WWII WW2 GERMAN NDL OCEAN LINER STEUBEN FELDPOST 1944 HOSPITAL SHIP DISASTER RAR

Description

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This one is VERY rare!  A prewar (1938 or 1939) color postcard of the North German Lloyd ocean liner General Von Steuben, which had her name shortened to "Steuben" in 1938, which means this card was printed in 1938 or 1939 before she was seized by the Kriegsmarine as a U-boat crew training accommodation ship.
In 1944 the Steuben was put into service as a transport bringing troops across the Baltic to Gottenhafen, and returning with wounded as a hospital ship.  This card is postmarked with a Luftwaffe feldpost number during that period, so presumably the Luft soldier was aboard her going to the east or coming home wounded.
The Steuben has a tragic place in history, having been pressed into service by Admiral Donitz during Operation Hannibal, the evacuation of Germans that were cut off in the east.  She left Pillau on February 9, 1945 with more than 5,200 wounded and refugees aboard and was sunk by the Russian submarine S-13 just before midnight that same day - some 4,500 souls were lost, making this a much larger disaster than the sinking of the Titanic.  Only 650 survived the sinking.
Very rare card from this tragic ocean liner that was mailed just nine months before she met her terrible end.  A little age spotting on it, but, not bad at all and finding a card from this ship is extremely rare, let alone a 1944 feldpost issued card.
Buyer to pay for USPS priority mail postage, will ship to U.S. addresses only, please ask questions first, all sales final, no refunds or returns, I do my best to describe things accurately.  Thanks!