Catapult mail

Catapult mail was a method of expediting mail. Seaplanes would be launched from special passenger liners by on-board catapult in order to reach land one or two days earlier than the arrival of the ship. This was a premium service (extra cost) that could only be done during the summer months when the weather allowed.

There were several experimental flights of catapult mail. German shipping company Norddeutscher Lloyd is reported to have initiated catapult service, first experimentally in 1929 then in regular transatlantic service 1930-36 from its two liners Bremen and Europa. Covers to America were cacheted and had special cancels including the flag cancel for the ship. Most such covers originated from the ship so German stamps are typically found on covers. Covers to Europe often have US or German franking and were cacheted.

After a period of experimental flights in 1937, direct commercial transatlantic flights made possible by seaplane (flying boat) put an end to catapult mail. 



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