SECOND WORLD WAR POSTCARDS

This page was last updated
18-Feb-2025 12:38

LUFTWAFFE POSTCARDS
'DER ADLER'

This series of postcards appeared as part of an annual calendar produced by Scherl Velag, the same company that printed "Der Adler" - The Eagle, magazine. The calendar appeared in 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1944. I have never seen an example of a calendar from 1940 or 1945, so I suspect only the above mentioned 4 issues were produced.

CALENDAR FORMAT

The format of the calendar consisted of one page for each week of the year, and beneath each weekly set of dates there was a tear-off postcard, see here for the complete calendar pages for 1941, 1942, 1943 and 1944.

POSTCARD FORMAT

The postcards are unnumbered. The 1941 edition and 1942 calendars each have 53 individual postcards; the 1943 and 1944 calendars do not have any tear off postcards. The total number of collectable postcards therefore is 106 (excluding the advertising cards). The reverse of each card has a brief description of the image found on the opposite side.

MAGAZINE FORMAT

The magazine on the other hand ran to 146 issues, printed every other week from 1st Mar 1939 until 12th Sep 1944. Each issue initially had 24 to 36 pages, but as the war dragged on the number of pages was reduced to a mere 12 pages. The magazine was widely available in Germany but was also available in dual languages comprising German and one of the following: English, French, Italian, Romanian or Spanish.

If you have a card and wish to know where it appeared in the calendar you can compare the text on the back of the card with the following list, click the link and you will be taken to the relevant position. Alternatively, you can search through all of the postcards from 1941 or 1942

Introduction
1941: Jan to Mar
1941: Apr to Jun
1941: Jul to Sep
1941: Oct to Dec

1942: Jan to Mar
1942: Apr to Jun
1942: Jul to Sep
1942: Oct to Dec

1941 CALENDER

No. 41
5th to 11th Oct 1941

"Flak schutzt Deutsches Land. Aufnahme Dr. Strache"

'Flak protects the German country.' Photograph Dr Strache

No. 42
12th to 18th Oct 1941

"Der Führer und Oberste Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht bei feinen fliegern an der front. Aufnahme H. Hoffmann"

'The Führer and Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht with fine pilots at the front.' Photo by H. Hoffmann

No. 43
19th to 25th Oct 1941

"Deutscher Kampfflugzeuge zerstört einen feindlichen Eisenbahnknotenpunkt" - Zeichnung Richard. Heβ

'German fighter planes destroy an enemy railway junction' - drawing R. Heβ

No. 44
26th Oct to 1st Nov 1941

"Was spielen und singen sie? Natürlich "Erika ..." Eine fröhliche arbeitspause beim Bodenpersonal. Aufnahme A.B"

'What do they play and sing? Of course, "Erika ..." A happy break at work with the ground crew.' Photograph by A.B

No. 45
2nd to 8th Nov 1941

"Fallschirmjäger greifen ein. Absprung im Rüden des Feindes. Aufnahme Scherl."

'Paratroopers intervene. Jump in the enemy's rear.' Photograph by Scherl.

No. 46
9th to 15th Nov 1941

"Helm ab zum Gebet". Aufnahme Scherl

'Helmets off to pray' Photography by Scherl.

No. 47
16th to 22nd Nov 1941

"In Reih und Kleid. Mehrzwede Schwimmer flugzeuge vom Baumuster He 59 wachen einfakbereit an Deutschlands Küsten. Aufnahme A. Stöder"

'In rank and file. Twenty floatplanes of the He 59 type stand guard on Germany's coasts, ready for action.' Photograph by A. Stöder

No. 48
23rd to 29th Nov 1941

"Zwei Me 109 Jagdeinfitzer vernichten einen feindlichen fesselballon." - Zeichnung R. Heβ.

'Two Me 109 fighters destroy an enemy barrage balloon" - Drawing R. Heβ.

No. 49
30th Nov to 6th Dec 1941

"Bord- und Küftenaufklarer vom Baumuster Ar 196. Eines dieser flugzeuge hat am 5.5.40 ein britisches u-Boot eingebracht." Aufnahme Arado-Archiv

'Ar 196 reconnaissance seaplane with floats. One of these aircraft attacked a British submarine on 5.5.40.' Photo from Arado archive '

No. 50
7th to 13th Dec 1941

"Musikkorps der Luftwaffe" - Aufnahme Scherl

'Luftwaffe Music corps' - Photograph Scherl

No. 51
14th to 20th Dec 1941

"Der Kran hebt das katapultflugzeug wieder an Bord, nacjdem es den Luftraum in weitem Unkries aufgeklärt hat" - Aufnahme Dr. Strache.

'The crane lifts the catapult plane back on board after it has cleared the airspace in a great deal of trouble' - Photographer Dr. Strache.

No. 52
21st to 27th Dec 1941

"Weihnachten an der front" - Aufnahme Dr. Strache

'Christmas at the Front' - Photograph Dr. Strache

No. 53
28th to 31st Dec 1941

"Flughafen an der Ostsee. Die Tore öffnen fich - die flugzeuge stehen startbereit" - Aufnahme A. Ströder.

'Airport on the Baltic Sea. The gates open - the planes are ready to take off '- photo by A. Ströder