File:USSR 1931-07-25 Graf Zeppelin cover.jpg

English: USSR 1931-07-25 LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin cover, from the third stage of its flight.

Graf Zeppelin’s Arctic Flight in 1931 was both a scientific expedition and a dramatic display of the airship’s ability under extreme conditions. In July, 1931, the ship carried a team of scientists from Germany, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Sweden on an exploration of the Arctic First Stage: Friedrichshafen-Berlin. The journey began on Friday, July 24, 1931, with an 8 hour-7 minute flight from Friedrichshafen to Berlin-Staaken airfield.

Second Stage: Berlin-Leningrad. LZ-127 departed Berlin-Staaken in the early hours of July 25, and passed over Sweden, Estonia, and Finland before landing that evening in Leningrad.

Third Stage: Leningrad to Franz-Josef Land and rendezvous with icebreaker Malygin. On Sunday, July 26, Graf Zeppelin left Leningrad to begin its voyage north. Around 7:00 PM in the evening the ship crossed the Arctic Circle, flying over the White Sea between the peninsulas of Kola and Kanin. Late afternoon July 27 1931, LZ-127 reached Hooker Island in Franz-Josef Land and landed on the water to exchange sacks of mail with the Soviet icebreaker Malygin, which was on a tourist cruise to the Arctic. As with other Graf Zeppelin flights, the polar expedition was largely financed with revenue from stamp collectors. Graf Zeppelin transferred about 650 pounds of mail to the Malygin, and picked up about 270 pounds of mail from the Soviet ship in return; about 50,000 pieces of philatelic mail in total were carried on the flight (as was this cover).

Mail dropped at the Malygin received an anchor shaped transit cancel from the ship 'BRISE-GLACE "MALYGUIN" - ARCTIQUE - 27VII31'. Mail was delivered to passengers or transported via icebreaker or dogsled back to land, where it was then forwarded to addressees around the world.