"Westernland" arriving at Antwerp, poster of 1899 (Red Star Line)

Belgium
In 1855 the Cie. Transatlantique Belge was founded when the railway from Antwerp, the Belgian kingdom's harbour, to Germany has been completed. With the "Belgique" of 2,190 tons a service Antwerp - New York was started commercially unsuccessful however. It ended in 1857. In 1865 a White Cross Line tried it again. In 1872 the S.A. de Navigation Belge-Americaine was founded and in 1874 their "Vaderland" opened a New York service. The company, later known as the Red Star Line, became owned by the International Navigation Company of Philadelphia and was incorporated in 1902 into the mighty International Mercantile Marine Co. (IMM) of J.P. Morgan, cooperating with the American Line. After WWI, in 1920, the black/white liners restarted services on the Antwerp - Dover - New York route. Largest ship was the "Belgenland" (1917/27,150 gt), taken over from White Star. She retained her Liverpool registration and was later transferred to IMM as "Columbia". The complicated history of the Red Star Line, described by Vernon E.W. Finch (The Red Star Line), continued with acquisition by Hamburg ship owner Arnold Bernstein. The last Red Star liners, "Pennland" (1920/16,082 gt, ex "Pittsburgh" of White Star) and "Westernland" (1917/16,231 gt, ex "Regina" of Dominion Line, taken over by Red Star in 1925 resp. 1929), were refurbished for tourist class and car transport and re-entered the Antwerp - New York service in 1935, sporting again the Red Star label. Bernstein planned to build up a shipping group together with the Chemical Bank & Trust Co. of the USA, which was to comprise the Moore McCormack Lines and other enterprises. Being in Israeli, he was arrested by the Nazis in 1937, the Red Star Line, was expropriated, nevertheless maintained services, but in 1939 Red Star was dissolved. "Pennland" and "Westernland" were acquired by the Holland America Line.

Antwerp, Belgium (old card, coll. WS)

"Belgenland" of Red Star Line, Antwerp (old card, coll. WS)

Norway
With a coastline of 2,650 km, covering uncountable rugged fjords with hidden trading centers and safe ports, the sparkly populated country has been since early times a place of daring navigators setting-off to explore and conquer remote territories by ship. The high development of Norwegian seafaring and shipbuilding continued until the Industrial Age. It was however not before 1871, that the Norse American Line opened a route Bergen - New York with the "St. Olaf" and maintained it for roughly five years. In 1931 the Norwegian North Atlantic S.S. Line started transatlantic services becoming the Norske Amerikalinje or Norwegian American Line, connecting Oslo (at that time Kristiania) and Bergen with New York. The route was operated by the 10,000-ton steamers "Kristianiafjord" and "Bergensfjord", followed in 1918 by the twin-funneled 14,000 ton "Stavangerfjord", which finished her career after 45 years in Hong Kong. In 1938 the company received a modern motor ship of 18,763 tons, the "Oslofjord", which became already two years later a victim of the war.

"Bergensfjord" I (via Wikimedia)

In the 1960s, the transatlantic fleet of the Norske Amerika Linje consisted of the motor-ships "Sagafjord" (1966/24,002 gt), "Bergensfjord" II (1956/18,739 gt) and "Oslofjord" II (1949/16,923 gt). They were nice vessels with pleasant, modern appearance.

In 1970, when the jetliner was already the winner, the Royal Viking Line was founded by the Bergen Line, A.F. Klaveness and Nordenfjeldske under participation of the Norske Amerika Linje. The ABS Shipping Guide mentioned it still at the end of the '70s with the "Royal Viking Sea" and "Royal Viking Star" (1972/73/22,000 gt) among the last operators of transatlantic services with one-way ticketing. Rebuilt between 1981 and 83, the trio "Royal Viking Star", "Royal Viking Sea" and "Royal Viking Sun" continued cruising under various owners until the 21st century.

"Vistafjord", Norske Amerikalinje (old card, coll. WS)

"Royal Viking Sky" of Royal Viking Line, Hamburg St. Pauli 1982 (WS)

Sweden
In Sweden the Rederi AB Sverige-Nordamerika was founded in 1914, just when WWI broke out. After the war, at the lastest from 1921, they appeared in the New York arrivals' list as Swedish-American or Svenska Amerika Linjen. Their "Drottningholm" (c.10,500 gt) had been completed in 1905 as "Virginian" of the Allan Line (after WWII becoming the "Brasil", then "Homeland" of Home Lines). The new "Gripsholm" (1925/18,000 gt) was the first diesel-powered transatlantic liner, followed in 1928 by the "Kungsholm (21,500 gt), both built for 16 resp. 19 knots. The new flagship "Stockholm" could not take up service due to WWII. She had been a beautiful diesel-powered triple-screw ship of 28,000 tons, built at Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico of Monfalcone, with her two elegant funnels representing the modern ocean liner style. Launched in 1938, she was destroyed by fire in 1940. A settlement was reached for delivery of a new ship, using parts of the first one. The new "Stockholm" was launched in 1940, sold to the Italian government as "Sabaudia" and was sunk in 1944 near Trieste (information by 'The Great Oceanliners').

The "Gripsholm" operated by 1940 on the Gothenburg - New York route. During the war she served the International Red Cross for the exchange of prisoners and wounded combatants and for diplomatic connections. With return of peace she resumed her transatlantic service. Between October 1949 and early 1950 she underwent modernization at the German Howalt yard at Kiel to commence a common operation with Norddeutscher Lloyd and the Bremen-Amerika Linie. In 1955 the "Gripsholm" passed into the full ownership of the Lloyd. Renamed "Berlin", she became the first German transatlantic liner after the war working to New York and Montreal, but was engaged for cruises as well until she finished her days at the breaking yard in 1966.

A new MS "Stockholm" (11,700 gt) of 1948 must not be confused with her larger namesake of 1939. In 1956 she became famous on account of her collision with, the "Andrea Doria" - see chapter Italy's Pride. The "Stockholm" returned to New York, was repaired and in 1960 she was sold to East Germany, where she became the cruise ship "Voelkerfreundschaft". Later rebuilt, she survived until the 21st century, changing ownership and name several times, becoming the "Fridtjof Nansen", "Italia I", "Italia Prima", "Valtur Prima" and "Athena". A new MS "Kungsholm" (21,514 gt) of 1953 was rebuilt in 1966 to the requirements of NDL as "Europa". In 1981 she became the "Columbus C" of Costa, in 1984 she hit a breakwater at Cadiz and in 1985 she was scrapped.

The latest liners of Svenska Amerika Linjen were the "Gripsholm" (23,191 gt) of 1957 and the "Kungsholm" (26,677 gt) of 1966, beautiful white motor-ships with two streamlined funnels. In 1976 the "Gripsholm" became the "Navarino" of Karageorgis - see chapter Cruises/End of the Liners. The "Kungsholm" was the flagship of Svenska Amerika Linjen. Her 1,103 passengers enjoyed modern spacious accommodations all over the ship, laid out not only for regular service but also for cruises from the start. Equipped with 4 big launches, passengers could be set-off for land trips outside of ports, too. The ship impressed by an elegant styling, featuring a clipper bow and two pyramidically shaped funnels between two masts. Her 28,000 h.p. diesels gave her a speed of 21 knots. Dropping numbers of passengers forced the line to sell the "Kungsholm" to Flagship Cruises in 1975. Still in 1978 the Shipping Guide listed the "Kungsholm" providing regular Hamburg - New York services for that company. In 1979 she was acquired by P&O, which had her thoroughly modernized, whereby her profile had changed profoundly, featuring then only one mast and a single funnel. During her further career she became famous as "Mona Lisa" - see the chapters Cruises.

"Gripsholm" of 1957, Svenska Amerika Linjen (old card, coll. WS)

"Navarino" ex "Gripsholm", Piraeus 1978 (WS)

"Mona Lisa", ex "Kungsholm", Salamis 2006 (WS)

Denmark In 1882 the Thingvalla Line of Denmark opened a route from Copenhagen and Oslo to New York. In 1898 the company was acquired by the Forenede group and continued services Copenhagen - New York as Scandinavian-American Line.
Danish shipping became known with the East Asiatic Company, which had introduced in 1912 world's first ocean-going motor ship, the "Selandia", used on the Far East route. In 1936 she changed to Norway, in 1940 to the Finland Amerika Linjen and in 1942 she sank by torpedo at the coast of Japan.
After WWI the East Asiatic Co. had formed the Baltic American Line. In 1930 its three ships were sold to Poland.

"Amerika", East Asiatic Co. (old card, coll. WS)

"Empire Helford" in 1947, ex "Kosciuskzko" of GAL (old card, coll. WS)

Poland
In 1795 the Polish Kingdom had been disintegrated and distributed among Prussia, Austria and Russia. It was not before the end of the First World War, that a new independent Polish state, now in the form of a republic, was established. It had been conceded an access to the sea with Gdynia becoming the national port, and a Freeport at the neighbouring ex-German Danzig, which had got the status of a Free State community under international supervision. Head of the state and Commander in Chief was Jozef Pilsudski. On account of the force-consuming armed conflicts with Lithuania and Soviet Russia, no thought could be spared for establishing of a merchant fleet. Two foreign companies tried it with Danzig as port of departure, the Baltic Shipping Corporation and the Polish American Navigation Corporation, both of American origin and both short-lived, as Bonsor described it. He mentioned also the Baltic American Line, a subsidiary of the East Asiatic Co. of Denmark, entering that market in 1921. It took until 1930, that a Polish-Danish company, the Polskie Transatlantycie Towarczystwo Okretowe (PTTO) was founded, setting the target to convey emigrants from Europe to the USA. As the traffic was insufficient, the Danish partner East Asiatic was glad to sell its ships to that company, described by Bonsor as the Polish Transatlantic Shipping Co. With increasing of the Polish share, the company changed name in 1934 into Gdynia-Ameryka Linie Zeglugowe (GAL) . Operation was started with the three ex-Danish vessels of the East Asia Company of 6,500 to 7,500 tons, "Polonia", "Kosciusko" and "Pulaski", taking the itinerary Gdynia - Copenhagen - New York - Halifax. Two modern 14,300-ton two-funnel motor ships were delivered from Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico of Monfalcone, the "Pilsudski" and in 1936 the "Batory", which took up service on the Copenhagen - New York route, carrying 770 passengers at a traveling speed of 20 knots, but suffered under heavy rolling. In 1937 the "Batory" was damaged by fire. During the war she served as troop transport. While undergoing restoration for civil duties at Antwerp, fire broke out again. Sister "Pilsudsky" sank in 1939, probably by hitting a mine.

After the Second World War Poland had lost her eastern territories to the Soviet Union, but got compensated with German territories in the west and won with them an extended sector of Baltic coastline. The GAL changed name into Polskie Linie Oceanyczne, known as Polish Ocean Lines. In 1946 the company started Italy - New York services with the "Sobiesci" (according to Bonsor) and in 1947 Gdynia - New York services were resumed with the "Batory". In the meantime Poland had become a Soviet satellite and in 1951 U.S. authorities interdicted the call at New York as a consequence of the Cold War. For a short time only the "Batory" was transferred to an India service. After modernization at Bremerhaven, the "Batory" returned to the Atlantic in 1957 to establish a line to Montreal with calls at Copenhagen and Southampton, but was also used for Mediterranean cruises. From 1969 she served as a floating hotel at Gdynia. In 1971 she went on her last voyage to Hong Kong for scrapping.

In 1968 the Polish Ocean Lines acquired the "Maasdam", built in 1952, from the Holland America Line to take the place of the "Batory" and gave her the name "Stefan Batory". After modernization, the pleasant 15,044-ton motor ship with a single buff funnel, decorated with a red ribbon, laid out for averaging 16,5 knots, entered service on the Gdynia - Montreal route in April 1969. Temporarily she was used for cruises, too. She pleased her clientele by an excellent Polish cuisine and by offering the chance to flee from communism for ever. In 1988 the ship changed into the ownership of the Polish-Greek company Polhellas, was laid up, bought by Stena AB and from 1990 she docked at Gothenburg, Sweden, as a hulk to house emigrants.

"Batory", in the background "Pilsudsky", Gdynia 1937 (via Wikimedia)

"Stefan Batory", ex "Maasdam" (via Wikimedia)

Russia
The Russian Volunteer Fleet or Dobrolyot, founded in 1877 with a strategic purpose, provided only from 1906 to 1907/08 a service between Libau (now Liepova) in the Baltics and New York. The tight connection to the Tsar's Imperial navy is represented e.g. by the fate of the "Petersburg", a two-funnel clipper-bow steamer used on that route: Built in 1894, she was converted into a cruiser in 1904, returned in 1905 and requisitioned once again by the navy in 1914. A passenger-cargo service from Arkhangelsk to New York ended in 1919 (according to TheShipsList). After WWI the designation changed to Russian Marcantile Fleet and in 1925 Sovtorgflot was organized, concentrating on the seas close to the Soviet Union. About a purely commercial initiative, Bonsor informed: "The Russian East Asiatic Company was founded in 1900 by the East Asiatic Co. of Copenhagen (...)". In 1906 they started a Libau - New York route, operated by the Russian American Line, employing the steamers "Russia", "Kursk" and "Czar" until World War I. The "Czar" was employed during the war as a British troop ship. After WWI another subsidiary of East Asiatic, the Baltic American Line, inaugurated Libau - New York services, taking over the "Russ" (ex "Russia"), "Kursk", "Czar" and "Czaritza". The "Czar" became in 1921 the "Estonia" and in 1930 the "Pulaski" of GAL (in 1945 "Empire Penryn", scrapped in 1949). Between the wars, Libau was Ljepaja in liberated Latvia. In the Soviet Union, free market policy ended soon.

"Czar" (via Wikimedia)

After WWII had interrupted traffic, the Soviet Union obtained in 1946 several German passenger ships, but in most cases their activities are not known. The diesel-electric 16,600-ton "Patria" of Hapag was in 1946 handed over by the British to the Soviets, reportedly to be employed as "Rossiya" on a New York route. In 1948 however she took up Odessa - Batumi services. The "Baltyka" of the Leningrad - London route, the former "Vyacheslav Molotov", sister of "Josif Stalin", brought Khrushchev on his first state visit to the USA.

It was not before in the 1960s, when the Soviet Union decided to initiate a North Atlantic passenger line and founded the state-owned Baltiskoye Parochodsvo or Baltic Shipping Company, Leningrad. An order was placed for five ships of 19,500 tons with the Mathias Thesen yard of Wismar in the 'German Democratic Republic', then being a satellite of the Soviet Union. These modern, well-proportioned one-funnel-ships, equipped with Sulzer diesel engines, represented the typical style of the time. Designed for a traveling speed of 20 knots, they provided accommodation for 700 passengers in two classes. Their black hull was later relieved by a white livery, matching the white funnel with the national symbols of Sickle and Hammer on red backround. All five vessels were named after national poets. As the first entered the 19,861-ton "Ivan Franko" the provided Leningrad - Montreal line in 1964. In short intervals followed "Aleksandr Puskin", "Taras Shevchenko", "Shota Rustaveli" and "Mikhail Lermontov", sisters of this so-called 'five poets' class. The last two were used also for cruises from the start. Nevertheless the ABC Shipping Guide of the late '70s listed "Aleksandr Puskin" and "Mikhail Lermontov" still for the Halifax and New York route. Towards 1981 these regular services were stopped due to U.S. sanctions following the Soviets' invasion of Afghanistan and the ships continued to be employed on cruises only. "Mikhail Lermontov" underwent modernization at Bremerhaven to be used for South Pacific cruises. In 1986 she rammed a reef off-shore Port Gore, New Zealand, and sank thereafter.

"Ivan Franko", Piraeus 1977 (WS)

"Arosa Sky", Arosa Line (old card, coll. WS)

Switzerland
With some astonishment the inexperienced ship enthusiast may hear about maritime activities out of this small alpine country. Nonetheless, in 1952 the so-called Arosa Line with headquarters at Geneva run a Bremerhaven - Halifax line with four second-hand ships under the flag of Panama. The operation lasted only 6 years. Most prominent ship was the "Arosa Kulm", a one-screw-transporter of 7,500 tons, built in 1919 at the American International Shipbuilding Company at Hog Island, Pennysylvania due to navy standards. With her straight stem and stern the "Cantigny" was anything else than a good-looking vessel. In 1924 she was acquired as "American Banker" from the American Merchant Lines to be refitted as a combi ship. In 1929 the company was integrated into the United States Lines, Nevada. After a number of name changes, which need not being mentioned here the "American Banker" received Belgian registration. After World War II she sailed as "City of Athens" under the flag of Honduras between New York and Istanbul. After another year she got into the ownership of the Panamanian Lines as "Protea". Once again rebuilt with her berth capacity increased to 900, her destination changed between Central and South America, Australia, Gdynia and Haifa. From 1951 she sailed for the Internacional Transportadora to Canada. This operator got known as the Arosa Line, giving the ship the name "Arosa Kulm". In the course of further conversions her tonnage grew to 8,929 getting the appearance of a real passenger ship. The other ships of the Arosa Line were the "Arosa Star" (9,000 tons), the "Arosa Sky" (17,000 tons) and the "Arosa Sun" (20,000 tons). The insufficient passenger demand could not be compensated by cruises and the line went bankrupt in 1959.

Spain
Despite the long coastlines of the Iberian peninsula and the great merits of their daring seamen with discovering of the world in the 15th and 16th century, Spain and Portugal lost greatly on importance by unfortunate wars. Shipping activities in the 20th century concentrated more on the South Atlantic - see the relevant chapter. The ship owner Pinillos, Izyquierdo y Cia, Cadiz, maintained a well-established place in the North Atlantic navigation running a trio of small two-funnel liners since 1895. in 1908 a bigger sister pair of 5,600 tons, the "Barcelona" and the "Cadiz", joined the fleet. Next delivery was received in 1912 from Russell & Co., Glasgow, comprising the double-screw one-funnel liners "Infanta Isabel" and "Principe de Asturias", working form Barcelona to destinations in North and South America. Two tragedies hit Pinillos, the first in 1916, when the "Principe de Asturias" hit a rock on the way to South America, taking down with her 400 persons. The other occurred three years later with the 5,100-ton "Valbena" with 488 losses. The remaining "Infanta Isabel" sailed then to Havanna, Galveston and New Orleans. In consequence of the tragic losses Pinillos went bankrupt in 1925. The "Infanta Isabel" was sold to Japan (the new owner, Osaka Shosen Kaisha, renamed her "Mizuko Maru" and engaged her on the company's Kobe - Keelung connection).

As strongest competitor of Pinillos had risen the Compania Trasatlantica of Barcelona. They had added Havana - New York services to their Caribbean routes in 1886. However, only from 1900 a direct North Atlantic service Genoa - Barcelona - New York, continuing to Havana and Vera Cruz, had been provided. To rejuvenate its aged fleet of the 1880s, a pair of 10,300-ton liners, the "Reina Victoria-Eugenia" and the "Infanta Isabel de Borbon", delivered from Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd. in 1913, were put in service. These ships operated mainly between Barcelona and South American ports, while New York being a temporary destination. Her drive was distributed over 4 screws, the inner pair powered by high-pressure compound engines, the outer ones by low-pressure turbines receiving the exhaust steam from the reciprocation engines. This combination enabled the "Reina" to achieve an average of 18.12 knots at a low fuel consumption. With a capacity of approximately 2,000 berths in 4 classes the two upper ones decorated in various artistic styles, she represented the top-class of the Spanish passenger fleet. Political reasons forced the Trasatlantica to a name change: "Reina Victoria" became the "Argentina", the "Infanta" the "Uruguay". Both got lost as units of the Republican transport fleet in the civil war. Services of the company had been stopped in 1936, re-started in 1939, interrupted by WWII and resumed in 1945. In the '60s the passenger-cargo ships MS "Covadonga" and "Guadalupe" (1953/10,226 ts) maintained New York services via Puerto Rico.

After WWI, in 1920-21, Trasmediterranea offered New York services. After WWII Naviera Aznar employed passenger-cargo vessels, but soon all services ended.

Portugal
In 1885 the Empresa Insulana de Navegacao of Portugal started a Lisbon - New York service. Soon it disappeared from the timetable. Then no Portuguese ship of importance crossing the North Atlantic could be reported. After WWII, the Companhia Colonial de Navegacao provided services to the USA via the Caribbean with the steamer "Santa Maria" (1953/20,906 gt) still in the 1960s.