Germany Berlin Clipper Airmail Censored Cover to USA via Portugal 1941 WWII

Item Specifics

Country

Berlin

Condition

Cover (Postal History)

Stamp Format

Single

Item Description

Grade: Ungraded
Postal History Item : Item Type: Cover. Usage: Postally used. From: PATENTANWÄLTE Dipl. Ing. RICH. E. MÜLLER Dr. WERNER KOCH, BERLIN-CHARLOTTENBURG 2, FASANENSTRASSE 76/77, Germany. (Telephone numbers also printed on reverse). To: Mr. Harold Swanson, P.O. Box No. 2, Harrison, New Jersey, U. S. A. Additional Visible Features: Typed airmail endorsements in red: "MIT LUFTPOST NACH NORDAMERIKA!" (By Airmail to North America!) and "Mit Transatlantic Clipper über Portugal" (With Transatlantic Clipper via Portugal). Standard blue and white "MIT LUFTPOST / PAR AVION / BY AIR MAIL" etiquette. On reverse: Sender's full printed address and telephone numbers. On reverse: Printed text "Auflieferer Heribert Schneider Berlin O 112, Gryphiusstraße 7" (Deliverer Heribert Schneider...). This indicates the person or entity that submitted the mail, likely for special handling or directly to the censorship authority. On reverse: Tan paper sealing tape printed in purple "Geöffnet Oberkommando der Wehrmacht Geöffnet" (Opened High Command of the Armed Forces Opened). On reverse: Three circular "Oberkommando der Wehrmacht" handstamps with eagle and swastika. Small purple rectangular office handstamps on reverse: "1138" and "1140". Postmark Date and Location: BERLIN-CHARLOTTENBURG 2, January 31, 1941, 18:00 (6 PM). Travel Route and Approximate Travel Distance: The cover was routed from Berlin, Germany, via Portugal, to Harrison, New Jersey, USA. Approximate flight distance Berlin to Lisbon (Portugal): ~2,300 km (~1,430 miles). Approximate Transatlantic Clipper route Lisbon to New York (closest major hub for Harrison, NJ): ~5,400 km (~3,350 miles). Total approximate air route distance: ~7,700 km (~4,780 miles). Historical Context: The date January 31, 1941, falls during World War II, though the USA had not yet officially entered the war. The previous day, January 30, 1941, Adolf Hitler delivered a speech at the Berlin Sportpalast, reiterating his earlier "prophecy" regarding the fate of Jews in Europe in the event of a world war. Mail between Germany and the neutral United States was subject to German censorship, particularly if it involved potentially sensitive information. The sender being a firm of "Patentanwälte" (Patent Attorneys) would likely attract scrutiny. The "Oberkommando der Wehrmacht" (OKW - High Command of the Armed Forces) censorship markings indicate examination by the highest level of military censorship. The "Auflieferer" marking suggests this mail may have been submitted through a specific channel or by an entity known to the authorities, possibly due to the nature of the sender's business. Airmail via the Pan American "Transatlantic Clipper" service through neutral Lisbon, Portugal, was a vital, albeit slow and expensive, link between Europe and North America during this period.

Seller Information

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03/05/2019

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Item Location

Florida, United States

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Worldwide

Returns Accepted

No

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