Gallery

MEDITERRANEAN JOURNEY (Mittelmeerfahrt) of the LZ127 ‘GRAF ZEPPELIN”

[Figure 8 shows a Danzig-to-Barcelona cover dropped at Seville and the machine stamped cancellation in Figure 9.

SECOND JOURNEY TO AMERICA OF THE LZ 127

I. Start:                                       16th May 1929 06:00 Friedrichshafen
Emergency landing:             17th May 1929 20:00 Cuers, France

II. Start:                                     1st Aug. 1929 03:30 Friedrichsha-en
Landing:                                    4th Aug. 1929 02:52 Lakehurst

Duration of the Flight:        71 hours, 22 minutes
Fee:                                             Card- 2.60 Gulden. Letter- 5.00 Gulden (20 Grams)

Obtained in Danzig for delivery:

I.       149 letters  -  -  171 cards
II.      69 letters  -  -  60 cards
218 letters 231 cards = 449 pieces total

Price: Card I. 15 RM  -  II. 40 RM  -  -   Letter I. 30 RM  -  II. 65 RM

Due to an unsuccessful motor experiment, the first attempt of the third ocean crossing by a German airship caine to an end. Little by little, all the motors experienced a broken crankshaft. The emergency landing at Cuers (a French airship port) was the only rescue possible for the ship, the mail, the freight and the passengers. After a few days of makeshift repairs, the LZ 127 was transported back to Friedrichshafen where the ship was laid up for 2 1/2 months.

The mail taken on board in the month of May and already stamped with the large (34 mm) blue circle cancellationwith the inscription: “Luftschiff GRAF ZEPPELIN / 1. AMERIKAFAHRT 1929” plus a symbolic representation of the airship over the New York’s Statue of liberty, was given to the post office in Friedrichshafen for safekeeping Figure 10. Later the mail received the one-line 8.5 mm long red rubber stamp imprint: “Beförderung verzgert wegen Abbruchs der 1. Amerikafahrt”. (“Transportation delayed because of the termination of the 1. journey to America”.) This cancellation distinguishes the mail delivered for the original start from the mail delivered in June and July, which carries only the circle cancel as described above and is significantly scarcer. Figure 11. These pieces are by far rarer and therefore the prices must lie about 200% higher for letters and 300% higher for cards over the first delivered pieces of mail as by the second delivery, in proportion to the first, only 32% letters and 20% cards were counted.

The post office in New York, N.Y. 7 certifies the arrival on the 5th of August 15:00 o’clock, by imprint of the day cancel. For example, an actual case is noted that a letter posted May 11th arrived in America not before August 5th.

Danzig Report   Nr. 6 – November - December - 1975, Page 8.