Page 48 - Chinese International Airmail to 1949
P. 48
2. Wartime Disrupted Routes
2.1 Mail to Europe
On 10 June 1940 Italy declared war on the British, and on 16 June 1940 the French surrendered to Germany. These
events had the immediate effect of closing the Mediterranean to Allied aircraft, forcing air mail carriers to seek
alternative routes. A number of route variants were introduced during the difficult operational wartime years:
2.1.1 Trans‑Pacific, across the USA and Trans‑Atlantic 2.1.4 ‘Over the Hump’ and Horseshoe Route to Egypt
2.1.2 Horseshoe Route to Durban 2.1.5 ‘Over the Hump’ and Empire Route
2.1.3 ‘Over the Hump’ to West Africa and Double Atlantic Crossing
UK
Paris Munich
Rome
New York Lisbon
San Francisco
Miami Cairo Kunming
Hong Kong
Calcutta
Khartoum Rangoon
2.1.1. Manila
Lagos
2.1.2.
2.1.3. Surface
2.1.4. National
Airlines Durban
2.1.5.
Routes 2.1. Wartime air mail routes from China to Europe.
2.1.1 Surface to Hong Kong, PAA to the Philippines, PAA to San Francisco, air to New York,
PAA to Lisbon, Air France to Marseilles
7 Feb 1941 ‑ Shanghai to Claremont‑Ferrand, France. Arrival backstamp (3 Apr). Rare Air Transit 6 handstamp applied at Hong Kong,
with manuscript AV2 13/2 on back. Single rate letter $0.50 + $5.40 = $5.90.
