BV 238: a huge flying boat armed for convoy attack

The BV 238 was an immense flying boat whose external racks could take four 1,000-kilogram bombs, two 1.2-ton torpedoes, four Hs 293 guided missiles, or two one-ton BV 143 glide bombs. Only one was built, leaving the aircraft as a prototype rather than an operational force. Its stores promised a heavy long-range anti-shipping strike, while the airframe's size made it an obvious target. A merchant convoy without an escort carrier offered a more plausible target than a defended task force. The concept depended on finding a vulnerable target and delivering its weapons before defending aircraft could intervene.