List of World War II aces from Germany
Name Rank Total wartime victories Unit Notes
August Lambert * Oberleutnant 116 /103 SG 2 , SG 77 Knight 's Cross KIA 17 April 1945
Günther Landt 23 JG 53
Emil Bully Lang * Hauptmann 173 /103 JG 54 , JG 26 Knight 's Cross with Oak Leaves 18 in one day
Friedrich Lange Leutnant 8 JG 26
Gerhard Lange Hauptmann 5 JG 6
Heinz Lange Major 70 /73 JG 21 , JG 54 , JG 51 Knight 's Cross
Hans-Joachim Langer 10 JG 51 , JG 7
Karl-Heinz Langer Major 30 JG 3 Knight 's Cross
Erwin Laskowski Oberfeldwebel 46 JG 51 , JG 11 Knight 's Cross
Kurt Lasse * Oberleutnant 39 JG 77 Knight 's Cross KIA 8 October 1941
Karl Laub Oberfeldwebel 7 JG 26
Bernhard Lausch Oberfeldwebel 39 JG 51
Heinz Leber Leutnant 54 JG 51
Alois Lechner* Major 45 NJG 100 , NJG 2 Knight 's Cross KIA 23 February 1944
Karl-Heinz Leesmann * Major 37 JG 52 , JG 1 Knight 's Cross KIA 25 July 1943
Erwin Leibold Oberfeldwebel 11 JG 26
Erich Leie * Major 118 /121 JG 2 , JG 51 , JG 77 Knight 's Cross KIA 7 March 1945
Hermann Leiste Leutnant 29 JG 54
Siegfried Lemke Hauptmann 96 JG 2 Knight 's Cross
Wilhelm Lemke * Hauptmann 131 JG 3 Knight 's Cross with Oak Leaves KIA 4 December 1943
Background -- L
This is a list of fighter aces in World War II from Germany. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. It is relatively certain that 2,500 German fighter pilots attained ace status, having achieved at least 5 aerial victories. This article lists 890 (updated as of October 2017) of these aces. 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 Russian-flown aircraft. 103 German fighter pilots shot down 100 or more enemy aircraft, for a total of approximately 15,400 victories. Approximately 360 German fighter pilots shot down from 40 to 99 enemy aircraft for a total of approximately 21,000 victories. Approximately 500 German fighter pilots shot down from 20 to 39 enemy aircraft for a total of approximately 15,000 victories. These achievements were honored with 453 German day fighter pilots and Zerstörer (destroyer) fighter pilots and 85 German night fighter pilots (including 14 crew members), for a total of 538 German fighter pilots, receiving the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. German losses, on the other hand, were very high as well. Roughly 12,000 German day fighter pilots were killed or are still missing in action, with a further 6,000 being wounded. The Zerstörer (destroyer) pilots suffered about 2,800 casualties, either killed or missing in action, plus another 900 wounded in action.