutnant
46
JG 54 , JG 7 , Kdo Nowotny
Knight's Cross
Herbert Schob
Hauptmann
28 (incl. 6 in Spain)
LG 1 , ZG 76 , ZG 26
Knight's Cross
Rudolf Schoenert
Major
64
NJG 1 , NJG 2 , NJG 3 , NJG 100 , NJGr 10 , NJG 5
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Erich Schöfbock
Leutnant
8
JG 27
Günther Scholz
Major
34 (+1 in Spain)
JG 54 , JG 5
Helmut Schönfelder
Oberfeldwebel
56
JG 51
Knight's Cross
Gerhard Schöpfel
Major
45
JG 26 , JG 4 , JG 6
Knight's Cross
Georg Schott*
Oberleutnant
21
LG 2 , JG 1
KIA 27 September 1943
Herbert Schramm *
Hauptmann
40
JG 53 , JG 27
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves KIA 1 December 1943
Alfred Schreiber *
Leutnant
5
ZG 26 , EKdo 262 , Kdo Nowotny , JG 7
KIFA 26 November 1944
Georg Schröder
Hauptmann
12
JG 2
Werner Schröer
Major
114 /106
JG 3 , JG 27 , JG 54
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords incl. 26 heavy bombers mission-to-claim ratio of 1.73.
Fritz Schröter
11
JG 2 , SKG 10 , SG 5, SG 4
Knight's Cross
Walter Schuck
Oberleutnant
206 /181
JG 5 , JG 7
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Leo Schuhmacher
Leutnant
23
ZG 76 , JG 1 , JV 44
Knight's Cross
Franz Schulte*
Feldwebel
46
JG 77
Knight's Cross KIA 12 August 1942
Helmuth Schulte
Hauptmann
25
NJG 5
Knight's Cross
Otto Schultz
73
JG 51
Knight's Cross
Gerhard Schulwitz
Leutnant
9
JG 26
Otto Schulz *
Oberleutnant
51
JG 27
Knight's Cross KIA 17 June 1942
Werner Schumacher
Unteroffizier
30
JG 5
Heinz Schumann*
Major
21
JG 51 , JG 2 SKG 10
Knight's Cross KIFA 8 November 1943
Franz Schwaiger *
Leutnant
67
JG 3
Knight's Cross KIA 24 April 1944
Günther Schwanecke
Hauptmann
14
JG 77 , JG 5
Gerhard Schwartz
Feldwebel
20
JG 51
Günther Schwarz
Oberfeldwebel
40/38
JG 51
Georg Seckel
Hauptmann
34
JG 77 , JG 200, JG 4
Günther Seeger
Oberleutnant
56
JG 53 , JG 2
Knight's Cross
Georg Seelmann
39
JG 51 , JG 103
Knight's Cross
Hermann Segatz
Hauptmann
40/33
JG 26 , JG 51 , JG 5 , JG 1
Georg Seidel
Oberfeldwebel
47/45
JG 51
Alfred Seidl
Oberleutnant
31
JG 53 , JG 3 , JG 7
Johannes Seifert *
Oberstleutnant
57
JG 26
Knight's Cross KIA 25 November 1943
Reinhard Seiler
Major
109 (incl. 9 in Spain)
JG 54 , JG 104
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Erich von Selle
7
JG 26
Waldemar Semelka
Leutnant
65
JG 52
Knight's Cross mission-to-claim ratio of 3.69.
Paul Semrau *
Major
46
NJG 2
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves KIA 8 February 1945
Fritz Sengschmitt
15
ZG 76 , ZG 26
Heinrich Setz *
Major
138
JG 27 , JG 77
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves KIA 13 March 1943 mission-to-claim ratio of 1.99.
Peter Siegler*
Feldwebel
48
JG 54
Knight's Cross MIA 24 September 1942
Rudolf Sigmund *
Hauptmann
29
NJG 1
Knight's Cross KIA 4 October 1943
Friedrich Simon
Oberfeldwebel
22+
JG 51
Siegfried Simsch
Hauptmann
54
JG 52 , JG 11
Knight's Cross KIA 8 June 1944
Rudolf Sinner
Major
39
JG 27
Kurt Sochatzy
Oberleutnant
38
JG 3
Knight's Cross
Waldemar Söffing
Leutnant
35
JG 26
Gerhard Sommer *
Hauptmann
20
JG 11 , JG 1
Knight's Cross KIA 12 May 1944
Hermann Sommer*
Oberfeldwebel
19
NJG 2 , NJG 102
KIA 11 February 1944
Wolfgang Späte
Major
99
JG 54 , JG 400 , JG 7
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
Günther Specht *
Oberstleutnant
34
ZG 26 , JG 11
Knight's Cross MIA 1 January 1945
Wilhelm Spies *
Major
20
ZG 26
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves KIA 27 January 1942
Robert Spreckles
Oberfeldwebel
6+
JG 11 , JG 1
Peter Spoden
Hauptmann
24/23
NJG 5 , NJG 6
Gustav Sprick
Oberleutnant
31
JG 26
Knight's Cross
Karl Stadek
Oberfeldwebel
25+
JG 51
Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt *
Oberleutnant
60
JG 27
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves MIA 7 September 1942
Hermann Staiger
Major
63
JG 51 , JG 26 , JG 1 , JG 7
Knight's Cross incl. 26 heavy bombers
Friedrich-Wilhelm Stakejahn
9
JG 5 , SG 4
Otto Stammberger
Oberleutnant
7
JG 26
Karl Steffen*
Oberfeldwebel
59
JG 52
Knight's Cross MIA 8 August 1943
Hans-Joachim Steffens*
Leutnant
21
JG 51
KIA 30 July 1941
Friedrich "Fritz" Stehle
Oberleutnant
21
ZG 2, ZG 26, JG 6, JG 7
German Cross
Leopold "Bazi" Steinbatz *
Leutnant
99/98
JG 52
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords KIA 23 June 1942
Franz Steiner
Oberfeldwebel
8
JG 27 , JG 1 , JG 11 , JV 44
Günter Steinhausen *
Leutnant
40
JG 27
Knight's Cross KIA 6 September 1942
Ulrich Steinhilper
Oberleutnant
5
JG 52
"Macky" Johannes Steinhoff
Oberst
176/168
JG 26 , JG 52 , JG 77
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Wilhelm Steinmann
Major
44
JG 27 , JG 4 , JV 44
Knight's Cross
Heinrich Steis
Leutnant
20
JG 27
German Cross
Andreas Sterl
Oberfeldwebel
54
JG 52
German Cross
Heinrich Sterr *
Oberleutnant
130
JG 54
Knight's Cross KIA 26 November 1944
Franz Stigler
26
JG 27 , JV 44
German Cross
Bruno Stolle
Hauptmann
35
LG 1 , JG 2 , JG 11
Knight's Cross
"Max" Maximilian Stotz *
189/182
JG 54
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves MIA 19 August 1943 mission-to-claim ratio of 2.65.
Friedrich-Wilhelm Strakeljahn *
9
JG 5 , SG 4
Knight's Cross KIA 6 July 1944
Hubert Strassl *
Oberfeldwebel
67
JG 51
Knight's Cross KIA 8 July 1943 mission-to-claim ratio of 3.30.
Erwin Straznicky*
Oberleutnant
30
LG 2 , JG 77 , JG 3
MIA 3 October 1942
Werner Streib
Oberst
66
NJG 1
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Hans Strelow *
Leutnant
68
JG 51
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves KIA 22 May 1942 mission-to-claim ratio of 2.94.
Fritz Stritzel
Stabsfeldwebel
11
JG 2
Karl Strohecker
Oberfeldwebel
14
NJG 100
Heinz Strüning *
Hauptmann
56
ZG 26 , KG 30, NJG 2 , NJG 1
Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves KIA 25 December 1944
Werner Stumpf *
Oberfeldwebel
48
JG 53
Knight's Cross KIA 13 October 1942
Gustav Sturm
Leutnant
21
JG 27 , JG 3 , JG 51 , EJG 2, JG 7
Heinrich Sturm *
Hauptmann
158/157
JG 52
Knight's Cross KIA 22 December 1944
Alfred Surau
Leutnant
45
JG 3
Ernst Süß *
Oberleutnant
68
JG 52
Knight's Cross KIA 20 December 1943
Paul Szameitat *
Hauptmann
29
NJG 3
Knight's Cross KIA 2 January 1944
Wilhelm Szuggar
Oberfeldwebel
10 (incl. 5 in Spain)
JG 52 , JG 26
References
Citations
Bibliography
Aders, Gebhard (1978). History of the German Night Fighter Force, 1917–1945 . London: Janes. ISBN 978-0-354-01247-8 .
Aders, Gebhard; Held, Werner (1993). Jagdgeschwader 51 'Mölders' Eine Chronik – Berichte – Erlebnisse – Dokumente [Fighter Wing 51 'Mölders' A Chronicle – Reports – Experiences – Documents ] (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-613-01045-1 .
Caldwell, Donald L. (1998). The JG 26 War Diary: Volume Two 1943–1945 . London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-898697-86-2 .
Forsyth, Robert (2011). Luftwaffe Viermot Aces 1942–45 . Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 101. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing . ISBN 978-1-84908-438-3 .
Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims – Volume 4 S–Z . Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-21-9 .
Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945 ] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7 .
Ring, Hans; Girbig, Werner (1994) [1971]. Jagdgeschwader 27 Die Dokumentation über den Einsatz an allen Fronten 1939–1945 [Jagdgeschwader 27 The Documentation on the Deployment on all Fronts from 1939 to 1945 ] (in German) (8th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-87943-215-8 .
Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces . New York: Ivy Books . ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1 .
Zabecki, David T. , ed. (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History . Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio . ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3 .
Zabecki, David T. , ed. (2019). The German War Machine in World War II . Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio . ISBN 978-1-44-086918-1 .