Hitler’s Final “Escape” – The BV 138
Despite plenty of initial difficulties and a lengthy development process in the early 1930s, the BV-138 became an excellent Navy patrol aircraft, operating at farther ranges and for long periods of time, and capable of taking off and landing from any water source. While the seaplanes were not technically speedy machines, a particularly powerful machine gun arrangement allowed the crews to protect themselves, and the aircraft could even engage in air-to-air combat. The Sea Dragon eventually played one of the most pivotal roles in maritime reconnaissance and patrol for the Third Reich’s air force while serving all over Europe and occasionally working with the ever-feared U-boat submarine crews, creeping the Atlantic and Mediterranean waters for enemy ships.
