VOL . XXIX, NUMBER 1 JANUARY 200 3 American Helveti a Philatelic Society The Graf Zeppelin's Shuttle (Pendulum) Flights of 193 5 by Michael Peter The success of the German catapult airmail service in the North Atlanti c prompted Lufthansa to develop simila r utilization of a catapult to complete an ai r bridge in the South Atlantic. In the absence of aircraft with adequate range t o make the ocean crossing, a support shi p with a catapult in the ocean would provide a method for refueling a flying boat an d making the trans-Atlantic flight possible . Experimental flights for the Atlanti c portion of the route were conducted durin g May and June 1933 . At the beginning of February 1934 , Lufthansa, the German air service , established a bi-weekly airmail service to Commercial Letter to Argentina from the first Shuttle Flight of 193 5 South America. Airplane flights were made out of Berlin, Germany with mail stops at Stuttgart , Seville, Spain; Las Palmas, Canary Islands ; and Bathurst, Gambia. At Bathurst, the mail wa s transferred to flying boats, which flew the 2000-mile transatlantic portion of the route from Gambia t o Natal, Brazil. This DLH service was later integrated with the South American flights of the Gra f Zeppelin. The German airmail service to South America was considered a single service, whether the flights were made by the Zeppelin, the airplanes of the DLH or both . The first regular airmail flight between Germany and Brazil (via Bathurst) started in Berlin o n February 3, 1934, when a Heinkel He 70 flew Rates for Swiss mail during this time period : to Seville, Spain . Here the mail wa s Base rates transferred to a Junkers Ju 52, which the n flew to Bathurst via Las Palmas . At Bathurs t Postcard 20 Rp the mail was transferred to an 8-ton Dornier Letter to 20 gram s 30 Rp Wal flying boat, the Taifun, and flown to Each additional 20 grams 20 Rp Natal, Brazil via the Westfalen . In Brazil, the Printed Paper, per 50 gram s 5 Rp Condor Syndicate air service forwarded th e Plus the following airmail surcharge mail to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Bueno s To Brazil: Aires, Argentina . Postcard or letter, per 5 grams 1 .70 Fr Flights were made twice monthl y Printed Papers, per 25 grams 1 .70 Fr between Brazil and Germany until July 1934 , when the service was increased to weekl y To other destinations in South America : flights. Postcard or letter, per 5 grams 2.00 Fr In November 1934, a 10-ton Dornie r Printed Papers, per 25 grams 2.00 Fr Wal flying boat was (continued on page 12) Content s The Graf Zeppelin's Shuttle (Pendulum) Flights of 1935 by Michael Peter 1 President's Message by David Durham 3 Next AHPS Meeting at BALPEX 3 Temporary TELL Editor Needed by George Struble 3 AHPS members LaBlonde, Stone, and Zeigler in Important Positions 4 Herbert Brach's Book 4 Helvetia Takes Lead Role at CHICAGOPLEX 4 Critique of TELL at CHICAGOPEX by George Struble 5 World War II Mail from Switzerland - Part 14 by Charles J. LaBlonde 6 Matterhorn Meanderings by Richard T. Hall 1 4 Used Sitting Helvetia Proofs - Part II by Stuart MacKenzie 1 7 Index for TELL Volume 28 : 2002 1 8 American Helvetia Philatelic Societ y ELECTED OFFICERS 2001-2002 APPOINTED OFFICER S President Treasurer TELL Editor Slide Chairman David E . Durham Harry C . Winter George Struble Richard W . Blaney 149 Ontario St. 614 Westwood Avenue 210 18th St . NE 20 Paddock Roa d Honeoye Falls, NY Ann Arbor, MI 48103-Salem, OR 97301-4316 South Easton MA 14472-1139 3557 Home : 503-364-3929 02375-140 1 Home : 585-624-5575 Home : 734-761-5859 gstruble@willamette .edu 508-238-313 4 dedur@aol .com harwin@umich .edu TELL Associate Editor REPRESENTATIVE S Past President Regional Director West Steven S. Weston Union of Swis s Philatelic Societies James A . Anderson Donn Lueck P.O . Box 86 8 14463 E . Wagontrail Pl . P . O . Box 11582 Del Mar CA 92014-0868 Ralph Soderber g Aurora, CO 80015 Phoenix, AZ 85061 760-752-7812 P .O. Box 3606 7 Home : 303-617-7836 Home : 602-841-1322 Grosse Pointe Woods , jamesaanderson@attbi .com donn3@earthlink .net Circuit Sales Manager MI 4823 6 Emil L . Tobler Home : 313-885-412 5 Vice-President Regional Director Central P.O . Box 2 6 William R . Lucas Ralph Soderberg, M.D. Bradford RI 02808 American Philateli c 8912 Pinnacle Peak Rd ., P. O . Box 36067 Home : 401-377-2238 Society PM Box 559 Grosse Pointe Woods, Ernest L. Bergma n Scottsdale, AZ 85255 MI 48236 Auction Manager 1421 Harris St . Home : 480-342-9739 Home : 313-885-4125 Gordon Trotter State College, PA 1680 3 [email protected] 10626 Fable Row 814-238-0164 Regional Director East Columbia, MD 21044 E-mail : elb3@psu .ed u Secretary & Librarian Helen Galatan-Stone Phone : 410-730-793 6 Richard T. Hall P.O . Box 770334 Fax : 410-740-7215 Liechtenstein Stud y P.O. Box 15053 Woodside NY 11377 trotters@toad .net Group Asheville, NC 28813 Home : 718-478-2374 Chm : Ralph R .Schneider Home : 828-681-0581 [email protected] Publicity Chairman P .O. Box 2304 9 rtravis@alum .mit.edu Awards Chairman Belleville IL 6222 3 Harlan F . Stone [email protected] t P .O. Box 77033 4 AHPS Website : http : //www.swiss-stamps.org Woodside NY 1137 7 Home : 718-478-237 4 [email protected] Copyright 2002, The American Helvetia Philatelic Societ y may be submitted as image files or as full size photocopies ; or, we (AHPS) . TELL (ISSN 1042-2072) is the official journal of th e can copy/scan your originals (please consult the Editor befor e American Helvetia Philatelic Society, affiliate #52 of th e sending actual stamps, covers, etc .). Please include your name , American Philatelic Society and a member of the Union of Swiss address and telephone number . Philatelic Societies . TELL is published bimonthl y Subscriptions for 2002 include AHPS dues : United States, $21 ; (Jan/Mar/May/Jul/Sep/Nov) . Canada and Mexico $26 ; overseas air delivery, $31 . Request Opinions expressed in this journal are those of the authors an d membership applications from the Secretary or download fro m are not necessarily endorsed by AHPS or the Editor . Web page . Change-of-Address should be sent to the Secretary . Letters and articles on Swiss, Liechtenstein, UN Geneva and Commercial advertising copy and rate inquiries should b e related philately are welcome and should be sent to the Editor . sent to the Editor . Advertising deadlines : Jan . 10, Mar . 12, May Whenever possible, submit material by e-mail in plain text or a s 12, July 13, Sep . 12, Nov. 13 . a Microsoft Word attachment. Illustrations are encouraged and Printed by Kettle Moraine Printing, West Bend WI 53095 . 2 TELL January 2003 President's Messag e Congratulations, Bob, and thank you for all th e excellent work you have done for AHPS ove r Our Annual Convention at many year! CHICAGOPEX was one of the best ever! Th e Saturday evening was the Award s examination of exhibits, the mingling in th e Banquet, and as usual we had much to cheer bourse, the fellowship at the dinners, and the about . See that article elsewhere in this issue . individual conversations all made this the time Sunday morning we had the traditional Stam p of our lives ! Exchange, again organized by Emil Tobler . Thursday evening, after setting u p All told, we had a wonderful weekend , exhibits, 14 of us went out to enjoy Edelweis s with many persons contributing their efforts . I Restaurant food and the alpine band tha t wish you all could have been with us ! entertained us . See you in Baltimore next August! Friday we had our Seminar with 7 presentations : Mike Peters about zeppelins , Donn Lueck on revenues, Chuck LaBlonde o n Dick Hall sent the editor a set of forma l WW II, Ernie Bergman regarding civilia n minutes of the AHPS business meeting a t internment in WW II, Ian Gilchrist about mai l CHICAGOPEX. The most important item s to the Swiss Brigade during the Crimean War are reported in the President's Message . (!), Harlan Stone on problems of expertizing, an d Dick Hall will send anyone a copy of the Dick Hall responding to a collection of question s minutes on request. that he has received . About 25 persons enjoye d these illustrated programs . Friday evening we had dinner at Bavari a Next AHPS Meeting at Haus, organized by Eliot Landau. Thirty-three of us were there, including our guests, Hermann BALPEX and Sylvia Buff. He is the recently appointe d The 2003 AHPS national convention will Consul General of Switzerland for the midwest be held at BALPEX on August 29-31 in Hun t of the USA. Also present was the President of Valley, Maryland, outside Baltimore . U.S . and the Chicago Philatelic Society . overseas members can get exhibit entry form s Saturday was our Annual Busines s from John Pearson at 684 Shore Drive, Severn a Meeting with 25 in attendance . Harry reporte d Park MD 21244, tel. 410-315-7940, e-mail that our finances are in order and we are solven t [email protected], or www .balpex.org. Gordon [full report for 2002 will be in the March TELL] . Trotter will be our point man for AHP S We will be seeking a renewal of our lapse d arrangements .