Gallery

 

flight. The official start of the air service took place on 1st October and even then mail was first sent to Berlin for onward transmission by air from there.

From 20th October mail was eventually flown from Danzig, but after all that the service was stopped from 30th October due to atmospheric conditions. The briefness of this period makes for rarity and there can only be sendings to the above—named countries. Some letters from the first flight bear a cancellation dated 29th September, the first day of issue of the airmail stamps. Towards the year end there were two further special flights and these were
- on 27th December 1920 from Berlin via Danzig to Königsberg and
- on 28th December 1920 the return flight to Berlin.

1921
With the resumption of airmail service in 1921, Danzig was allowed to open routes to mainland Germany and adjacent countries such as Switzerland. On 20th February the “Danziger Luftreederei” [Danzig Air Transport Company]. was formed which later, from 11th November 1921. became known as “Deruluft”, and this company had the sole concession for carrying airmail. The rapid development of the business is illustrated by the following events in 1921

- 1st April : opening of the route Berlin via Danzig to Königsberg operated by “Lloyd-Ostflug”. During 1921 there were flights on this route for 219 days altogether.

- 14th April : traffic to Amsterdam commenced.

- 19th April : extension of the Danzig-l{onigsberg route to Memel with daily service. On this route in April, May and June there were 99 flying days, 31 in July reaching 92 with August and September which is evidence that already in those days this was a very regular means of communication.

- 6th May : on the leg from Berlin to Danzig, intermediate stations at Stettin and Stoip were set up.

- 26th June : opening of the route to Iovno.[Now known as Kaunas in Lithuania].

- 29th July : on the occasion of the Agriculture and Industry Exhibition in Riga (Latvia] a route from Danzig via I{önigsberg to Riga was opened with three flights per week. Altogether there were 27 flying days on this route.

- 20th August: the route from Danzig to Kovno was likewise extended to Riga.

- 20th Sept. : the route to Riga was further extended to Reval.[Now known as Tallinn in Estonia].

- 21st Oct. suspension of all traffic.

In the Summer of 1921 Danzig air trade had to contend with great difficulties caused as a result of The Treaty of Versailles. That is to say that the Fokker aeroplanes belonging to the “Danziger Luftreederei” were seized under the terms of the agreement. Up to 10th August they had to make do with older machines. Once more due to such seizures the business had to come to a halt on 8th September. On 14th September yet again as a result of seizure under the Treaty, traffic to Berlin was suspended and the remaining machines were reserved for use on eastern routes only.

To be concluded in Report No. 64.

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 63 - April - May - June - 1989, Page 23.