Germany year 1991 stamp 165pf Graff Zeppelin ☀ MNH (**)
The Graf Zeppelin was a German aircraft carrier named after Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the pioneer of rigid airships. It was one of the two aircraft carriers Germany built during World War II, the other being the Graf Zeppelin’s sister ship, the Peter Strasser. However, while the Peter Strasser remained incomplete and never saw action, the Graf Zeppelin was launched and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) in 1938.
The Graf Zeppelin was laid down in 1936 and launched in 1938. It was designed to carry a complement of around 40 aircraft, including fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers. The carrier was approximately 262 meters (860 feet) long and displaced about 33,500 tons when fully loaded. The Graf Zeppelin remains one of the most prominent examples of unrealized potential in naval warfare. Its limited service and ultimate fate underscore the challenges faced by Germany in developing and deploying effective naval assets during World War II, particularly in comparison to the naval power of the Allied forces.
