Hapag's Cruise Ship "Meteor"

A postcard showing Hamburg-America Line (HAPAG)'s cruise ship "METEOR" . The ship had a funnel , two masts, a speed of 12kn and the typical sailing clipper shapes. The ship could accommodate 283 passengers.( Builder: Blohm & Voss ;Tonnage:3613 grt;Length: 91.20m ; Width: 13.40m )
The launch took place on 15th March 1904 and the maiden voyage from Hamburg to Norway on 3rd June.

In 1922 "Meteor" came under the ownership of Det Bergenske, Norway and on 7th May 1940 was seized by the German Navy and converted into a hospital ship.

The "Meteor" fell on 9 March 1945 after an air raid in the harbour of Pillau, Prussia (present-day Baltiysk , Kaliningrad, Russia.)

According to the postmarks on the back side , this post card ( from my collection ) was sent on 19 July 1905 from Odda, Hardangerfjord, Norway to Leipzig ( via Hamburg port) where it arrived on 24th August.

According to the information found on the net the Meteor ship was:

"Seized in Bergen, Norway by the Germans on July 27-1940 (Apr. 27-1940?), used as Kriegsmarine (German Navy) hospital ship. Renamed Rostock in March-1942, then Meteor II on May 28-1942.
In service in the Baltic with Norwegian crew. Against international rules the Germans used her to transport 230 armed German soldiers.
Attacked by Russian aircraft on March 9-1945 at Pillau harbour, capsized. Out of a crew of 70 Norwegians, 4 died. 24 died altogether in this incident"

It was strange for me that a Royal Navy seized ship ended in Prussia on March 1945...

lovely card!

That is beautiful. Thank you for posting. And thanks for the additional information, Cursus.

Another great card March.

I really love those old ship cards. I think that they were far more 'ornate' in those days compared to current ships.

The cancellations are very nice and clear too.

Chimo

Bujutsu