Stamps series "Winter Relief Fund - Ships"

1651. - Lifeboat "Bremen". This is the a modern diesel engined lifeboat of the German Association for Shipwrecked Rescue. This boat was stationed at Nordernay.

1652. - Lightship "Elbe I". Built in 1912 and still used during World War II.

1653. - Fishing smacks. On the Courland Split, East Prussia.

1654. - S.S. "Wilhelm Gustloff". 25,000 ton liner off Madeira. One of the four liners specially built for the K.d.F. (Strength through Joy) organisation. She was used to bring back the German "Condor Legion" after the Spanish Civil War. On 25th July 1938, she was moored in the Thames and used as a floating polling station to allow German nationals in G.B. to record their votes on the Austrian Plebiscite. She was converted into a hospital ship in World War II and was sunk in 1945 while carrying refugees. The loss of nearly 10,000 persons remains the greatest maritime loss of life in history.

1655. - Four Mast Sailing ship "Padua".

1656. - Steamer "Tannenberg". A turbine engined vessel of 5,500 ton of the "Naval Serice East Preussia". Was used on the Kiel-Lübeck-Danzig-Memel service. Became a naval minelayer in World War II, using Naval Fieldpost No.04766. She was sunk by enemy action in the Baltic

1657. - Barge "Schwerin". a train ferry owned by the German State Railways, functioning between Warnemunde, Germany and Gjedsen, Denmark. A curious craft with a movable bow to allow trains and cars to board her. She was capable of carrying a full train consisting of seven passenger coaches or eighteen goods trucks. She was running up to 1941

1658. - Fast Steamer "Hamburg". of the H.A.P.A.G. Line. Built at Hamburg 1926. 21,300 ton and 600 feet long. She ran on the Hamburg-New York run, doing the trip in 10days at 16 knots. She was used as a troop ship during World War II and was sunk off Sassnitz (Rügen Island) by the R.A.F. whilst carrying troops and supplies to the German forces in Russia.

1659. - Express Steamer "Europa". built 1930 by Blohm & Voss for Lloyd Northern Germany. 49,746 ton with a speed of 28 knots, carrying 2,244 passengers. Maiden voyage to New York, 19th March 1930 which won the "Blue Ribbon" for the West bound passage, averaging 27.91 knots, only to lose it to the "Bremen" who averaged 28.51 knots. Following the example of her sister ship the "Bremen", she also carried catapult mail. Her first catapult flight being 15th September 1930. She had a total of 40 plus 23 supplementary flights from her decks. She was taken over by the Allies in 1946 and given to France to replace the lost "Normandie" she was renamed "Liberte"