By Stanley Gibbon given as HELIOS but according Navicula the depicted steamer belongs to the “Stern Class” FRANZ JOSEF I later JUPITER, WILHELM II later URANUS, SATURNUS and HELIOS.
The profiles of the ships of this class are all the same, and identification of the ship depict on the stamp without the original photo after which the stamp is designed is impossible.
Tonnage of the class are 1000,76 gross 701,65 net, 736.3 tons empty. Dim. 81.2 x 9.0 x 2.86m., length between pp 78.2m. Breadth over paddle boxes 17.4m., draught 1.82m.
One compound diagonal steam engine 1.065 hp., speed 21 km. Side paddle wheel steamers.
Could carry 1.400 passengers, crew 42.
Capacity to carry 32 ton express cargo.
The four ships were built on the yard of the Donau-Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft (DDSG) at Altofen Obuda, Budapest for there own account.
Till 1945 this four ships were the largest vessel on the River Danube and between the two world wars mostly used in the service between Vienna-Budapest and Giurgiu.
Between 1935/36 converted from coal to oil firing.
FRANZ JOSEF I built in 1916, 1919 renamed JUPITER.
1941 Hospital vessel for the German Danube flotilla.
12 May 1944 sank by kilometer pile 1072 (Bazias) after an encounter with a mine. Refloated but again sank near km. pile 1113.
1945 Wreck scrapped.
WILHELM II Built in 1916, 1919 renamed URANUS.
1941 Hospital vessel.
She was not reconditioned after the war for passenger service.
Used as a hotel vessel at Linz until 1957.
SATURNUS, built in 1920.
1941 Hospital vessel. After the war not reconditioned for passenger service.
Used as hotel vessel at Linz until 1957.
HELIOS built in 1922. 1941 Hospital vessel. 1943 Staff vessel for the Danube flotilla.
01 April 1945 after hit by a bomb she sank at Hainburg. Refloated by the U.S.S.R and repaired.
From 1949 again in service sometimes between Vienna and Ybbs, otherwise on Austria’s rivers, renamed KAVKAS. (KAUKUSUS other source.)
September 1953 sank, according some reports after a boiler explosion.
Austria 1937 24g sg806, scott?
Source Navicula. Paddle steamer resources by Tramscape.