List of World War II aces from Germany

[2] German day and night fighter pilots claimed roughly 70,000 aerial victories during World War II, over 25,000 British or American and over 45,000 Soviet aircraft.

Hans-Ulrich Rudel was the most decorated flying ace in the Luftwaffe, primarily as a ground-attack bomber pilot with over 800 vehicles destroyed in addition to his victories over opposing aircraft.

German combat tactics during this period also tended to be superior to those of the Allies, with formation leaders in particular often having a higher chance of success.

The normal practice in fighter units was for the highest-scoring pilot to lead formations, regardless of their rank, which placed them in the best position to shoot down Allied aircraft.

[7] Unlike all of the other air forces that fought during World War II, the Luftwaffe did not accept shared claims, but sometimes it happened.

Defenders of the German fighter pilots maintain that overclaims were eliminated during the confirmation process, but the microfilms show that this wasn't always the case.

[22] Lastly, the authors Raymond F. Toliver and Trevor James Constable list Rudolf Müller with 101 aerial victories.

Although a single heavy bomber shot down or damaged still counted as one aerial victory, the accumulated points earned a fighter pilot awards, medals and promotions.