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Michaelis Luftpost Translation by Giles du Boulay


1922

The year 1922 brought widespread improvement. Thus from 10th August the leading airlines were carrying airmail to most countries abroad from Danzig. For the first time also airmail vignettes were brought into use.

Already before the general resumption of airmail traffic on 6th, 8th and 10th February during a railway strike mail was flown to Berlin and Königsberg without an additional fee being levied.

Likewise before the universal opening of air commerce, a daily air service to Konigsberg was laid on from 18th to 25th February for the duration of the Königsberg Fair — however, because of the prevailing extreme cold, only one flight was possible.

On 19th April the route from Danzig via Königsberg to Memel was reopened with a daily service at least on the leg from Danzig to Königsberg.

On 1st May the route from Danzig to Königsberg was extended via Kovno and Smolensk to Moscow. This route was flown twice weekly by “Deruluft” until 31st October.

On 6th May connections were remade with Berlin via Stettin (but not via Stoip) and with Riga via Königsberg, Memel and Kovno. From 8th May the route Danzig to Riga via Memel was flown three times weekly and a link was maintained with the route from I{önigsberg to Moscow via Smolensk which was opened on 1st May. From 8th May to 29th September 63 flying days were achieved on the leg from Danzig to Memel.

On 5th September a new route was created from Danzig via Warsaw to Lemborg.(Lwow in Poland,now Lvov in the Ukraine). It was operated by “Aerolloyd” and flew three times per week up to 25th September when the service became daily. It was planned to keep this route open through the Winter also, but from 1st December the route was limited to Danzig to Warsaw only.

On 30th September air traffic was generally suspended with the exceptions of the routes from Danzig to Warsaw and to Moscow which latter was kept open until 30th January.

1923

As the route from Danzig to Warsaw was in operation throughout the Winter of 1922/23 it is known that during January regular flights were achieved for about 70% of the time and during February for about 81% of the time, which for those days represented a noteworthy achievement.

From 10th March the route from Danzig to Warsaw was again extended to Lemberg and operated daily. From 5th to 15th September service was interrupted due to a fire in the “Aerolloyd” hangar at Danzig-Langfuhr airport. From 15th September the business only managed a twice weekly flight again.

On 7th May flights from Berlin to Riga via Danzig started again and on 8th May flights to Moscow began again. On 20th July there was a first flight from Danzig to Innsbruck via Berlin, Leipzig. Nuremberg and Munich without any of the paraphernalia of first day or first flight covers and

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 64 - July - August - September - 1989, Page 3.