The German postal authorities showed interest in the possibility of the rocket as a future method of mail transportation, until it was eventually proven unsatisfactory.
The first experimental rocket mail was on 15 April 1931 in Dielingen, near Osnabruck, by R. Tiling. Further experiments were conducted in the Hartz mountains by Gerhard Zucker beginning in 1933.
The first night rocket mail flight was attempted in Stiege on 4 November 1933. The rocket exploded and the mail was destroyed.
The second night flight was successful, carrying mail from Stiege to Hasselfelde.
A special rocket flight was conducted on behalf of the Winterhilfe in 28 January 1934. All proceeds of this flight were for the Winterhilfe. Zucker's rocket flight attempted to carry mail from Hexentanzplatz in the Hartz mountains to Rosstrappe in Bodetal. This flight was successful and carried seven hundred items of mail.
Twelve hundred sets of perforated special rocket stamps and eight hundred imperforate sets were issued, but normal stamps postage stamps also had to be used to ensure mail delivery. Three values were issued: 1/2 Mark, 1 Mark, and 3 Marks.
The violet cancellation reads: "Rocket Launch Thale-Hartz 28 January 1934". Carried mail was cancelled "Hexentanzplatz/Thale (Hartz) 28 January 1934".
(Edited from Philately of the Third Reich, Postage and Propaganda by Alf Harper, 1998, Album Publishing Company, Inc. Photos of stamps from my collection.)
No comments:
Post a Comment