Perhaps the most famous ace in the history of air warfare, Richthofen was a member of the German cavalry up until the outbreak of World War I. New rules of engagement limited the role of a cavalry, and Richthofen wasn't one to take a back seat to action. After being transferred to the air service in 1915, Richthofen quickly became a star pupil, and it didn't take long for The Red Baron to assume his role as Germany's ace. In 1917, he was appointed commander of the highly skilled Flying Circus. In all, he was credited with 80 kills, the highest number of the war, before being shot down and killed in 1918 over enemy lines.
JAMES "JIMMY" DOOLITTLE (1896-1993)
While Doolittle earned his wings in World War I and led perhaps the most famous U.S. air mission of World War II, his most significant achievements in flying ocurred between those two eras. Throughout the 1920s and '30s, Doolittle amazed as a test and stunt pilot with his feats of speed (the first transcontinental flight in under 24 hours) and daring (the first blind flight). On April 18, 1942, Doolittle led a force of 16 planes on a long-distance bombing raid on Japan that served as much of an emotional purpose as it did a tactical one. For his effort, he was decorated with the Congressional Medal of Honor and later played a key role in U.S. combat in Europe.
One of the most controversial figures in the history of air warfare, the South African-born Harris was a pilot in Britain's Royal Flying Corps in World War I before becoming head of Bomber Command in 1942. It was then he introduced a strategy called "area bombing" that no longer limited attacks to strictly military targets. German cities of Hamburg, Cologne and Dresden were ravaged, and an estimated 600,000 civilians lost their lives. After the war, Harris came under a firestorm of protest from those who questioned his ruthlessness. Harris never wavered, however, contending all along that putting the Germans on the defensive saved many lives.
One of only seven pilots to earn ace status in both World War II and the Korean War, Gabreski remains one of the most revered fighter pilots in American history. His military career got off to an inauspicious start, however, when he struggled through training and barely made it though an "elimination flight," which was his last chance to prove himself. He finished the war with 28 kills, making him America's leading ace, but not before crash landing behind enemy lines on an unsuccessful mission in 1944. He was taken prisoner of war and was liberated by the Russians in April 1945. Duty called again in Korea, where he is credited with shooting down 6 1/2 MiGs.
A charismatic German ace pilot and general of the Luftwaffe, Galland is credited with over 100 kills. Galland's distinguishing characteristics were his slicked-back hair, ever-present cigars and Mickey Mouse insignia adorned on his planes. He held a somewhat romantic view of flying, even during wartime, and that won him respect even among his World War II foes, some of whom he later lectured with in America. Galland disagreed famously with the decisions made by his boss, Hermann Goering, and was relieved of his duties in January 1945. Adolf Hilter intervened, and Galland was flying up until two weeks before war's end. After the war, Galland served as a consultant for Argentina's air force and pursued his interest in commercial flying.
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