She was built as a cargo vessel under yard no 180 by the Deutsche Werft A.G. Kiel for the Deutsche Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft HANSA at Bremen.
14 March 1925 launched under the name SCHWARZENFELS (III)
Tonnage 7.894 gross, 4.902 net, 11.130 dwt., dim. 468.2 x 60.4 x 32.6ft.
Two 6 cyl. DWK 4 S.C.S.A oil engines, manufactured by the shipbuilder, 3.600 bhp. Speed 12 knots.
Bunker capacity 1.600 cubic meters oil.
17 July 1925 completed.
1933 Sold to Deutsche Lufthansa A.G. Bremen, handed over in July 1934, and converted into an aircraft support and catapult ship by the yard of AG Weser. Renamed SCHWABENLAND.
1935 Stationed off Bathurst and used for transatlantic mail delivery for the South American mail planes. the first planes were the 10 ton Donier Wale, then the Donier 18.
The planes were mounted on steam catapults on the deck of the ship, and could be started and refueled easily in this way. The plains were hoisted on deck with a 15-ton crane, and launched via a 14 ton Heinkel catapult over the stern.
During the summer of 1936 shifted to a position off the Azores for the North Atlantic mail service, and during the summer of 1937 shifted to a position off New York.
1938 The U.S.A. Post refused to extend the existed license, and the SCHWABENLAND returned to Germany.
She was refitted for a voyage to the Antarctic for the cost of about 1 million Reichsmark at Hamburg.
17 December 1938 sailed from Hamburg and bound for the Antarctic. They reached the ice on 19 January 1939 at 04 15W and 69 10S. During the next weeks on 15 flights the two plains on board the Passat and Boreas flew across 600.000 square kilometer of the Antarctic and took during this flight more than 11.000 pictures.
All the area scanned were claimed to be German territory. The claimed area was named “Newschwabenland”.
She sailed from the Antarctic during the middle of February and the SCHWABENLAND returned to Europe.
12 Oct 1939 Taken over by the German Navy, she got now 8 – 37mm AA guns. She served under Luftzeuggruppe See at Kiel.
Sept 1940 transferred to Norway waters.
24 March 1944 at Egersund torpedoed by the British submarine HM TERRAPIN, she was beached to prevent her sinking. Refloated during May/June 1944
Temporarily repaired and from 07 February 1945 used as store hulk in the Oslofjord.
May 1945 Taken as a prize at Oslo. January 1946 accommodation ship at Oslo-Sandvika.
31 December 1946 scuttled in the Skaggerak with a cargo of gas bombs/shells.
Paraguay 1983 5g sg?, scott2089.
Sources. Navicula. http://www.think-aboutit.com/Undergroun ... rctic1.htm
Deutsche Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft “HANSA”, a World Ship Society publication.
http://www.ww2.dk/articles/catapult.htm
Only the SCHWABENLAND is on a stamp, other ships depict on the MS are US ESSEX (CV-9).
A catapult start from the BREMEN, only part of the deck is visible. US PENNSYLVANIA and the passenger liner ILE DE FRANCE.