Focke-Wulf Ta 152 – High Altitude Interceptor

During World War II, one of the most crucial elements of the air war was the ability to safely secure passage for bombers into enemy territory, strike targets, and get out without catastrophic losses. Early on, the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe: Derived from the German words "Luft" (air) and "Waffe" (weapon), the term literally means "air weapon" and refers to the aerial warfare bra... More held the advantage, and from this position of strength, they could easily strike England. Midway through the war, the situation fell in favour of the allies. Now, bombing raids into Germany were growing in scale. To counter these high-flying threats, the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe: Derived from the German words "Luft" (air) and "Waffe" (weapon), the term literally means "air weapon" and refers to the aerial warfare bra... More began producing new high-altitude interceptor concepts; one of these would be the Ta-152.

BACKGROUND

The Battle of Britain had proven the ever-increasing importance of successful and early intercepts. During the start of the bombing campaign, LuftwaffeLuftwaffe: Derived from the German words "Luft" (air) and "Waffe" (weapon), the term literally means "air weapon" and refers to the aerial warfare bra... More aircraft had specifically begun striking air bases and military installations across England while sending out hunt missions—an assortment of fighters to find and destroy British aircraft. Despite the valiant efforts of RAF crews and their foreign volunteers, the command realised that continued bombing would likely lead to the collapse of the RAF.

A strange series of events would turn the tides. On August 24th, 1940, a LuftwaffeLuftwaffe: Derived from the German words "Luft" (air) and "Waffe" (weapon), the term literally means "air weapon" and refers to the aerial warfare bra... More bomber flight had veered off course, missing their intended industrial target on the outskirts of London and mistakenly dropping their bombs on central London. The RAF replied with a retaliatory bombing on Berlin. Hitler orders the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe: Derived from the German words "Luft" (air) and "Waffe" (weapon), the term literally means "air weapon" and refers to the aerial warfare bra... More to escalate in a counter-retaliation, and from there everything came undone in what would be known as the Blitz. Ironically, this situation spared the RAF. While the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe: Derived from the German words "Luft" (air) and "Waffe" (weapon), the term literally means "air weapon" and refers to the aerial warfare bra... More concentrated efforts on bombing cities, the RAF had time to rebuild and strengthen themselves, able to then enter the fray of the great air battle over Britain with remarkable tenacity.

While the Battle of Britain would technically be a success for the RAF, the experience had proven to both sides that once an Air Force had been weakened, even slightly, consistent pressure could amplify the weakness until finally the aggressor Air Force would dominate. That is, unless the besieged Air Force can invent a new strategy to equalise the situation.

Later in the war, as strikes into Germany increased in scale, this problem would become obvious. The main problems facing the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe: Derived from the German words "Luft" (air) and "Waffe" (weapon), the term literally means "air weapon" and refers to the aerial warfare bra... More were the scale of the attacks—often hundreds of aircraft, in some cases up to 1000 bombers dedicated to a single mission—and the altitude of these attacks. For the Allies, the most capable and proven configuration for long-range bombing was the B-17, escorted by the latest P-51s. The B-17 could fly high with a service ceiling of 35,000 feet, and the P-51, as a fighter, was highly capable at these altitudes.

At this point, the Japanese were facing a catastrophic lack of consistent high-altitude intercept options. There was no guarantee that the naturally aspirated Zero would even reach the altitude of incoming B-29s, let alone engage in combat with escort aircraft. The Japanese had seen some success using specially designed, forced induction fighters, but by midway through the war, the design hadn’t been fully adopted.

The Germans likewise had an assortment of aircraft capable of intercepting, including jets and powerfully modified conventional fighters like the 109 and Fw-190. However, jets were still not entirely reliable and were maintenance-heavy, and it would be some time before the perfected Bf-109K would be produced. The LuftwaffeLuftwaffe: Derived from the German words "Luft" (air) and "Waffe" (weapon), the term literally means "air weapon" and refers to the aerial warfare bra... More desired a new and dedicated platform specifically to fill this high-altitude intercept role, and preferably one using a prop engine of some sort.

DEVELOPMENT

Focke-Wulf was up for the task. By this late point in the war, their Fw 190 had undergone many changes. Initially running on the powerful BMW 801, it was later upgraded to run the Jumo 213E engine, complete with a two-stage supercharger. This later setup allowed the 190 to operate at higher altitudes with better power response, but the airframe itself was still lacking in its ability to handle the thinner atmosphere.

When the German Air Ministry sent out requests for more effective high-altitude designs, the two primary competitors were Focke-Wulf and MesserschmittMesserschmitt AG was a preeminent German aviation manufacturer founded by innovative designer Willy Messerschmitt. The company is most famous for its ... More. The proposal from the latter was the modified Bf 109H.

Focke-Wulf answered with further modifications to the Fw 190 platform, including a new airframe and even more powerful engine. Leading this design effort was Kurt Tank.

Under his instruction, several new airframes were drawn up. He extended the fuselage, including the nose, to counterbalance the centre of gravity, using the 190 as a base. New tail surfaces were added; electric flaps and gear were ditched in favor of hydraulic systems; and in later models, the wings were extended outward, reaching 14.4 meters in the H model. Newer radio systems allowed for blind landings and navigation.

Tank wanted the aircraft to be powered by the more powerful Daimler Benz DB 603 engine, but the air ministry suggested keeping the Juno 213 due to the added modifications needed to fit the Daimler Benz into the airframe. Tank would nevertheless retain certain DB 603s for potential use in later H models of the aircraft.

To improve engine performance, two existing methods would be employed. At low altitude, the MW 50 method would be used, which sprayed a 50-50 mix of methanol and water into the supercharger, increasing boost. At higher altitudes, nitrous oxide would be injected into the engine using the GM-1 system, resulting in a sufficient oxygen mix even at altitudes exceeding 40,000 feet. Both systems could also—if the pilot wished—be employed at the same time.

There were several proposed variants, but after scrutinising the design, only three remained. The C model, heavily armed and primarily tasked with lower altitude missions, was the first variant. The E model would be used for high-altitude recon and photography. Finally, the H model would be lighter and suited for maximum high-altitude performance.

IMPLEMENTATION

The outcome of this R&D was some of the fastest and most capable fighters of the war. Named the Ta 152—after Tank himself—the new aircraft was well-armed, agile, quick, and boasted consistent performance from sea level to above 30,000 feet.

The Ta 152 would equip itself with a variety of cannons to swiftly destroy heavier aircraft. The C model—designed for lower altitude use—boasted four MG 151 20mm cannons and a single MK 108 30mm cannon in the propeller hub. While this increased the weight, a single burst from all five cannons could devastate practically any bomber thrown at it. Such heavy weaponry was likely adopted due to rumours that the larger B-29 may be deployed to Europe—a rumour that initially accelerated the Ta-152 program.

The H model would retain the 30 mm and two wing-mounted 20 mm cannons, still more than enough to destroy any aircraft.

In terms of speed, the aircraft was impressive, with a top speed of 410 knots at 41000 feet and 310 knots at sea level. With the GM-1 nitrous oxide system engaged, its service ceiling reached 49,500 feet, easily able to strike any allied bomber or escort.

FIRST PRODUCTION

By October 1944, the air ministry pushed for Focke-Wulf to start testing these aircraft as soon as possible and then begin production. The initial tests were promising, but quality control issues arose due to a lack of supplies and swift program implementation. Failures were noted with the forced induction system, the cockpit pressurization system, the hydraulic undercarriage, and the coolant system; however, due to time constraints, the program kept up the pace.

The pilots faced challenges during the initial test flights, as several prototype aircraft crashed, and time schedules remained tight. By the time full production began, the airframe had only completed about 30 hours.

Tank himself recalled putting the aircraft to the test in a real combat scenario. In late 1944, he had decided to fly an unarmed H model to a meeting at the Focke-Wulf plant. As he approached the runway, ground controllers alerted him to a pair of P-51s closing in behind. As Tank recalls, he switched on MW-50, applied full throttle, and simply flew until the two Mustangs “were no more than two dots on the horizon.”.

With supplies becoming ever more limited, production of the aircraft began in January 1945, without a clear future for the design. The first pilots were ordered to begin conversion training immediately, and the first aircraft were sent to JG 301, a wild boar unit. They kept less than 15 aircraft on hand, with no guarantee of replacement aircraft and little chance of finding replacement parts.

Despite this, the aircraft would soon see action.

COMBAT USE

Ace pilot Willi Reschke would be amongst the first to use the new plane in combat. In April 1945, he took off on a patrol, coming into contact with a Mosquito, which quickly made a dash westwards. Reschke reports giving chase, bringing his own aircraft up to full throttle. If all was well, the swift Mosquito wouldn’t be able to outrun the Ta 152. However, Reschke recalls that almost immediately, when bringing up the throttle, the engine wouldn’t run to keep pace with the Mosquito.

That evening, Reschke would have another opportunity to test the aircraft. It was reported that four Tempests had struck a train. The Tempests split into two elements under orders from the flight lead to find their own way home. Reschke and two others were ordered to intercept one element, which was reported to be following a train line, strafing as they went, heading straight towards the base.

The trio took off in H models, heading straight towards the pair of Tempests. Reschke reported that just as the two flights noticed each other—which was basically straight after takeoff—his flight lead dropped to the ground for some unknown reason. Now an equal fight, Reschke recalls that the engagement never went far above 50 meters. He recalled that this would be a fight against two aircraft designed around speed, but that this time, the turn rate would be crucial.

The engagement began. Despite having a negative experience earlier in the day, Reschke recalls that the fight bought him a new appreciation for his aircraft. He described the engagement like this:

Pulling ever tighter turns, I got closer and closer to the Tempest, never once feeling I was even approaching the limit of the Ta’s capabilities. And in order to keep out of my sights, the Tempest pilot was being forced to take increasingly dangerous evasive action. When he flicked over onto the opposite wing, I knew his last attempt to turn inside me had failed. The first burst of fire from my Ta 152 caught the Tempest in the tail and rear fuselage. The enemy aircraft shuddered noticeably, and probably as an instinctive reaction, the Tempest pilot immediately yoked into a starboard turn, giving me an even greater advantage.

Now there was no escape for the Tempest. I pressed my gun buttons a second time, but after a few rounds, my weapons fell silent, and despite all my efforts to clear them, refused to fire another shot. I can no longer remember just who and what I didn’t curse. But fortunately the Tempest pilot didn’t realise my predicament as he’d already taken hits. Instead, he continued desperately to twist and turn, and I positioned myself so that I was always just within his field of vision. Eventually—inevitably—he stalled. The Tempest’s left wing dropped, and he crashed into the woods immediately below us.

This engagement confirmed that the Ta 152 was a chaotic machine; on the one hand, it was prone to quality control issues, and on the other, it was quick and agile, even in the case of the high-altitude H model.

Reschke would go on to score at least three victories in the airframe. Beyond this, the limited availability of the aircraft and other strange circumstances meant that the Ta 152 never really had the opportunity to be properly employed in combat.

For example, the first intended mission against American bombers occurred on March 2nd, 1945. After taking off, a flight of Ta 152s headed towards the reported location, but they failed to reach their target. On the way, the flight was forced to fend off repeated attacks from small groups of Bf 109s, none of whom were familiar with the strange shape of the Ta 152. There was confusion over the radio and no clear instructions to the 109s to stop the attack. Ironically, this situation would prove just how capable the design was in contrast to its contemporaries, as the flight recalled using their speed and surprising agility to dodge the 109s while still trying to follow the bearing to intercept the Americans.

The flight never met the intended American aircraft in combat and was called back early; however, the mastery of the design over the 109s meant zero casualties were felt by either unit during this unfortunate clash.

By the end of the war, the interceptor had seen very few engagements. The actual number of victories or losses is uncertain, although some report that it was less than ten in both instances—very limited in scope for an aircraft from this era.

The same is true in regards to production numbers, with no clear indication or documentation confirming the official number of aircraft built, although some historians claim the number is roughly 150 completed units.

CONCLUSION

The war would end relatively soon after the Ta 152 first entered service. With limited numbers and parts shortages, the aircraft remained mostly grounded. However, despite these time and material constraints faced by Kurt Tank and his team, the result was an agile, high-altitude, high-speed interceptor. It remained potentially dangerous for pilots, but given more development time to ensure all systems were functioning correctly, the Ta 152 could have been a very deadly adversary for the Allies.