SECOND WORLD WAR POSTCARDS

This page was last updated
12-Feb-2025 01:02

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.



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, examples of which are shown below.



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.

The postcards are unnumbered. The 1941 edition has 53 postcards, the 1942 calendar also has 53 postcards and the 1943 and 1944 calendars do not have tear off postcards. Total number of collectable cards is 106 (excludes the advertising cards). The reverse of each card does have a brief description of the image found on the opposite side. The numbers below are the order in which the cards appear in the calendars.

No. 81 - 5th to 11th Jul 1942
Sleeping on Bombs

"Auf Bomben Schaft es sich in einer Ruhepause besonders gut"

'Sleeping on the bombs is particularly good during rest periods'.

No. 82 - 12th to 18th Jul 1942
Happy to be Going Home

"Das hat mal wieder hingehauen!" Lachende Gefichter mährend des Rüdfluges zum heimathafen - Aufn Dr. Strache'

'"That worked again!" Laughing faces during the flight back to the home port. Photograph by Dr. Strache'

No. 83 - 19th to 25th Jul 1942
Ju-88 on the Attack

"Horizontal und Sturzkampfflugzeug Junkers Ju 88 im Angriff" - Auf. BR Stempka βBZ

'Junkers Ju 88 dive-bomber begins a horizontal attack' - Photo by BR Stempka βBZ

No. 84 - 26th Jul to 1st Aug 1942
Fw-200 Long Range Bomber

"Deutscher fernbomber Fw 200 über einem vernichteten britischen dampfer. Die Besatzung hat sich in die Boote gerettet" - zeichnung v. Medven

'German Fw 200 long-range bomber over a destroyed British steamer. The crew saved themselves in the boats" - drawing by von Medven'

No. 85 - 2nd to 8th Aug 1942
Flying low over North Africa

"Im Tiefflug braucht ein Messerschmitt-zerstörer über die Wüste Nordafrikas - Aufn . BR Willi Ruge"

A Messerschmitt destroyer needs to fly low over the North African desert - by Willi Ruge'.

No. 86 - 9th to 15th Aug 1942
Paratroops on Crete

9th to 15th Aug: "General der flieger Student im Kreise der siegreichen fallschirmjäger auf kreta. Aufnahme Dr. v. Kayser." - 'General of the pilot Student in the circle of the victorious paratroopers on Crete. Photograph Dr. v. Kayser.'

No. 87 - 16th to 22nd Aug 1942
Bomb Bays Open!

'Bombenschächte auf! Bomben fausen in die Tiefe und vernichten das feindliche ziel.' - Aufnahme Scherl.

'Open bomb bays! Bombs crash into the depths and destroy the enemy target. '- Photograph Scherl.

No. 88 - 23rd to 29th Aug 1942
Göring addresses air crews

16th to 22nd Aug: "Ansprache des Reichsmarschalls an fliegerbestzungen im Westen. Aufnahme Eitel Lange" - 'Address by the Reich Marshal to aviation crews in the West. Photo Eitel Lange'

No. 89 - 30th Aug to 5th Sep 1942
Breakfast at the field airport

"Stehfruhstud auf dem Feldflughafen - Aufnahme Dr Smolarcznf-Scherl"

"Standing breakfast at the field airport - photo by Dr Smolarcznf-Scherl"

No. 90 - 6th to 12th Sep 1942
Over the Balkans

'Messerschmitt-Zerstörter Me 110 über dem Balkangebirge' - Aufnahme Dr. Grabler-Scherl.

'Messerschmitt-Destroyer Me 110 over the Balkan Mountains' - Photo by Dr. Grabler-Scherl.

No. 91 - 13th to 19th Sep 1942
Bombs and Bombmen

"Bomben unter Palmen. Wieder ist eine groβe Menge Kriegsmaterial für unsere fliegerverbande in nordafrika eingetroffen" - Aufnahme Adler-Archiv.

'"Bombs under palm trees. A large amount of war material has arrived for our air force units in North Africa" ​​- photo from the Adler archive.'

No. 92 - 20th to 26th Sep 1942
Training the Aviators

'Flieger bilden flieger aus, Eine Intruktionsstunge für rumänische flieger am leichten flak-geschüβ - Aufn Dr Grabler-Scherl'

'Airmen train aviators, an instruction course for Romanian aviators on light anti-aircraft fire - Photograph by Dr Grabler-Scherl'

No. 93 - 27th Sep to 3rd Oct 1942
The "Black" guys

"Die schwarzen Jungs" vom Bodenpersonal machen ein kampfflugzeug startbereit" - Aufnahme Striemann.

'"The black guys" from the ground staff are preparing a fighter plane for take-off' - photo by Striemann.'