Air Aces of World War I Online Quiz | World War I

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who was the leading ace of World War I?

Answer: Manfred von Richthofen

Richtofen was credited with 80 kills. He was killed in combat on April 21, 1918. He was flying from Canadian pilot Roy Brown, but he was low to the ground and Australian gunners were also shooting at his airplane. No one knows for certain just who killed the "Red Baron".

2. Who was Britain's leading ace?

Answer: Edward Mannock

Mannock is credited with 73 kills. Mannock was almost blind in his left eye - a major problem for a pilot. You lose your depth preception. Mannock practiced for hours in the gun pits to improve his aiming skills. Mannock died in combat on July 26, 1918. After World War I he was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously.

3. Who was Canada's leading ace? Also the surviving leading ace for the British Empire?

Answer: William Bishop

Bishop is credited with 72 kills. In June 1918, Bishop was ordered to return back to England after his 59th kill. On his final day of flying and fighting Bishop downed five German airplanes in 15 minutes. Bishop died in 1956.

4. Who was the young ace that first caught Britian's public interest? He was one of the first aces that gain recognition in the British press.

Answer: Albert Ball

Ball, at the time of his death, was Britain's leading air ace. Ball is credited with 44 kills. Ball was killed by German ground machine gunners in May 1917, when he was just 20 years old. Ball was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously.

5. Who was France's leading ace? He was also the Allies' leading ace.

Answer: Rene Fonck

Fonck is credited with 75 kills. While Fonck was the top Allied ace, he was not well liked by either his fellow flyers or the public. Fonck survived the War and was a participant in the New York to Paris transatlantic air race. He crashed his Sikorsky S35 during takeoff, killing two of his crewmembers. Fonck died June 18, 1953, in Paris.

6. Who was the American air ace called "The Arizona Balloon Buster"?

Answer: Frank Luke

Luke is credited with 18 kills. In nine days of combat flying Luke shot down fourteen enemy balloons, and four aircrafts. Some reports claim seven aircraft. He's the second highest scoring American ace fighting under the US Army Air Corps. He was killed in a gun battle, on the ground, on September 29, 1918. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

7. Who was the German ace that selected Richthofen to join his newly formed fighter squadron?

Answer: Oswald Boelcke

Boelcke, was then Germany's greatest ace at this time. He selected Richthofen to train with him in his new fighting squadron. Boelcke is considered to be the "Father of the German Air force". Boelcke died in combat October 28, 1916, but not by gun fire. Boelcke's aircraft and another being flown by Erwin Boehme collided in air.

8. Who was Germany's first recognized ace?

Answer: Max Immelmann

Immelmann was the first aviator to be awarded Germany's highest honor, the Pour le M�rite. This medal was nicknamed "The Blue Max" in honor of Immelmann. He died in combat, having claimed 15 kills.

9. Who was the ace who was the last commander of Richthofen's squadron?

Answer: Hermann Goering

Goering took over the squadron after the death of Wilhelm Reinhardt. He was not well received because he had only 21 kills at this time and was appointed over many other flyers who had 40 or more kills. Goering was an good group leader and organizer and soon the grumbling died away. He was awarded the Pour le M�rite (Blue Max) and had 22 kills.

10. Who was the airplane designer that developed the interrupter gear that permitted the machine gun to fire between the propeller blades and nearly enabled Germany to win the air war?

Answer: Anthony Fokker

With the development of the interrupter gear that permitted the machine gun to fire between the propeller blades Fokker and his armed aircraft began the "Fokker Scourge". The most famous Fokker is the Dr.1, the Triplane that Richthofen flew.

11. Eddie Rickenbacker was American's leading ace. How many confirmed kills did he have?

Answer: 26

Rickenbacker flew in the famous 94th Pursuit Squadron. Rickenbacker did not claim his first aerial victory until April 29, 1918. He was made commander of the 94th Pursuit Squadron in September 1918. Rickenbacker was awarded the Medal of Honor twelve years after the war.

12. Richthofen commanded a large mobile "wing" called Jagdegeschwader 1. What was the nickname of this organization?

Answer: The Flying Circus

The Jagdegeschwader was very mobile, using tents and motorized transports to move to whatever location on the battlefield where the aircraft and pilots were needed. Also, by this time, all the aircraft in the Jagdegeschwader were brightly painted different colors. Hince the name "Flying Circus".

13. Many Americans fought in the air war well before the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917. What was the name of the organization that consisted only of American flyers?

Answer: Lafayette Escadrille

The Lafayette Escadrille was created in April 1916 by Dr. Edmund Gros and Norman Prince. It consisted of five French officers and 38 American flyers. In February 1918, the Escadrille joined the US Air Corps as the 103rd Pursuit Squadron.

14. The Lafayette Escadrille had two lion cubs as mascots. What were their names?

Answer: Whiskey & Soda

It was reported that in the early days of its creation, the escadrille had a country club atmosphere. The addition of the two lion cubs as mascots only added to this reputation.

15. Britain's first ace and third winner of the Victoria Cross for aerial combat, became Richthofen's 11th victory. Who was this air ace that Richthofen defeated in November 1916?

Answer: Lanoe Hawker

Hawker received the Victoria Cross for downing three German aircraft in one aerial combat in July 1915. At this time in the war this was an amazing feat. Later in the war it would not have been so unusual.

Source: Author FrankRay

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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Air Aces of World War I Trivia Quiz

Aerial combat was developed during World War I. The airplane itself was barely 10 years old when the war started. Louis Bleriot flew across the English Channel in July 1909, just a little more than five years before the war started.

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