In 1941 appeared the Bv-138C.1,wich became the main variant. This seaplane had three Junkers Jumo 205D diesel engines of almost 900 hp each. Around 220 units of this variant were manufactured.During 1942-43 appeared the Bv-138MS, that was a minesweeping variant, with a circular antenna mounted around the fuselage. The system was based on the detection of magnetic fields emitted by naval mines. This variant was unarmed and nicknamed “Mausi-flugzeug” or “mouse hunter”.It was usual to see the Bv-138 to refuelling from U-boots in order to extend the range of their missions. They were deployed mainly in Norway to patrol the waters of the North Atlantic and the Arctic Oceans, where they attacked the convoys bound for Russia. Nonetheless, at the end of the War they were deployed in the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean Sea.One of this seaplanes was destined to take out the Hitler’s last will and testament from Berlin the 1st of May of 1945, but the Bv-138‘s commander did not allow get on board the carriers for lack of suitable identification. Instead, he took ten wounded to Copenhagen.
