Kaiserliche Marine: German Imperial Navy Postcards, Set 32

4 Comments

1. SET 32

   1. Liebe Lotte! Kiel, d. 26.2.15
   Gestern fühlte einer unserer Kameraden sich veranlasst einen Bierabend zu veranstalten. Bei dieser Gelegenheit wurde auch das schöne Lied gesungen: „Lippe Detmold eine wunderschöne Stadt“. Da habe ich lebhaft an den Abend im Schwimmbad – Kast.(?) denken müssen, wo Du mir dies vorsangst. Es war schön damals. Es grüßt Dich vielmals herzlich Dein Dich tr(eu) l(iebender) Ernst

   Dear Lotte! Kiel, 26.2.15
   Yesterday one of our comrades felt obliged to organize a beer party. On this occasion we sung the nice tune: “Lippe Detmold a beautiful city”. I vividly recalled the evening at the swimming pool at Kast.(? abbreviation), where you sang that song for me. It was nice back then. Many affectionate greetings from your truthful loving Ernst

   2. Liebe Lotte! Kiel, d. 25.1.15
   Du wirst wohl auch von der Seeschlacht in der Nordsee gelesen haben und den untergegangenen gr(oßen) Kreuzer „Blücher“ hast Du ja auch im Bilde, schade um ihn. – Wie geht es Dir noch mein Lieb? Dich vielmals herzlich grüßend bin ich in treuer Liebe Dein Ernst.

   Dear Lotte! Kiel, 25.1.15
   You will have read about the naval battle in the North Sea and you have a picture of the sunk big cruiser “Blücher”, too bad for her. – How are you me dear? Many affectionate greetings I am in true love your Ernst

   3. Liebe Lotte! Kiel, d. 22.1.15
   Wie geht es Dir noch? Habt ihr auch noch immer tüchtig Arbeit? Hier in Kiel ist noch immer alles beim Alten. Anbei wieder ein dicker Dampfer. Dich vielmals herzlich grüßend bin ich in Treue Dein Ernst

   Dear Lotte! Kiel, 22.1.15
   How are you? Do you still have lots of work? Here at Kiel everything is still the same. Enclosed another big steamer. Many affectionate greetings I am your truthful Ernst

   4. Liebe Lotte! Kiel, d. 27.1.15
   Dein Kartenbrief, Brief und die Schuhe erhielt ich, für alles meinen besten Dank. War heute wieder mit Freund Praschner aus, er bleibt einige Tage hier. Deine lieben Zeilen werde ich bald beantworten. Die herzlichsten Grüße sendet Dir Dein treuer Ernst.

   Dear Ernst! Kiel, 27.1.15
   I received your card letter, card and shoes, many thanks! Was out with friend Praschner today, he stays a few days. I will answer your dear lines soon. Many affectionate greetings from your truthful Ernst

   5. Liebe Lotte! Kiel, 3.7.15
   Morgen findet unser Gauturnfest statt; wenn ich für Morgen frei bekomme und heute Abend kein besonderer Dienst mehr für Morgen befohlen wird mache ich mit. Hoffentlich glückts und wir haben gutes Wetter. Sei vielmals herzlich gegrüßt von Deinem treuen Ernst

   Dear Lotte! Kiel, 3.7.15
   Tomorrow we will have our county gymnastics festival, if I get leave tomorrow and there will be not extra duty ordered this evening for tomorrow, I’ll participate. Hopefully it works that way and the weather will be fine (in those days they had the festivals under an open sky, not inside a hall). Many affectionate greetings from your truthful Ernst

   6. Liebe Lotte! Kiel, d. 20.2.15
   Anbei eine Ansicht d(er) „Hansa“. Diese Art Schiffe sind im modernen Seekriege nicht mehr verwendbar, da sie nicht genügend durch Panzer geschützt sind. Wie geht es Dir noch mein Lieb? Dich vielmals herzlich grüßend bin ich Dein tr(euer) Ernst

   Dear Lotte! Kiel, 20.2.15
   Enclosed a view of “Hansa”. This kind of ship is no longer useful in modern sea warfare, they are not protected enough by armour. Ho ware you my dear? Many affectionate greetings from your truthful Ernst

   7. Liebe Lotte! Kiel, d. 25.11.14
   Deine lieben Karte vom 22.d.M. kam in meinen Besitz, besten Dank. Es hat mich sehr betrübt, dass Herr Cielsky von der Welt hat Abschied nehmen müssen. Doch es ist ein schöner Tod und Gott wird ihn für seine Verdienste belohnen. Anbei eine Ansicht eines unserer größten und modernsten Großkampfschiffe. Es grüßt Dich vielmals herzlich in inniger Liebe Dein Ernst.

   Dear Lotte! Kiel, 25.11.14
   Your dear card dating 22nd of this month came into my possession, many thanks. I was very saddened that Mr. Cielsky hat to take his leave from the world. But it was a nice death and God will reward him for his merits. Enclosed a view of one of our largest and most modern tall war ships. Many affectionate greetings in truthful love from your Ernst

   8. Liebe Lotte! Kiel, d. 26.1.15
   Die Engländer feiern jetzt das Treffen in der Nordsee als großen Sieg, obgleich doch sie die am schwersten Geschädigten sind. Es ist nur zu bedauern, dass wir so bitter wenige moderne große Schlachtkreuzer besitzen. – Ich bin jetzt hier Schießunteroffizier geworden. In der Hoffnung, dass Du noch recht gesund bist grüßt Dich vielmals herzlich in Treue Dein Ernst.

   Dear Lotte! Kiel, 26.1.15
   The English celebrate the clash in the North Sea as a great victory, although they are the ones who suffered most. It is just regretful that we have so few modern big battle cruisers. – I am now the NCO responsible for small arms training. Hoping that you are still well I am sending affectionate greetings, truthful, Ernst.

2. From Urs:

   Set 32

   #1 is a double of 31 #4

3. Good eye! It’s the same ship, but a different postcard. I think there might even be another postcard of the same ship in the bunch…

4. Set 32

   # 2
   Ernst refers to the engagement (not quite a “battle”) at the Doggerbank, an area of shallow water in the central North Sea. The German 1st Scouting Group Admiral Hipper in command) had put to sea to surprise and sink British watchships and cruisers there. As the “von der Tann”, one of the modern and fast “Large Cruisers” (really: battle cruisers) was undergoing repairs, Admiral Hipper hat taken along as a “replacement” the older armoured cruiser “Blücher”. “Blücher”, however, was considerably slower than Hipper´s other ships, being the last German large warship built with reciprocating engines as propulsion (all others had turbines, already).

   The Royal Navy had, in the first months of the war, learned to decipher the German Naval code and had prior knowledge of Hipper´s raid. Therefore, Admiral Beatty was able to set up a trap with his 5 battlecruisers and 2 cruiser squadrons. When both sides met at the Doggerbank at the morning of Januar, 24, 1915, Hipper turned to flight before Beatty´s superior force. During the chase, the “Blücher”, a ploughhorse among racehorses, fell slowly behind. After a heavy hit in the central ammunition supply system (another of “Blücher”´s weaknesses), “Blücher” became a lost case and was sunk after numerous hits, eventually, 792 men going down with her.

   Due to erroneous and misinterpretable signals made by Beatty´s staff and “Blücher”´s sacrifice, the other German ships got away.

   Another remarkable event was a heavy hit on the German “Seydlitz”, Hipper´s flagship. It detonated the propelling charges in the storage chambers of the two 11”-turrets aft and incinerated both turrets with 165 men. The chief petty officer responsible for the water supply system (Pumpenmeister Wilhelm Heidkamp) saved the ship from total destruction through a imminent detonation of the turret´s s grenade magazines by flooding the magazines, turning the red-hot vent wheels with his bare hands. He died, eventually, of his wounds in 1931.

   # 8
   This is another reference to the Doggerbank fight (see above). Ernst´s opinion that “the English suffered most” is probably based on the erroneous German opinion that the british battlecruiser “Lion”, Beatty´s flagship, was sunk, too (it was heavily damaged)