Description
This is a color postcard of the battleship S. M. S. Ostfriesland. She was part of the four-ship Helgoland Klasse. She was commissioned in 1911 and was part of Battleship Squadron Nr 1 at WW I’s beginning. She participated in the Battle of Jutland (Skagerrakschlacht) and was undamaged. However, while returning to port she struck a mine and was repaired upon her arrival. After WW I she was turned over to the U.S. Navy. In 1921, she was the first battleship to be sunk by aircraft off Virginia’s coast. The airplanes were commanded by General Billy Mitchell. [Mitchell was later court-martialed by the military for his strong views about aircraft. He correctly predicted that Japan would strike the U.S. Navy. The B-24 medium bomber later was named for him]. The postcard shows the ship steaming at sea. It was never mailed.
