Ships

Third Reich

Set Date(s)

4 November 1937

Ships

This series was issued on 4 November 1937 to support the Winterhilfswerk charity program.

The stamps depict:

3+2 Pf — lifeboat Bremen of the German Society for Shipwreck Rescue
4+3 Pf — light ship Elbe 1
5+3 Pf — fishing boat
6+4 Pf — KdF Wilhelm Gustloff *
8+4 Pf — sailing ship Padua
12+6 Pf — steamer Tannenberg
15+10 Pf — ferry Schwerin
25+15 Pf — fast steamer Hamburg
40+35 Pf — express steamer Europa

* Historical footnote — about 7 years later, the Wilhelm Gustloff was sunk by a Soviet submarine, causing the greatest loss of life (≈9,400 people) in a single maritime disaster in history.

The “x” variety has vertically rippled gum, and the “y” variety has horizontally rippled gum.

For booklets of these issues, see MH 44.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Germany issued several sets of stamps to benefit the Deutsche Nothilfe and Winterhilfswerke charity programs. In conjunction with these issues, the Reichspost posted advertisements depicting the stamps and encouraging patrons to purchase them for the benefit of the charity.

Ships

This series was issued on 4 November 1937 to support the Winterhilfswerk charity program.

The stamps depict:

3+2 Pf — lifeboat Bremen of the German Society for Shipwreck Rescue
4+3 Pf — light ship Elbe 1
5+3 Pf — fishing boat
6+4 Pf — KdF Wilhelm Gustloff *
8+4 Pf — sailing ship Padua
12+6 Pf — steamer Tannenberg
15+10 Pf — ferry Schwerin
25+15 Pf — fast steamer Hamburg
40+35 Pf — express steamer Europa

* Historical footnote — about 7 years later, the Wilhelm Gustloff was sunk by a Soviet submarine, causing the greatest loss of life (≈9,400 people) in a single maritime disaster in history.

The “x” varieties have vertically rippled gum, and the “y” varieties have horizontally rippled gum.

For booklets of these issues, see MH 44.

Set Date(s)

4 November 1937