29 March - The Battle of Cape Matapan ended in 1941

 

The Battle of Cape Matapan  was a naval battle during the Second World War between the Allies, represented by the navies of the United Kingdom and Australia, and the Royal Italian navy, from 27 to 29 March 1941. Cape Matapan is on the south-western coast of the Peloponnesian Peninsula of Greece.

After the interception and decryption of Italian signals by the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park (the decrypted intelligence codenamed Ultra),ships of the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy, under the command of Royal Navy Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, intercepted and sank or severely damaged several ships of the Italian Regia Marina under Squadron-Vice-Admiral Angelo Iachino. The opening actions of the battle are also known in Italy as the Battle of Gaudo.

10r Dhow - TRUCIAL STATES

 

TRUCIAL STATES
Stamps issued: 1961
10r Dhow single

A group of Arab sheikhdoms — Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujeira, Manama, Ras al Khaima, Sharjah and Kalba, and Umm al Qiwain — in eastern Arabia, bordering on the Persian Gulf. These states were under British protection from 1892-1971, joining to form the United Arab Emirates in 1971. In June 1963, Trucial States issues were replaced by those of the individual states, which, in turn, were superseded by those of the UAE in 1972.

 

I am in search of this stamp for my collection.

Robert Fulton - first commercially successful steamboat

 

Robert Fulton (November 14, 1765 – February 24, 1815) was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the world's first commercially successful steamboat, the North River Steamboat (also known as Clermont). In 1807, that steamboat traveled on the Hudson River with passengers from New York City to Albany and back again, a round trip of 300 nautical miles (560 kilometers), in 62 hours. The success of his steamboat changed river traffic and trade on major American rivers.

In 1800, Fulton had been commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte, leader of France, to attempt to design a submarine; he produced Nautilus, the first practical submarine in history.Fulton is also credited with inventing some of the world's earliest naval torpedoes for use by the Royal Navy.

Fulton became interested in steam engines and the idea of steamboats in 1777 when he was around age 12 and visited state delegate William Henry of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who was interested in this topic. Henry had learned about inventor James Watt and his Watt steam engine on an earlier visit to England.

Vasco da Gama's fleet visits the Island of Mozambique on 02 March 1498

 

Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea.

Vasco da Gama spent 2 to 29 March 1498 in the vicinity of Mozambique Island. Arab-controlled territory on the East African coast was an integral part of the network of trade in the Indian Ocean. Fearing the local population would be hostile to Christians, da Gama impersonated a Muslim and gained audience with the Sultan of Mozambique. With the paltry trade goods he had to offer, the explorer was unable to provide a suitable gift to the ruler. Soon the local populace became suspicious of da Gama and his men. Forced by a hostile crowd to flee Mozambique, da Gama departed the harbor, firing his cannons into the city in retaliation.

Paquebot meaning

 

 

Borrowed from French paquebot (“mailboat”). First used in Great Britain in 1894, the term was adopted for general use by the Universal Postal Union in 1897.

A postal marking or cancellation stamped on mail posted at sea or in a harbour for processing by the postal authorities at the next port of call. Mail so marked in one country will often carry the stamps of another country.

The word would typically be stamped in upper case, PAQUEBOT, on the postal item, but when described in text would be written with a capital P only, eg, Paquebot.
 

If you are aboard a ship on the open sea, the deck you are standing on is the territory of the country under which flag the ship sails. This means, if you write a letter on a ship in international waters, you are able to use the stamps of the country of the ship. Additionally the officer can hand over the mail to the local post office at any port anywhere in the world and the mail will be delivered without additional charge.

To mark such a special letter as such, Paquebot cancellations are used.

Here we can see three other forms of paquebot marking. 'LOOSE SHIP LETTER' was marked at Melbourne from 1894 to 1930. 

'PAQUETE = BOTE' was marked at port Davao, St. Cruz Isles in 1929. 'PACKET-BOAT originated at Honolulu in 1903.

We find 'Posted on Steamer', 'Ship Letter', 'Packet-Letter', 'Piroscafo', 'Paqu', 'Parquet', 'Ship Mail', 'Vapor', 'Paquebot ou Navire', 'Paq.', 'Steamboat', 'Fra Skib', 'Skibsbrjef', 'Schiffsbrief', 'Paquete', etc. etc....

Pearl Harbor - Dec. 7, 1941

 

This miniature sheet depicts events of Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor. The battleship USS Oklahoma (BB-37) was sunk at the pier (eventually righted, salvaged and decommissioned); Medal of Honor posthumous awardee Ensign Herbert C. Jones (for actions on the battleship USS California); in the background of the stamp the explosion of the forward magazine of the destroyer USS Shaw (DD-373) is shown. A Day of Infamy in U.S. history.

Contemporary Wood Design -Slovenija- maker of Bled "pletna" boats

 

Anže Logar – maker of Bled "pletna" boats

Ane Logar, who creates exquisite wooden boats at Zazero na Mlinem in Bled, is among the best contemporary artisans who use wood as their primary material. His major offering is the pletna, the recognisable wooden boat that has been a fixture of Lake Bled for decades.


According to certain documents, these vessels were first employed in the 12th century to transport building supplies to the island.The boats were initially referred to as ledenice and then plitvice.
The testimonies from the second half of the 16th century, which describe pilgrims being transported to the island by boats, are more trustworthy. It is unknown exactly when the term "pletna" first appeared.
But because of this, people are aware of its etymology, which reveals that this was a flat-bottomed ship known as Plätten in Bavarian German and Plette, Plettn in Carinthian German.Flat-bottomed boats were referred to as plata or platta in Latin.The Pletna, which has dimensions of 7-8 metres and 2 metres and can accommodate up to 20 people, is the typical Bled boat.The craft is driven standing up (using the "Stehruder" technique) by specially trained pletnarji while utilising two oars.

For ages, the ability to row these boats has been passed down from father to son. On Lake Bled, there are currently 23 of these boats. In addition to the iconic Bled boat, Anže Logar makes other outstanding wooden craft.

Philippine Indigenous Boats – 2021

 

 Philippines issued a Miniature sheet on Indigenous Boats called Bancas. The 55 Peso Miniature sheet was issued on 18 May 2021. The miniature sheet also features fishing boats , rowing boats , & Sailing ships. It is also the National Heritage Month issue.

Bancas or Bangka is used for native watercraft of Philippines , initially it referred to double-outrigger dugout canoes used in shallow waters but now it refers to ships and other larger watercrafts with or without outriggers.

The Indian Coast Guard established on 1 February 1977

 

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is an Armed Force of the Union of India for ensuring the security of the maritime zones of India with a view to the protection of maritime and other national interests in such zones and for matters connected therewith. The Indian Coast Guard was formally established on 1 February 1977 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India. It operates under the Ministry of Defence.

The Coast Guard works in close cooperation with the Indian Navy, the Department of Fisheries, the Department of Revenue (Customs), and the Central Armed Police Forces, and the State Police Services.

Turtle ship or Geobukseon - Royal Korean Navy

 

Large warships of the sort known as the Turtle ship or Geobukseon were employed by the Royal Korean Navy, most notably in the late 16th-century Imjin War with Japan.
This stamp, Scott No. 225, was created by Kang Bak, printed by lithography, and issued by (South) Korea on November 11, 1955 to honour the 10th anniversary of the Republic of Korea Navy. It features a statue of Korean naval commander and national hero Admiral Yi Sun-shin (1545–1598), the Korean Naval jack, and one of Yi's Turtle ships. It also includes a picture of a Turtle ship that has been rebuilt and is on display at the War Memorial Museum in Seoul

 

 

Norden by the Sea II – Rescue Service

 

 

 

 

This information is supplied by Iceland Post

Norden by the Sea II – Rescue Service

Search and rescue services constitute the theme of the 2012 Norden stamps.

For centuries, Icelandic fishermen have lived with the dangers of the sea. Many lives have been lost in the struggle with the forces of nature. The Icelandic Coast Guard and Landsbjörg, the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR), cooperate closely in rescue operations when perils threaten at sea or on land. The professionalism of the Icelandic rescue teams have attracted worldwide attention.

The Coast Guard plays a key role in rescue at sea with its powerful helicopters, ships and planes. The Coast Guard has at its disposal two planes, two helicopters and three ships, Ægir, Týr and Þór. The present stamp commemorates the rescue operations of March 9th 2004 when TF Líf, the Coast Guard helicopter, rescued sixteen crew members of the fishing vessel Baldvin Thorsteinsson EA 10. The vessel went ashore in the South of Iceland after it’s capelin net fastened in the propeller. Rescue units from ICE-SAR assisted on land.

The stamp design is based on an award-winning photo by news correspondent Jonas Erlendsson.

 

TS Stefan Batory- Polish Ocean Lines (SS Maasdam)

 

The TS Stefan Batory was a gas-powered steam turbine driven ocean liner built in Holland in 1952 under the name of SS Maasdam, initially used to service the Dutch East Indies by the Holland America Line. Tonnage: 15,024 BRT; Length: 153.4 m (503 ft); Width: 21.0 m (69 ft); Height: 21.0 m (69 ft).; Speed: 16.5 knots; Passengers: 39 1st class, 734 tourist class; Crew: 336. She was bought from Holland in 1968 and began service as a Polish ocean liner in April 1969, renamed after a king of Poland, Stefan Batory (1533-1586). After TS Stefan Batory was refitted she became the flagship of the Polish Ocean Lines, and she remained in service until 1988. She was the last regularly scheduled transatlantic liner. Here is an image of a stamp depicting the Stefan Batory, issued by Poland on January 30, 1971.

SS Zion - Israel -post-World War II

 

As part of Germany's post-World War II reparations to Israel, Deutsche Werft in Hamburg constructed the SS Zion for ZIM Lines in 1956. Together with her sister ship, Israel, she ran the Haifa to New York route.
The Zion was 152 metres long, 9855 grammes, and 312 passengers in two classes when it was built. She was propelled by steam turbines through a single screw at a speed of 19 knots.

Above is a picture of a stamp featuring SS Zion that Israel released on January 27, 1958. It was created by Israeli sculptor, painter, and graphic designer Miriam Karoly (1926–1994).

SS Normandie - Ocean Liner

 

SS Normandie was an ocean liner built in Saint-Nazaire, France for the French Line Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. She entered service in 1935 as the largest and fastest passenger ship afloat; she is still the most powerful steam turbo-electric-propelled passenger ship ever built. Here is an image of a stamp depicting SS Normandie, issued by France on June 7, 1935, Scott No. 300, Yvert & Tellier No. 299. Just look at that mighty bow wave!

Shipwrecks in the waters off the Isle of Man

 

Isle of Man Post Office presents six stories of the most notorious and significant shipwrecks in the waters off the Isle of Man over a period of almost five-hundred years.

Many hundreds of ships have met their final fate around the coast of the Isle of Man. The Island’s central location in the Irish Sea and proximity to major shipping routes have been factors in centuries of losses.

This six stamp collection, tells the story of six iconic shipwrecks of the Isle of Man.  Four stamps feature archival imagery courtesy of Manx National Heritage, with the older Shipwrecks (The Racehorse and Sancta Catalina), being represented through original artworks by local artist Paul Parker.  

Patache Sancta Catalina - The Spanish Head Armada Wreck 1588

Folk tradition says a Spanish Armada galleon was wrecked in the south of the Island at Spanish Head. People native to Rushen parish are said to have certain Spanish features after survivors married local women, and even today the term ‘Spaniard’ is often heard as a colloquial term for a Manx person from Rushen. 

HMS Brig Racehorse - The Skerranes, Langness 14th December 1822

HMS Racehorse was bound for Douglas to collect the crew of the cutter Vigilant when she struck Langness. Two boats were launched from the Racehorse to seek local help. Despite rough seas, one local boat made several journeys to the wreck. However, on the final journey back to Castletown a large wave swamped the boat drowning five naval crew and three local men.

Brig Lily - Kitterland in the Calf Sound 27th December 1852

The Lily, bound for southwest Africa, with a general cargo, including 61 tons of gunpowder, was caught off the Calf of Man in a storm and driven ashore on Kitterland in the Calf Sound killing five of her crew. Early the next day a salvage party observed smoke coming from the wreck. Carpenters cut a hole in the deck to extinguish the fire. As soon as air entered the hold there was a huge explosion which killed 29 men.

Barque Thorne - Port Jack, Onchan 25th January 1890

The Manx version of Whisky Galore! Heavy seas burst open the ship’s main hatch, and cargo, including whisky and brandy in casks, floated out. The police and customs officials were at hand to try and prevent pilfering, but many individuals still managed to obtain large quantities of spirits, leading to amazing scenes of public drunkenness.

Steamship Clan MacMaster - The Calf Sound 30th September 1923

During dense fog the Clan MacMaster struck the Thousla Rock in the Calf Sound whilst on a voyage from Glasgow for the Far East via Liverpool. She was carrying a general cargo consisting mainly of motorcars, sewing machines, machinery, coal and cotton. She is the largest ship to have been wrecked on the Manx coast. Many homes in the south of the Isle of Man proudly owned a brand new Singer sewing machine after the wreck!

Steam Trawler Cevic - Ballure, Ramsey 26th June 1927

At 3am the second engineer got into the small boat moored alongside the Cevic, to row ashore to collect four men. The rope attaching it to the trawler snapped, and he was cast adrift. His crew mates feared that he would be in great danger in the rough seas. They weighed anchor and attempted to reach the small boat, but failed and the Cevic ran aground on rocks below Ballure on Ramsey South Beach.

Adrian Corkill

Maritime historian Adrian Corkill has been researching shipwrecks in the seas around the Isle of Man for over thirty years. He has built up a database of more than 1,800 shipwrecks and published five books covering several shipwreck topics.

He also explored many shipwreck sites first hand during his scuba diving career which led to the positive identification of a number of shipwrecks and to the discovery of several previously unknown shipwrecks. Adrian is currently working with Manx National Heritage to create the maritime section of the Isle of Man Historic Environment Record from his research.

Paul Parker

Paul was born on the Isle of Man in 1957. He is, for the most part, a self-taught artist. His work is mainly landscape paintings. But also motorcycle racing themes. These are realistic, in a loose impressionistic style. Details being inferred, not defined. He has had many one-person shows on the Island, the first being in 1980. The latest to be held in the Manx Museum this year (2022). He works in watercolour, acrylic and pastel. The subject suggests the medium used. His work is about light and atmosphere. The message, if there is one: "I liked this, and I thought you might too.” A chance to see the world through another's eyes. It's that simple.

Illustrations     Paul Parker
Text                 Adrian Corkill
Printer             bpost
Process            Offset lithography
Colours            4
Paper                PVA gummed 110 gms
Perforations     11.5 per 2cms
Stamp Size       40 x 30 mm
Format             Sheets of 20
Stamp Set         6
Date of Issue     12th October 2022
Limited Editions     Presentation Pack 1100; First Day Cover 1500