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Unregistered Surface Mail vs. Registered Air Mail

Changed customs rules for sending registered parcels in the EU frequently cause long delays in delivery, and from time to time even the return of the parcels to the sender. This happens especially often with shipments to Germany, Sweden, Italy, Czechia and Hungary. On the other hand, the postal system works quite well when it comes to unregistered surface mail. In addition to being cheaper, such shipments on average arrive at their destination faster than those sent by airmail. Recently, our registered air mail parcel sent to Italy was delivered after staggering 42 days, while a unregistered surface shipment arrived in Australia in 14 days.

Overview of Prices

TITLEPRICE
Adriatic Guard: The Story of the Naval Aviation of the Kingdom of SHS33,00 EUR
Messerschmitt Bf 109: The Yugoslav Story (Vol.I)    33,00 EUR
Messerschmitt Bf 109: The Yugoslav Story (Vol.II)    33,00 EUR
Dornier Do 17: The Yugoslav Story33,00 EUR
Savoia Marchetti SM.79: The Yugoslav Story    23,00 EUR
Scrapbook of Lost Aviation (Vol.I)    18,50 EUR
Wings of Serbia    65,00 EUR

Overview of Shipment Costs

TITLEEUROPE – UNREGISTERED SURFACE MAILEUROPE – REGISTERED AIR MAIL
Adriatic Guard: The Story of the Naval Aviation of the Kingdom of SHS17,00 EUR20,50 EUR
Messerschmitt Bf 109: The Yugoslav Story (Vol.I)    
Messerschmitt Bf 109: The Yugoslav Story (Vol.II)    
Dornier Do 17: The Yugoslav Story
Savoia Marchetti SM.79: The Yugoslav Story    14,00 EUR16,90 EUR
Scrapbook of Lost Aviation (Vol.I)    
Wings of Serbia    30,50 EUR35,00 EUR
TITLEUS, CANADA & AUSTRALIA – UNREGISTERED SURFACE MAILUS, CANADA & AUSTRALIA – REGISTERED AIR MAIL
Adriatic Guard: The Story of the Naval Aviation of the Kingdom of SHS18,00 EUR21,50 EUR
Messerschmitt Bf 109: The Yugoslav Story (Vol.I)    
Messerschmitt Bf 109: The Yugoslav Story (Vol.II)    
Dornier Do 17: The Yugoslav Story
Savoia Marchetti SM.79: The Yugoslav Story    15,00 EUR17,90 EUR
Scrapbook of Lost Aviation (Vol.I)    
Wings of Serbia    32,50 EUR38,00 EUR

Combined Shipment Costs

The M-Bag shipment provides an opportunity for cheap postage of multiple books to the countries providing this service. Unfortunately, the service was cancelled in most of EU and some overseas countries recently and thus ordering more than one book might not result in cheaper combined postage. Indeed, in some cases sending single books might even be cheaper than sending them together in one parcel. If you have any questions regarding the shipment costs to your country, please contact us at:

CONTENTS

Foreword 5


Chapter 1: Birth of a Navy
First State of the South Slavs 7
Disaster in Istria 11
Liberation of Boka Kotorska 12
Occupation 13
Betrayed Expectations 17


Chapter 2: Difficult Years
Back to Basics 19
New Season and Old Flaws 24
Short Breath of Fresh Air 30
Steps Forward 33
The Lowest Point 35


Chapter 3: Resurgence
A New Start 41
Steady Course 56
On the Brink of War 71
Taming the New Aircraft 77


Chapter 4: Zenith
Growth Continuing 93
The Aeroplane Affair 107
Move to Divulje 108
In Dictatorship 110
Kingdom of Yugoslavia 136


Chapter 5: Camouflage and Markings
Early Period 145
Standardization 147


Chapter 6: Faces from the Past
The Men of PV KSHS 155


Endnotes 159

Appendix 1: Seaplanes in PV KSHS Inventory 1921 – 1929 160

Appendix 2: Ex-KSFK and ex-RIVVF Airmen Enrolled into RM KSHS 161

Appendix 3: PV KSHS Pilots & Pilot Trainees 1921 – 1929 161

Appendix 4: PV KSHS Observers 1921 – 1929 163

Appendix 5: PV KSHS Graduated Aircrews 1928 – 1929 164

Appendix 6: PV KSHS Commanding Structure and Flying Units 1918 – 1929 164

Appendix 7: Known PV KSHS Flying Accidents 1921 – 1929 165

Appendix 8: Approximate Comparison of Ranks 166

Abbrevations 167

Selected Bibliography 168

Selected Archival Sources 168

Selected Internet Sources 168

Adriatic Guard in Color 169

INTRODUCTION

The creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in turbulent international enviroment of the post-Great War Europe requested urgent build-up of its military strength. Hopes that its maritime borders would be guarded with the assets left over by the once mighty Austro-Hungarian Navy were quickly shattered by the Italian Kingdom, which never hid its hostility towards the new eastern neighbour. Nevertheless, no other part of the armed forces of the first Yugoslav state would be founded exclusively on the Austro-Hungarian heritage as was its maritime air arm. The veterans of air battles over the Adriatic, both South Slavic and of other nations, and the aircraft preserved at the seaplane station in Kumbor formed the backbone of the Naval Aviation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The painful and expensive process of its creation and consolidation is illustrated with 34 seaplane profiles and 307 photographs, most of which are published here for the first time. This book represents the result of decades of painstaking research and is drawn from archival sources, interviews and personal recollections, as well as documents and artifacts from private collections in Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Austria, Italy, Czechia, Poland and Hungary.