Here is a link and quote from Joe Baughers site concerning the Ta-152 in all its various versions.
First the quotation:
"Several Fw 190C airframes were used in the project. The first Ta 152H-0 service test aircraft rolled off the assembly lines in October-November 1944. The Ta 152H-0s had no fuel tanks in their wings. They were joined a month later by the first production Ta 152H-1 aircraft, which had fuel tanks in the wings. The Ta 152H-1 was armed with one engine-mounted 30-mm MK 108 cannon with 90 rounds and two 20-mm MG 151 cannon in the wings with 175 rpg. 330 pounds of armor were carried for the protection of the engine and the pilot. Most production machines were delivered to Ta 152H-1/R11 bad-weather fighter standards. A MW 50 boost tank was fitted in the inboard port wing tank for use in enhancing low-altitude performance, with the GM 1 high-altitude boost tank aft of the cockpit being standard.
Approximately 150 Ta 1252H-1 fighters were manufactured between January 1, 1945 and the final abandoning of production with the arrival of Soviet forces at the Cottbus assembly plant. No Jagdgruppen ever completely converted to the type, but several Jagdstaffeln operated the Ta 152H alongside the Fw 190D and other types. Most of the Ta 152s operated in the close-support role. Others flew "top-cover" for bases from which Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters operated, trying to protect the jets from being "bounced" by Allied fighters during takeoff or landing. It was said that no British or American fighters risked attacking an Me 262 during landing while Ta 152s were known to be circling the airfield. The large wing area of the Ta 152 made it quite easy to fly. Most of the Ta 152Hs, however, were destroyed on the ground by Allied air attacks while awaiting delivery. A few Ta 152Hs were allocated to the Mistel program.
Near the end of 1944, Kurt Tank himself had a narrow escape while flying one of his Ta 152Hs. He was flying from Langenhagen near Hannover to attend a meeting at the Focke-Wulf plant in Cottbus. His plane carried armament, but no ammunition. Shortly after takeoff, he was jumped by four Mustangs. Tank pressed the button which activated his MW 50 boost, opened the throttle wide, and quickly left the Mustangs far behind in a cloud of blue smoke."
Here is the link to the page:
http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevon/baugher_other/ta152.html Now I have read that many of the Ta-152H-1's produced saw REAL flight time and combat time. The man I take my nickname for WW2 combat flew a Ta-152H-1 with JG301 Stabschwarm. He also has a interesting story about his shooting down of a Tempest that had just attacked a railyard(I believe that is correct it has been a while since I read the account.) and he along with the other members of his flight (All flying Ta-152H-1's) were scrambled to intercept the inbounds.
So I agree that it should be a "perk plane" but I also contend that ANY plane that never flew a combat sortie should not be included. I do not care if it is Soviet, Polish, Finnish, Italian, Swedish, German, British, Samoan......well I doubt they had any planes in WW2. But I think you get the picture. To me a plane such as the F7F Bearcat should not be in the game. It never flew a real combat sortie as it was in transit to the theater to participate but was far away from combat when hostilities ended. The same goes for the P-51H, sure some units had been equipped with it and were training up with it but they were not in theater to join in combat operations and the same goes for the He-162 with its muddied history of whether it actually flew combat or not. To me if a plane was only built in a few numbers BUT did see combat then by all means it should be included. Likewise a plane built much in the numbers of the F7F and P-51H but were either in transit or in training but not flying combat should not be allowed. The same goes for each country that supplied aircraft in WW2. So for me give me the F4F or F6F along with the Corsair. But please don't give us a plane that never saw combat in WW2.
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Maj. Reschke
Kommandeur Jagdbomber,
StaffelKapitaen I-31 LJK
www.luftjagerkorps.com [This message has been edited by LJK_Reschke (edited 10-26-2000).]
