Crash site	Valdemarsviken, Sweden
Airline	Deutsche Lufthansa
Aircraft	Junkers W 33 – D-1826 – Karpathen
Route	Stockholm/Lindarängen – Stralsund
Crew	2 – no survivors
Passengers	0

 

The crash

Night mail flights between Sweden and Germany started in 1924 (Stockholm – Warnemünde). From 1929 the route was changed to Stralsund where better railway connections to Berlin and Hamburg were available. From 1930 the route was operated by three Junkers W 33 specially constructed for transport of mail.
On the evening of 6 August 1930 the Junkers D-1826 was loaded with 25 kg mail. The plane took off from Stockholm at 22:50 and shortly afterwards it disappeared. As the weather was very foggy the plane probably flew very low, and it seems likely that the right pontoon and wing hit the water surface and broke off.
The next morning some fishermen observed oil spots between Vieskär and Lökskär south of the inlet Valdemarksviken – around 300 km south of Stockholm.
An airplane belonging to the Swedish company ABA was sent down to search for the plane, and the pilot found the wreck close to the spot where the oil was observed. The crashed plane was lying in the water at the depth of 10 meters.
The wreck was salvaged by the company “Neptunbolaget” on 8 August and brought into Västervik. The two crew members were found a month after the crash.

 

The mail

The mail on board was posted on 6 August from the Stockholm area and addressed to Germany. As mentioned above it was recovered on 8 August and brought back to Stockholm where it was dried and sorted out.
Most of the stamps had fallen off the covers and postcards due to the long stay in water. I have seen one cover with all stamps still in place. It is a registered express letter which perhaps was stored in a safe bag.
The Swedish Post was quick in producing a special label which in French explained about the crash. This label was usually placed on the back of the covers/postcards, and very often the label was cancelled with a Swedish postmark:
– STOCKHOLM 1 9.8.30 UTR. EXP.
– STOCKHOLM 1 9.8.30 AVG. A.
According to Lüning some damaged items were forwarded in glassine service covers. If so the label was glued onto the service cover. I have not seen any examples yet.

It seems as if all the mail was in such good condition that it could be forwarded to Germany where it arrived on 11. August. No special German crash markings are known.

So far I have seen around 20 items – all from Sweden to Germany.

 

 

A.
Swedish label with text in French.
Size: 69 x 52 mm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Examples of mail

Registered cover from Stockholm, Sweden to Berlin, Germany. Forwarded from Stockholm on 9.8. and arrived in Berlin 11.8. Thiesen Collection.
Another registered cover from Stockholm to Berlin, Germany with label type A. Forwarded from Stockholm on 9.8. and arrived in Berlin 11.8. Note the German handstamp at the back  “Beschädigt eingegangen. / Amtlich verschlossen. / signature  / Zeuge ..  which translates to  Arrived damaged / Officially sealed / signature / Witnes  signature Thiesen Collection.
Cover from Stockholm, Sweden to Berlin, Germany. Forwarded from Stockholm on 9.8. Note the little framed German handstamp “Stamp was missing upon arrival. Berlin N. 24”.
Postal stationery card from Sweden postmarked DJURSHOLM 1 6.8.30 and addressed to Stralsund, Germany. Forwarded from Stockholm on 9.8. Note the unusual red airmail handstamp used at the Stralsund Airmail Postoffice.
Cover from Stockholm, Sweden with missing stamp + postmark and addressed to a hotel in Berlin, Germany. When the cover arrived in Berlin on 12.8. the guest had left the hotel and returned to Denmark, so the cover was forwarded to Kopenhagen. Due to the missing stamp the cover was taxed with 25 øre (framed T handstamp and green meter slogan). Spoor Collection.