Galerie

 

to 1930 were discontinued.

On 10th July 1928 an agreement was concluded between the Danzig State Postal Authority and the Polish air company which put the Polish Post Office on equal terms in their use of routes.

In October Danzig began to participate in the by now regular flights of the Zeppelin airships inland and abroad.

1929

The year 1929. the crisis already cast its shadow before it, Government subsidies were reduced to almost nothing. The inevitable consequences of this were restrictions on air trade. Thus in the new year all the small airports like Stoip, Marienburg. Tilsit, Allenstein and Insterburg were no longer flown to. Even Memel was struck from the list. Sendings to and from Memel were only flown from and to Königsberg and were endorsed with the handstamp that has been discussed to some extent in another chapter “Mit Zug weiterbefördern”.[Forwarded by train].


The year 1929 nevertheless brought Danzig into participation in a new kind of airmail forwarding. That is to say in forwarding by catapulted aeroplanes (also known as “Catapult flights”) from the ships “Bremen” and “Europa” when flying on to New York or in the reverse direction to Southampton. The ships were owned by ‘Norddeutschen Lloyd”. As is pointed out in Part II of my study these catapult flights with genuine Danzig frankings are rare, but particularly rare are catapult flights via Southampton to Danzig. This catapult airmail was in operation until the end of 1935. .

From 1936 only follow—on flights from Cologne and Cherbourg to these ships were made since they already from 1930 —• 1932 carried goods to the ship “Columbus”, because this ship had no facilities for catapult flights

1932 ;

This year brought for Danzig yet another high point for airmail arid the collector of it. From 22nd to 31st July the International Airmail Exhibition took place in Danzig. A special set of postage stamps (not airmail stamps) of five values was issued for this occasion. Furthermore coming out of the arrangements for the exhibition, a special postal stationery card with the stamp impression of Michel No.202, was produced as a privately printed issue.

On the occasion of the exhibition one also finds a competition flight of children’s air balloons. Those cards addressed to the exhibition organisers which were found and returned are much sought after.

The visit by the Zeppelin constituted the high point. For the occasion of the exhibition there were three Zeppelin flights with distinctive special cachets :
1) The flight from Friedrichshafen to Danzig, the so-called “Lupostafahrt” .

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 64 - July - August - September - 1989, Page 6.