This post is a serialisation of an article that originally appeared over 75 years ago in ‘Das Motorrad’, the popular Motorcycling magazine in the German Language as it covered the proceedings of the 1939 ISDT, an event to finish in controversy and the results eventually annulled by the FIM.

After Day 1 and Day 2 we arrive at Day 3

ISDT 1939 – Report from ‘Das Motorrad‘: The 3^rd Day

report by Von Gustav Mueller

Of course, all the officials and team members did meet at the time check up at the Großglockner[1]. The road is too inviting, especially if you can’t get there for free! But even if one has to abstain from something else for this, if one is in this region, you have to ride up onto the Glockner, that is a point of honour. And, possibly directly afterwards to the Franz-Joseph-Haus. But the best is the descent to Heiligenblut. For this, you need to have some luck, as the weather changes quickly up there, and with some bad luck, you may sit in the fog. This part of the event gave a lot to the competitors, as the Glockner road is splendidly constructed, so that it could be done easily within the time schedule. At the top, right in front of the check point, they had some time to have an ample look around.

Photo – Sometimes it became very tough, and this picture shows, how Korpsführer Hühnlein [Head of the NSKK] himself gives a hand to help a stuck sidecar outfit.
The rider is DDAC [Der Deutsche Automobil Club – the German Automobile Club] man #29 Schrimpf on the BMW R 17 outfit. ISDT 1939 (das Motorrad)

This post is a serialisation of an article that originally appeared over 75 years ago in ‘Das Motorrad’, the popular Motorcycling magazine in the German Language as it covered the proceedings of the 1939 ISDT, an event to finish in controversy and the results eventually annulled by the FIM.

We have recently started mapping the course of the event which can be found on the blog ‘Mapping the 1939 ISDT‘

The first part sets the scene of the first day and here we move to the second day.

ISDT 1939 – Report from ‘Das Motorrad‘: The 2^nd Day

report by Von Gustav Mueller

If only the riders had seen more of the wonderful route we travelled the second day! This route perhaps is the most beautiful one could pack into 373 kilometres. The days route was named “Salzkammergutstrecke”[1] but it could have been named “Five Lakes Day”, too.

The first lake was the ‘Mondsee’[2], which everyone will know. From the Mondsee, the route led to the ‘Attersee’. Unfortunately, the route went only a short section along the lakes shore, and then turned off to the side. Whoever comes to this place once, of course must take the wonderful road, running directly along the lakes shore. It is very pretty, but also very narrow. And if you drive along there, think about the Six Days riders and how they had to “conjure” to be fast. From the Attersee, the route took a big loop over to Gmunden, to the maybe most beautiful lake of the Salzkammergut, the ‘Traunsee’, which we renamed “Traumsee”[3] due to its beauty. From the Traunsee, the road went over to the ‘Wolfgangsee’, you know about the “Weiße Röß’l”[4], and then along the valley of the river Traun to Bad Ischl and Bad Aussee.

Here they had chosen a stunning terrain, and here many did earn points. The roads, on which one eventually might have been able to win some time, were so narrow, that there was no progressing. Additionally, there were large buses, which, although perfectly driven by their drivers, in the end could not be made less wider than they are. And many stupid private drivers, who thought they were absolved from their duty to ride on the right hand side of the road, when hooting loudly.

Photo – Here #34 Harold Taylor BSA [EZY 928?] still had been happy and was full of hope, his machine was o.k., and he, as a careful rider and great expert, had nothing to fear from his side. Second man behind him is the Italian #43 Ranieri on a 500cc Sertum, behind him Feldwebel [Sergeant] Grimm from the Kraftfahrtschule der Luftwaffe [Air Force motoring school], a man who took part at such a big event for the first time, and he made it quite good. On the first day, he had been outwitted by so many tyre punctures, that he did earn 35 points, all the other days he remained without points. ISDT 1939 (das Motorrad)