21st March 1939 21st March 1939 Holesov Postcard sent through the feldpost service to an address in Osnabrück. The photograph depicting the town of Holešov in Bohemia & Moravia. A 'Vorläufer' postage stamp: The tolerated use of a Czech stamp (Mi.349) following the creation of the Protectorate. Ref: 21.03.1939 Holešov Under the Nazi occupation, 200 Jewish families were deported from Holesov to extermination camps, with almost no survivors returning to the town. The 'New Synagogue', built in 1893, was torched and destroyed by the Nazi occupiers in 1941-42. The synagogue appurtenances were later transferred to the Central Jewish Museum in Prague. After World War II a small community was reestablished, affiliated to the Kyjov community. The Jewish quarter was restored, including the cemetery and the old synagogue, which from 1964 housed a museum of Moravian Jewry, a branch of the Jewish State Museum in Prague. Community records, ḥevra kaddisha statutes, and other documents covering the years from 1653 to 1914 were preserved in the National Library in Jerusalem and in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Johanan b. Isaac, rabbi of the Hambro Synagogue of the London Ashkenazi community at the beginning of the 18th century, was a native of Holesov, as was Gerson Wolf, the historian. Geni.com Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

31st May 1939 Barlog 1473 & 8706 31st May 1939 Barlog 1473 8706 Barlog cartoon postcard depicting a soldier, on leave, rushing towards the railway station. Bestell-Nr.1473. Note:The date cancel is from lager 'Münsingen (Württ) Übungsplatz' (MFP48/70 - lesser seen). Ref: 31.05.1939 The caption reads: Translation required (Gap in the lower line of text has been completed in hand-script with 'Donnestag' ) VARIATION Bestel-Nr.8706. Identical image and caption text as Bestell-Nr.1473. Ref: 03.12.1940 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

1st November 1939 1st November 1939 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

23rd February 1939 Anti-Bolshevism, Vienna 23rd February 1939 Bolschewismus Postcard commemorating the great anti-Bolshevic exhibition, held at the Nordwestbahnhalle, Vienna, December 1938 - February 1939. Publisher: Verlag für Kultur und Wirtschaftswerbung. Berlin. Ref: 23.02.1939 - Fleurs & Papillons, BV2274 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

22nd September 1939 Kreisstegstempel 22nd September 1939 Kreisstegstempel Feldpost card (imprint '(eagle)/ 12.33') with 30mm diameter kreisstegstempel cancel (Type 12). Ref: 22.09.1939 - 21/14, MFPeP79. Feldpost Kreisstegstempel (single circle with bar) variations MFPeP79 - Type 12 - ø30mm. Ref: 22.09.1939 MFPaP78 - Type 19 - ø30mm. Ref: 27.12.1939 MFPaP78 - Type 19 - ø29mm. Ref: 30.11.1939 MFPaP78 - Type 22 - ø28mm. Ref: 27.12.1939 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

24th October 1939 Barlog 8707 24th October 1939 Barlog 8707 Barlog cartoon postcard depicting a soldier holding a huge smouldering envelope. Bestell-Nr.8707. Ref: 24.10.1939 - 29/95 The caption reads: Translation required VARIATION Bestell-Nr.8707. Identical image and caption text as the 1939 version but for a 'clear' publishers logo and Bestell-Nr. in an italic font. Ref: 28.03.1942 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

23rd April 1939 JB: Horn (Niederdonau) 23rd April 1939 Bochmann Horn See 28/61 - JB:Horn1/395 - The only Horn cancel during the 3rd Reich period. See 01.101.942 for postcard view of Horn town Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

5th December 1939 Henschel Hs 123 5th December 1939 Postcard depicting the Henschel Hs 123 dive-bomber (Horn's 'Unsere Luftwaffe' series, Nr. 348). Ref: 05.12.1939 Henschel Hs 123 The Henschel Hs 123 was a single-seat biplane dive bomber and close-support aircraft flown by the German Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War and the early to middle of World War II. It proved to be robust, durable and effective especially in severe conditions. It continued to see front-line service until 1944, only to be withdrawn due to a lack of serviceable airframes and spare parts (production ended in the Autumn of 1938). At the request of Oberst (later Generalfeldmarschall ) Wolfram von Richthofen, chief of staff of the Legion Condor , five aircraft had been deployed to Spain as a part of the Legion Condor , intended to be used as tactical bombers. In their intended role, the Hs 123s proved to be somewhat of a failure, hampered by their small bomb capacity and short range. Instead, the Hs 123s based in Seville were used for ground support, a role in which their range was not such a detriment, and where the ability to accurately place munitions was more important than carrying a large load. The combat evaluation of the Hs 123 demonstrated a remarkable resiliency in close-support missions, proving able to absorb a great deal of punishment including direct hits on the airframe and engine. The Nationalists in Spain were impressed with the Hs 123's performance in battle, purchasing the entire evaluation flight and ordering an additional 11 aircraft from Germany. The Spanish Hs 123s were known as ' Angelito ' (dear angel or little angel), and at least one Hs 123 was in service with the Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force) after 1945. At the outbreak of World War II, the surviving 39 Hs 123s assigned to II. (Schl)/LG 2, were committed to action in the Polish Campaign. This single unit proved to be particularly effective. Screaming over the heads of enemy troops, the Hs 123s delivered their bombs with devastating accuracy. A frightening aspect of an Hs 123 attack was the staccato noise of its engine that a pilot could manipulate by changing rpm to create gunfire-like' bursts. The Hs 123 proved rugged and able to take a lot of damage and still keep on flying. Operating from primitive bases close to the front lines, the type was considered by ground crews to be easy to maintain and reliable in field conditions. The Polish campaign was a success for an aircraft considered obsolete by the Luftwaffe high command. Within a year, the Hs 123 was again in action in the blitzkrieg attacks through the Netherlands, Belgium and France. General Heinz Guderian was continually impressed by the quick turnaround time offered by II.(Schl)/LG 2. Often positioned as the Luftwaffe 's most-forward based combat unit, the Hs 123 flew more missions per day than other units, and again proved their worth in the close-support role. With Ju 87s still being used as tactical bombers rather than true ground support aircraft and with no other aircraft capable of this mission in the Luftwaffe arsenal the Hs 123 was destined to continue in service for some time, although numbers were constantly being reduced by attrition. The Hs 123 was not employed in the subsequent Battle of Britain as the English Channel proved an insuperable obstacle for the short-ranged aircraft. The sole operator, II.(Schl)/LG 2 went back to Germany to re-equip with the Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighter bomber ( Jabo ) variant. The Bf 109E fighter bomber was not capable of carrying any more bombs than the Hs 123. It did, however, have a greater range and was far more capable of defending itself. On the downside were the notoriously tricky taxiing, ground handling, and takeoff/landing characteristics of the Bf 109, which were exacerbated with a bomb load. At the beginning of the Balkans Campaign, the 32 examples of the Hs 123 that had been retired after the fall of France were taken back into service to equip 10.(Schl)/LG 2. The aircraft performed well enough to warrant its use in Operation Barbarossa. At the start of Operation Barbarossa, the single Gruppe of the Luftwaffe that was dedicated to ground support was II.(Schl)/LG 2, operating 22 Hs 123s (along with 38 Bf 109Es). In service use on the Eastern Front, the remaining aircraft had been field-modified with the main wheel spats removed, additional armour and extra equipment fitted as well as mounting extra machine guns and even cannons in under-wing housings. Some volunteers of Escuadrilla Azul (15 Spanische Staffel/VIII. Fliegerkorps ) of JG-27 detached in Luftflotte 2 managed Hs 123s in collaboration of II.(Schl.)/LG 2 units for ground strikes along Bf 109E-7/B fighter-bombers during 1941–42 period. During the initial drive, the unit participated in action along the central and northern parts of the front, including a brief time in support of the fighting around Leningrad, and participating in the battles for Bryansk and Vyazma. The first weeks revealed problems associated with using the Bf 109E which was plagued by undercarriage and engine problems in the fighter-bomber role. Its liquid-cooled inline engine was also more vulnerable to small arms fire than the Hs 123's radial. The winter brought hardship to all German forces in Russia, and the pilots in the open cockpits of the Henschels suffered accordingly. Despite this, they took part in the Battle of Moscow. In January, the unit was re-designated as the first dedicated ground attack wing (in German Schlachtgeschwader 1 , SchlG 1). The Hs 123 became a part of 7./SchlG 1. This 'new' unit participated in operations in Crimea in May 1942, after which it operated on the southern sector for some time, participating in the Second Battle of Kharkov and going on to take part in the Battle of Stalingrad. In the meantime, the small number of operational Hs 123 continued to slowly dwindle. Aircraft had been salvaged from training schools and even derelict dumps all over Germany to replace losses. The aircraft that had supposedly replaced the Hs 123, the Ju 87, also started to be assigned to ground support units, leaving tactical bombing to newer aircraft. The greatest tribute to the Hs 123 usefulness came in January 1943 when Generaloberst Wolfram von Richthofen, then commander-in-chief of Luftflotte 4, asked whether production of the Hs 123 could be restarted because the Hs 123 performed well in a theater where mud, snow, rain and ice took a heavy toll on the serviceability of more advanced aircraft. However, the Henschel factory had already dismantled all tools and jigs in 1940. After taking part in the Battle of Kursk, SG 1 returned to Crimea, and there during late spring 1944, they finally gave up the aircraft that had served all over Europe from Spain to Leningrad. 7./SG 1 traded its last Hs 123s in mid-1944, for Ju 87s, a type that was to have replaced it back in 1937. By 1945, the Hs 123s that remained serviceable were reassigned to secondary duties such as supply dropping and glider towing. The Henschel Hs 123 showed that a slow but rugged and reliable aircraft could be effective in ground attack. Despite its antiquated appearance, the Hs 123 proved useful in every World War II battlefield in which it fought. No Hs 123s are known to have survived. Source: Wikipedia Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

22nd September 1939 22nd September 1939 Bydgoszcz Bromberg FPN25874 Early WWII feldpost from FPN25874 (2. Kompanie Brucken-Bau-Bataillon 624). Featuring a 28mm 'Feldpost' cancel (Type 1) - distinguishing letter 'b', with 3-digit Kenn number 247 (located in Poland). Postcard depicting a scene in Bydgoszcz (German: Bromberg). Ref: 22.09.1939 The story of Bydgoszcz (Bromberg) Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

15th January 1939 Dornier Do 17 15th January 1939 Dornier Do 17 An 'Unsere Luftwaffe' postcard (Nr.227) depicting the Dornier Do 17 light bomber aircraft. Ref: 15.01.1939 Dornier Do 17 The Dornier Do 17 is a twin-engined light bomber produced by Dornier Flugzeugwerke for the German Luftwaffe during World War II. Designed in the early 1930s as a Schnellbomber ('fast bomber') intended to be fast enough to outrun opposing aircraft, the lightly built craft had a twin tail and 'shoulder wing'. Sometimes referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift ('flying pencil') or the Eversharp it was popular among its crews due to its handling, especially at low altitude, which made the Do 17 harder to hit than other German bombers. The Do 17 made its combat debut in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War, operating in the Condor Legion in various roles. Along with the Heinkel He 111 it was the main bomber type of the German air arm in 1939–1940. The Dornier was used throughout the early war, and saw action in significant numbers in every major campaign theatre as a front line aircraft until the end of 1941, when its effectiveness and usage was curtailed as its bomb load and range were limited. Production of the Dornier ended in mid-1940, in favour of the newer and more powerful Junkers Ju 88. The successor of the Do 17 was the much more powerful Dornier Do 217, which started to appear in strength in 1942. Some remaining Do 17s continued in various Luftwaffe roles until the end of the war, as a glider tug, research, and trainer aircraft. A considerable number were sent to other Axis nations, with few surviving the war. The last was scrapped in Finland. Source: Wikipedia Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Mi.700 (12.07.1939) Mi.700 (12.07.1939) Mi.700 Mi.700 Mi.700 (Ref: 16.07.1939) Imprint to the reverse of an envelope dated 31st July 1948 featuring Mi.700 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

27th December 1939 27th December 1939 Voraus gegen Engeland Propaganda postcard featuring an illustration by artist Harry Tress. The slogan translates to 'In 1940 full speed ahead against England', note that 'A.K.' is the abbreviation of 'äußerste Kraft', a naval term for full speed ahead. With feldpost cancel (Type 22) over a red feldpost number cachet (FPN 27928 - Minenschiff 'Kaiser'). Ref: 27.12.19 Story of the Kaiser Postcard depicting the turbinen-schnelldampfer 'Kaiser'. Launched 1905. Fate: scrapped 1954. During WWII converted to a minelayer for the Kriegsmarine. Armed with two 8.8cm guns and could lay up to 180 mines. In 1943 temporarily under the command of Carl Kircheiß. The ship ended her days in Poland as a stationary training and accommodation ship in Stettin. Ref: 07.06.1933 Reverse Extract fro m Wikipedia.de The Kaiser was commissioned by the Nordsee-Linie Dampfschiffs-GmbH from the Stettiner Maschinenbau AG Vulcan in 1904. When HAPAG took over the North Sea Line on 1st January, 1905, it also bought the Kaiser , which was still under construction on the slipway, along with its three other ships – Cobra , Prinzessin Heinrich and Silvana . The launch took place on 8th April, with commissioning on 10th September, 1905. The Kaiser was in service from Hamburg - Helgoland and from there deployed to Sylt or Norderney. The travel time from the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken to Helgoland was around four and a half hours, and from there to Norderney another three hours. Kaiser Wilhelm II used the ship for occasional trips on the North Sea . The Imperial Navy requisitioned the Kaiser on 4th August, 1914 and had her converted to an auxiliary mine ship (having the rear funnel removed). The ship could hold up to 200 mines. Under the command of Korvettenkapitän von Bülow, together with the mine cruisers SMS Albatross and SMS Nautilus , it laid a large mine barrier in the North Sea on September 9th September, 1914. However, the speed of the Kaiser proved to be too slow for a warship. At the end of the First World War she was the flagship for the flotilla 'Elbe' under commander Erich Graf von Zeppelin. In 1918 she was damaged by a mine and had to be made seaworthy again at a repair yard. Following the German surrender the Kaiser was requistioned by Great Britain. However, it was not put into service there and was bought back by HAPAG on 23rd September, 192. In 1922 there was a conversion at the Bremer Vulkan shipbuilding and machine works in Vegesack. On 17th June, 1923, the British steamer Bellbro and the Kaiser collided below the Stör. The starboard side of the Kaiser was damaged above the waterline. One of 1,887 passengers was killed and four were seriously injured. Initially back in service between Hamburg and Helgoland and to Amrum, Föhr and Sylt, the Kaiser sailed from 1st July, 1934, equipped with additional cabins, for the East Prussia sea service . During the Second World War, the Kaiser was converted into a mine ship by the Kriegsmarine. It was armed with two 8.8 cm guns and could carry up to 180 mines. She was temporarily under the command of Carl Kircheiß and was used as a test ship by the Navy from 1943. After the war, the Kaiser was once again given to Great Britain, from where she was handed over to the Soviet Union in 1946 and subsequently then to the People's Republic of Poland in April 1947. In 1949 (as the Beniowski ) she became a training ship of the Polish Navy. The Beniowski was laid up in Gdynia from 1950 and served as a stationary training and accommodation ship in Stettin until she was demolished in 1954. Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page