BACKGROUND: The OKM, Oberkommando des Kriegsmarine, (High Command of the Navy), and the OKW, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces), both realized the importance of propaganda and as early as 1938 they both actively began recruiting photographers, journalists and artists, who were assigned to Propaganda Companies which accompanied all three branches of service in the field. In his position as the Reichsminister, für Volkserklärung und Propaganda, (National Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda), Dr. Paul Josef Goebbels assisted the Armed Forces by compiling a list of suitable photographers, journalist and artists, and provided an eight week war correspondents training program for them. The photographs, artwork and reports from the Propaganda Companies were utilized to maintain morale, assist in recruitment and record the exploits of the German Armed Forces in the field. Much of the Propaganda Companies work would appear in assorted books, newspapers and magazines such as, Die Wehrmacht, Der Adler, Die Kriegsmarine and Signals and were also used in recruitment posters and postcards. Of Note: As was common practice during the Third Reich, capital ships were quite often named after earlier German heroes and the Battleship Scharnhorst was named in honor of the Imperial Prussian General Gerhard Johann David von Scharnhorst, (1755-1813), who had assisted in reorganizing the Imperial Prussian army, along with Gneisenau, in the early 1800's restoring morale and resulting in the defeat of Napoleon I at Leipzig in 1813. The Schlachtschiff Scharnhorst, (Battleship Scharnhorst), was launched on October 3^RD 1936 and was one of the most fortunate of Hitler’s high seas surface fleet, having survived the Norwegian campaign in 1940, two extended forays in the Atlantic, a year of bombing by the RCAF at Brest, the daring channel dash from Brest to Wilhelmshaven in February 1942, and the British attack at Alten Fjord in September 1943. On December 26^TH 1943 the Scharnhorst was sunk by a British battle group off of the North Cape of Norway with a loss of one thousand thirty-two men of the total one thousand sixty-eight crew members.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 3 5/8" x 5 1/2", mid-weight, card stock postcard features a black and white, full length, profile, photograph of the Battleship Scharnhorst with black printed stylized script, "Schlachtschiff Scharnhorst". The unused postcard is in overall very good condition with minor age yellowing.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $72.00