Kriegsmarine photoalbum of a seaman from the Schnellboot flotilla

Schnellboot Flotilla 1 is written on his Donald Duck or sailor's cap. Schnellboot means «fast boat» in German and was the fast attack craft of the German Navy during WW2. The 1. Schnellbootshalbflottille was formed in March 1932. In 1935 the flotilla was stationed in Kiel. It saw action in the Polish campaign in 1939. Since April 1940, the flotilla took part in the occupation of Norway. From May 20, the flotilla was deployed off the Dutch-Belgian coast. On May 31 it was operating against the Allied evacuation transports from Dunkirk. At the beginning of the Russian campaign, the flotilla was used to secure minelaying in the eastern Baltic Sea. One of the photos shows a lifebuoy with the inscription «1. Schnellbootsflotille» and identifying even the boat number as «S.12» or Schnellboot S-12. There are about 140 photos and postcards in this album from the different war theatres from Norway to Greece.