Harald Nugiseks (22 October 1921 – 2 January 2014) was an Estonian serviceman in the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II. A Waffen-Oberscharführer (sergeant), he served in the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian). Nugiseks was one of the four Estonians to receive the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Harald Riipalu (born as Harald Reibach) (13 February 1912 – 4 April 1961) was an Estonian commander in the German Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.
Ace, when used in the context of military propaganda, denotes a successful military professional who has accumulated a meaningfully measurable statistic such as aircraft shot down, tanks destroyed, tonnage sunk, or a number of successful sniper shots. In a manner analogous to sport statistics, some military roles can be measured in terms of a quantifiable metric. Once said metric is established, military personnel (whether within the same force, in different forces, or in different eras) may be quantified versus the designated metric and compared in a tabular fashion. Such metrics may be used as a basis for military merit awards, such as Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by setting an arbitrary threshold. Likewise, a designation of "ace" ("double ace", "triple ace", etc.) may be applied, such as 5 aircraft shot down.
The ace achieved success with "skill and luck, and if victorious won the accolades of the patriotic public". The usage of the term in popular culture evolved to include "tank aces" ("Panzer aces") and "submarine aces".