List of German World War II night fighter aces
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. German day and night fighter pilots claimed roughly 70,000 aerial victories during World War II, 25,000 over British or American and 45,000 over Soviet flown aircraft. 103 German fighter pilots shot down more than 100 enemy aircraft for a total of roughly 15,400 aerial victories. Roughly a further 360 pilots claimed between 40 and 100 aerial victories for round about 21,000 victories. Another 500 fighter pilots claimed between 20 and 40 victories for a total of 15,000 victories. According to Obermeier, it is relatively certain, that 2,500 German fighter pilots attained ace status, having achieved at least 5 aerial victories. 453 German day and Zerstörer pilots received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. 85 night fighter pilots, including 14 crew members, were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The list is sorted by the number of aerial victories claimed at night.
Due to the worsening war situation for Germany and Luftwaffe policies, night fighter aces remained in frontline roles until they were killed or wounded in combat or no longer capable of flying due to exhaustion.
German night fighter aces
| Name | Rank | Night victories claimed | Day victories claimed | Total wartime victories claimed | Unit | Notes | |
| Major | 121/119 | 0 | 121 | NJG 1, NJG 4 | Nicknamed "The Spook of St. Trond", | ||
| * | Oberst | 102 | 8 | 110/112 | ZG 76, NJG 1, NJG 2, NJG 3 | killed in flying accident 7 October 1944 | |
| * | Major | 83/79 | 0 | 83 | NJG 2 | killed in action 21 January 1944 | — |
| Oberst | 67 | 1 | 68 | ZG 1, NJG 1 | — | — | |
| * | Hauptmann | 65 | 0 | 65 | NJG 1, NJG 5 | killed in action 21 January 1944 | — |
| Oberst | 64 | 1 | 65 | ZG 1, NJG 1, NJG 3, NJG 2 | — | — | |
| Major | 64 | 0 | 64 | NJG 1, NJG 2, NJG 3, NJG 100, NJGr 10, NJG 5 | — | — | |
| Hauptmann | 63 | 1 | 64 | NJG 2 | — | — | |
| Major | 59 | 0 | 59 | NJG 2, NJG 3, NJG 100, NJG 5 | — | — | |
| Hauptmann | 58 | 0 | 58 | NJG 4, NJG 6 | — | — | |
| Hauptmann | 58 | 0 | 58 | NJG 3, NJG 2 | — | — | |
| Major | 57 | 16 | 73 | ZG 76, NJG 3, NJG 1, NJG 4, JV 44 | — | — | |
| Oberleutnant | 56 | 7 | 63 | JG 301, Kdo Welter, NJG 11 | — | — | |
| Oberleutnant | 56 | 0 | 56 | NJG 100 | — | — | |
| Hauptmann | 56 | 0 | 56 | NJG 4, NJG 5, NJG 6, NJG 1 | — | — | |
| * | Hauptmann | 56 | 0 | 56 | ZG 26, NJG 2, NJG 1 | killed in action 25 December 1944 | |
| * | Hauptmann | 55 | 0 | 55 | ZG 1, NJG 1 | killed in action 27 September 1943 | — |
| * | Oberfeldwebel | 54 | 0 | 54 | NJG 1 | killed in action 26 February 1944 | |
| * | Hauptmann | 53 | 0 | 53 | NJG 1 | killed in action 29 September 1943 | — |
| * | Major | 51 | 0 | 51 | ZG 76, NJG 1, NJG 2, NJG 5 | Killed in flying accident 22 March 1944 | |
| Major | 50 | 1 | 51 | ZG 52, ZG 2, NJG 3, NJG 5 | — | — | |
| Stabsfeldwebel | 49 | 0 | 49 | NJG 1, NJG 4 | — | — | |
| Hauptmann | 47 | 4 | 51 | NJG 1 | — | — | |
| Oberstleutnant | 47 | 3 | 50 | NJG 1, NJG 6 | — | ||
| Hauptmann | 47 | 1 | 48 | NJG 1 | — | — | |
| * | Oberleutnant | 46 | 2 | 48 | ZG 1, NJG 1 | killed in action 24 February 1943 | — |
| * | Hauptmann | 46 | 0 | 46 | NJG 1 | killed in action 7 December 1944 | — |
| * | Major | 46 | 0 | 46 | NJG 2 | killed in action 8 February 1945 | |
| Hauptmann | 45 | 2 | 47 | ZG 2, NJG 1, NJG 5 | — | — | |
| Leutnant | 45 | 0 | 45 | NJG 3 | — | — | |
| * | Major | 45 | 0 | 45 | NJG 2, NJG 100 | missing in action 23 February 1944 | — |
| * | Hauptmann | 44 | 0 | 46 | NJG 1, NJG 2 | killed in action 26 February 1943 | — |
| * | Hauptmann | 44 | 0 | 44 | ZG 1, NJG 1 | killed in action 3 February 1943 | |
| * | Oberstleutnant | 43 | 16 | 59 | NJG 5 | killed in action 6 March 1945 | — |
| Major | 43 | 6 | 49 | ZG 76, NJG 1 | — | — | |
| Hauptmann | 41 | 0 | 41 | NJG 1 | — | — | |
| Hauptmann | 40 | 0 | 40 | NJG 1 | — | — | |
| Hauptmann | 39 | 2 | 41 | NJG 1, NJG 5, NJG 6 | — | — | |
| Hauptmann | 38 | 1 | 39 | NJG 1, NJG 4 | — | — | |
| Major | 37 | 2 | 39 | NJG 1, NJG 102 | — | — | |
| Major | 35 | 4 | 39 | ZG 1, NJG 1 | — | — | |
| Oberleutnant | 38 | 0 | 38 | NJG 2, NJG 1, NJG 3 | — | — | |
| * | Hauptmann | 36 | 0 | 36 | NJG 4, NJG 1 | killed in action 6 August 1944 | — |
| Oberleutnant | 35 | 0 | 35 | NJG 100 | — | — | |
| Oberfeldwebel | 34 | 3 | 37 | SKG 210, NJG 4, NJG 6 | — | — | |
| * | Hauptmann | 34 | 0 | 34 | NJG 2 | killed in action 14 April 1945 | — |
| Major | 34 | 0 | 34 | NJG 1, NJG 3 | — | — | |
| Hauptmann | 34 | 0 | 34 | NJG 1, NJG 5, NJG 6 | — | — | |
| Hauptmann | 34 | 0 | 34 | NJG 1 | — | — | |
| Hauptmann | 33 | 0 | 33 | NJG 1, NJG 4, NJG 6, NJGr 10 | — | — | |
| Oberfeldwebel | 33 | 0 | 33 | ZG 76, SKG 210, 10/ZG 1 | killed in action 26 September 1943 | — | |
| * | Oberfeldwebel | 33 | 0 | 33 | NJG 1 | killed in action 21 July 1944 | — |
| Major | 31 | 0 | 31 | NJG 1, NJG 4 | — | — | |
| * | Major | 30 | 0 | 30 | NJG 4, NJG 6 | killed in action 16 March 1945 | — |
| Hauptmann | 30 | 0 | 30 | NJG 2, NJG 3 | — | — | |
| Major | 30 | 0 | 30 | NJG 3, NJG 1, NJG 5 | missing in action 5 March 1945 | — | |
| Major | 30 | 0 | 30 | JG 300, NJGr 10 | — | — | |
| * | Hauptmann | 28 | 1 | 29 | NJG 1, NJG 5, NJG 3 | killed in action 2 January 1944 | — |
| Oberstleutnant | 28 | 22 | 50 | ZG 76, NJG 1 | — | ||
| * | Hauptmann | 27 | 2 | 28 | NJG 1 | killed in action 4 October 1943 | — |
| * | Leutnant | 26 | 1 | 27 | NJG 1 | Died of wounds 13 October 1943 | — |
| * | Hauptmann | 25 | 1 | 26 | NJG 1, NJG 2, NJG 3 | killed in action 6 January 1945 | — |
| Hauptmann | 25 | 0 | 25 | NJG 5, NJG 6 | — | — | |
| * | Oberleutnant | 24 | 3 | 27 | ZG 76, NJG 1, NJG 2 | killed in action 14 May 1943 | — |
| Hauptmann | 24 | 1 | 25 | NJG 5, NJG 6 | — | — | |
| Oberstleutnant | 23 | 0 | 24 | NJG 1, NJG 2, NJG 4 | — | — | |
| * | Hauptmann | 17 | 0 | 17 | NJG 200 | missing in action 28/29 July 1943 | — |
| * | Oberleutnant | 16 | 8 | 24 | ZG 141, ZG 76, NJG 1 | killed in action 2 June 1942 | — |
| * | Leutnant | 13 | 0 | 13 | NJG 2 | killed in flying accident 11 October 1941 | — |