Bv.138 in postwar RAF service ?

[Peter D Evans]

Hi Hans,

According to "War Prizes" by Phil Butler [Midland, 1994], there were three Bv138's surrendered at Kastrup-See which were selected for evaluation on 9th June 1945. They were initially identified as "AirMin S-2" etc but the relationship between these identities and their true AirMin numbers has not yet been traced. Details are:

• AM 69 - Blohm und Voss Bv138 - WNr.unknown
• AM 70 - Blohm und Voss Bv138C-1 - WNr.0310081 - aircraft of Fa125 delivered to MAEE Felixstowe on 15th Dec 1945 and allocated RAF Serial VN881. Eventually scrapped circa Nov 1947.
• AM S-2 - Blohm und Voss Bv138B-1 - WNr.unknown - coded "B" was flown from Kastrup-See to Kiel on 16th June 1945, making a test flight from Kiel the same day. On 19th June it flew from Kiel to Calshot, via Enkhuizen on the Zuider-Zee. Allocated RAF serial no VK895 on 26th July. When observed in Oct 46, it still wore both Air Min S-2 and VK895. Struck of Charge on 3rd Jan 1948. This Bv138 must have been AM 69 or AM 71.
• AM 71 - Blohm und Voss Bv138 - WNr.unknown

The older "The Captive Luftwaffe" by Kenneth West [Putnam, 1978] says that they had black upper and side surfaces, dark blue wing undersurfaces with small RAF roundels on the tail booms and under the wings.

The only photograph I've seen of a Bv138 with the RAF can be found on page 11 of "War Prizes, The Album" by Phil Butler [Midland 2006]. The caption says that the photo of a Bv138B in RAF markings was possibly taken at Kastrup-See.

Kind regards

Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator