Ad of 1908 for NDL departures from Genoa, by H. Toussaint (coll. Roger Commault, Juergen Klein)

Initially, passengers traveling from the Levant and generally from the Eastern Mediterranean to America had to change ships, most conveniently in Italy or at Marseilles. Already in 1838 the ministry proposed a transatlantic line departing from Marseilles, but in reality it became a port of departure for the Levant and Asia. Later the Fabre Line was the provider of North Atlantic services from Marseilles. This company was founded in 1881 as Cie. Francaise de Navigation a Vapeur Cyprien Fabre. Their vessels of 5,000 to 9,000 tons were surpassed by the nice three-funnel liners "Patria" and "Providence" (11,966 gt), commissioned before WWI, but completion was delayed. From the '20s the two sisters with a white hull and superstructure and blue/white-topped red funnels provided Marseilles - Lisbon - New York services. When the depression hit the traffic, they were repositioned in 1932 on the Marseilles - Levant route of Messageries Maritimes.

"Canada" of 1911, transatlantic steamer, Fabre Line (old card, coll. WS)

"Phoenicia" of 1894, P-class, Hapag (old card, coll. WS)

German Activities
As Italian ocean shipping was not yet adequately developed, Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL) started in 1891 a service from Genoa, temporarily also from Naples, Palermo and even from Alexandria in Egypt to New York. Older ships, mainly of the 5,000 ton River class, were replaced by the Barbarossa class of about 10,500 tons, built between 1896 and 1900, and the 17,324 ton liner "Berlin" of 1908, all two funnel steamers making 15 to 20 knots. Hapag joined the service with the three-funnel Augusta-Victoria class of 1888/89 (7,600 to 8,800 gt, 18-19 knots), the P-class (1893/99), ranging from 5,800 tons, featuring 4 masts and a single funnel, the 6,000 ton Prinz class and the B-class (1897/99, 10,300 to 11,500 gt). Singular trips with an effective propaganda were undertaken by NDL with the famous "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse" (1897/14,349 gt) and by Hapag with the "Deutschland" (1900/16,502 gt), both prestigious former Blue Riband liners with four funnels, and the larger twin-funnel "Kaiserin Auguste Victoria" (1906/25,581 gt).

Already in 1891 the NDL had proposed a CIWL de-luxe train from Altona (Hamburg) to Genoa in order to connect there with its North Atlantic steamers. In 1898 a Gotthard-Express from Berlin, Ostend and Paris was disputed, but the Gotthard railway refused in favour of an own domestic express. Not before 1908 the Lloyd-Express of CIWL Altona-Genoa could start (from 1911 combined with the Riviera-Express), connecting also with the Port Said steamers.

A short adventure (described by Arnold Kludas) was the service between the Black Sea and New York. In 1889 the Deutsche Levante Linie (DLL) had been founded for services Germany - Turkey. In 1902 Hapag with the "Sicilia" and "Georgia" and DLL with the "Seriphos" and "Milos", then the "Tenedos", started a route Odessa - Constantinople - Greece - Algiers - New York. In 1904 it was closed down, but in 1911 Hapag renewed the Odessa - New York service with the 8,000 ton "Corcovado". With World War I all the German services between the Mediterranean Sea and America ended for ever.

The Habsburg Empire

Trieste (WS)

"Kaiser Franz Joseph I" arriving at Malta (old card, coll. WS)

After the defeat against Prussia in 1866, Austria has lost the occupied upper-Italian territory of Venice. Trieste however remained Austria's most important sea port. A service Trieste - Venice - New York by Anchor Line of Great Britain was a short-term interlude in 1874. Then the traditional Oesterreichichischer Lloyd (Austrian Lloyd, Lloyd Austriaco, for its history see Oskar Stark: Eine versunkene Welt, Vienna 1959; compare also chapter Branch Lines/ Adriatic) started in 1882 an experimental North Atlantic service with the "Achilles", but abandoned it due to lack of subsidies. Another enterprise was built up in 1903, based on the private shipping firm of the Cosulich bothers of Trieste and participation by mighty Hapag and NDL. In 1904 the new Unione Austriaca di Navigazione commenced regular services Trieste - New York mainly for emigrants. Bonsor mentioned the sisters "Gerty" and "Giulia" as the first ships of that company, known also as Austro-Americana. Competition (see below) led to a short-term lease of the Hapag steamers "Batavia" and "Bulgaria" by Unione Austriaca, employed as "Polonia" and "Canada" on the Trieste - Canada route, opened in 1913. In the same year the 12,567-ton flagship "Kaiser Franz Joseph I" was introduced on the New York route, its two funnels sporting the red-white-red colours of the Habsburg military flag. From c. 1905 the service had been extended, including the Greek port of Patras.

Cunard and CP
One task of the Unione Austriaca was to ward off the competition by the Cunard Line, which had inaugurated in late 1903 a transatlantic service from Fiume (now Rijeka in Croatia), at that time the major port of the Hungarian part of the Habsburg empire. On the way to New York, calls included Trieste, Naples or Palermo and Gibraltar. Employed was the "Ausonia" (1883/7,250 gt), then also the "Carpathia" (1903/13,600 gt) and some emigrant vessels. The "Carpathia" was the ship which saved victims of the "Titanic" catastrophe.

A service between Canada and Trieste was inaugurated in 1913 by the Canadian Pacific. Already before, in 1911, a contract had been concluded between the Austrian government and the Canadian Pacific Railway to introduce observation saloon cars on the Austrian State Railways (kkStB) in 1912, then announced also for Salzburg-Trieste. The steamer service was opened with the 7,500-ton liners "Lake Erie" and "Lake Champlain", for that purpose renamed "Tyrolia" and "Ruthenia", both built in Glasgow in 1899-1900. The scandal to follow was commented by the historian George Behrend: "The opposition was severe, The North Sea ports principally affected were Hamburg and Bremen, but Dutch and Belgian ports also suffered; the Wagons-Lits Company seems to have left the opposition to the Germans who started a propaganda campaign (...) The C.P.R. officials were arrested, and their office in Vienna shut, and the British Ambassador had to intervene to get them out of custody. The Germans' next move was to take out a High Court action alleging that the C.P.R. had assisted in the emigration of 600,000 Austrians, who thus avoided their liability for military service. The C.P.R. tried to prove that it had carried only 12,000 emigrants in its ships, and eventually showed that, though the lists of names were genuine, some of them belonged to Austrians who had died over a century previously...". In 1913 the CP services Canada - Trieste were stopped after some months.

One of the winners was Cunard, listed with services not only from Fiume, but also from Trieste to New York by Bradshaw's timetable of 1914. The twin-funnel Cunard liners "Caronia" (1905/19,650 gt), "Franconia" and "Laconia" (1911/12/18,100 gt) were reported having called at Alexandria. White Star transatlantic liners departed from Naples. After WWI those Mediterranean services lapsed, but from 1919 at least a short-term service of Cunard with the small "Pannonia" to Piraeus was mentioned. After WWII it was not before 1963 that Cunard decided to re-establish a Naples - New York route with the 1939-built "Mauretania", which however ended her career as a cruise ship.

Cosulich Line
With WWI the inevitable end of the Habsburg Empire had come. Defeated, it was dissolved in 1918/19 and its harbour Trieste became a port of Italy. The Unione Austriaca was reinstituted as Cosulich Societa Triestina, named after the founders' family. Their flagship was the former "Kaiser Franz Joseph I" of the Unione Austriaca. Painted white with two buff funnels, she was renamed "General Diaz" and then "President Wilson". For her and her future consorts' fate see the chapter Italy's Pride.

After WWII, the Italia group resumed transatlantic services to Trieste not before 1955. The city had been taken until 1954 under UN administration, preventing a conquest by Tito's Yugoslavia. When the "Vulcania" returned the first time from New York, she received a tremendous welcome at Trieste.

Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia had become an independent kingdom in 1919, including Croatia. Bonsor mentioned transatlantic services only in the time of Tito's Yugoslavia by the Jugoslavenska Linijska Plovidba, founded in 1947, with the passenger-cargo vessel "Radnik", employed on a Rijeka - New York route. Later Jadranska and Jugolinija were listed with transatlantic passenger-cargo services.

Greece

"Athinai" (not identified, source unknown)

"Themistocles", ex "Moraitis" (advertisement)

"Patris" of Embiricos (coll. Dermatas)

Describing the history of Greek transatlantic shipping is a complicated task, tackled by A.I. Tzamtzis with his book "Ta Ellinika Yperokeania, 1907-1977". The first transoceanic passenger line was founded by Dimitrios G. Moraitis of Andros. He commissioned 2 ships in England. His first ship, the "Moraitis", was a steamer with two black funnels sporting the "M" label on a blue ribbon, delivered from J. Priestman & Co. On 4 July 1907 she departed for the first voyage from Piraeus to New York, via Kalamata and Patras. Moraitis had to retire and the ship was transferred in 1908 to a creditors' company, maintaining the name Yperokeanios Elliniki Atmoploia, described by Bonsor as Hellenic Transatlantic Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. An advertisement under the title Yperokeanos Elliniki Atmoploia/ Cie. Hellenique de Navigacion Transatlantique showed the ship, renamed "Themistocles", in 1908 joined by the second ship ordered, the "Athinai". Bonsor and Tzamtzis mentioned them with 6,045 resp. 6,742 tons. The Nautical Museum listed the "Moraitis" with 3,892 ts. Both ships were employed on a Constantinople - Smyrna - Piraeus - Kalamata - Patras - New York route. The enterprise was from 1912 described as Elliniki Yperokeanos Atmoploia with the same itinerary, but finally it failed on account of financial troubles.

This above-mentioned company appeared from 1909 in a list showing the arrivals at New York (published by Kludas) as Hellenic Line, together with a Greek competitor, the National Steam Navigation Co. Also the latter one was a private enterprise, founded by the Embiricos brothers, described by Tzamtzis as Ethniki Atmoploia tis Elladas, which had started Piraeus - New York services in 1909 with the twin-funnelled 4,390-ton "Patris". Then they announced a service from New York round the Peloponnese to Piraeus and further on to Thessaloniki and Kavala in Macedonia, which became liberated with the Balkan War of 1912. The "Patris" was to be joined by the 6,333-ton "Makedonia", completed in 1912 (not to be confused with the "Macedonia" of the P&O). During the Balkan War, the Greek government had confiscated her and then she was sunk by a Turkish warship a few months after her completion. As a replacement, the company bought from British owners old vessels, renamed "Ioannina" and "Thessaloniki". In 1914 the company took over the "Themistocles" and "Athinai" of the failed competitor. Bonsor confirmed that the ships "...were acquired by the National Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. of Greece, which had started in a small way (...) in 1909". The ships got the blue/white label with the letter "E" on the buff funnels. An advertisement (published under the misleading title 'Greek Line') praised the "Themistocles" as the first Greek ocean liner and the black/white "Athinai" as Greek's largest, both employed on the original Constantinople - New York route. Another advertisement presented a fancy drawing of a triple-funnel liner, obviously the commissioned "Vasilefs Constantinos" (King Constantine) and another project of Embiricos. Still another ad listed the "Patris", "Athinai", "Themistocles", "Ioannina", "Thessaloniki" and, under construction, the "Vasilefs Constantinos" and the "Vasilissa Sofia" (Queen Sofia). Dunn described the new ships, built by Cammell Laird: Only the "Vasilefs Constantinos" was completed in December 1914, while the "Vasilissa Sofia" was bought by the British government, delivered in 1917 as trooper "Leasowe Castle" and torpedoed in 1918.

The "Vasilefs Constantinos" was a nice 9,272 ton steamer, all white with two buff funnels, later the hull painted black. A publication by the Nautical Museum described the ship, initially intended for services from the Eastern Mediterranean to New York mainly for emigrant traffic, between 1917 and 1919 in French hands and from 1919 used by the National S.N. Co. of Greece on a Palestine - Piraeus - New York route. She was renamed "Megali Hellas", the hull being painted black, and from 1924 she was registered as "Byron" for the Embiricos' London-based subsidiary Byron Steamship Co. Ltd. , which used for some time also second-hand passenger ships on services between Istanbul and the USA. Bonsor and Tzamtzis listed the "King Alexander" (1908/16,971 gt, ex "Cleveland" of Hapag, sold in 1923), the "Constantinople" (1896/11,570 gt, ex "Bremen" of NDL), then renamed "King Alexander" and later the "Moreas" (1901/8,292 gt, ex "Columbia" of Anchor Line) and the "Edison" (1896/ 11,103 gt, ex "Koenigin Luise" of NDL, "Omar" of Orient Line). A touristic book by F. Boissonas mentioned services Piraeus - Patras - New York with the "Edison" and "Byron" during the late '20s. From 1928 the "Megali Hellas" (ex "Byron") operated once again for the National Steam Navigation Co. Caused by various political circumstances, the company was dissolved in 1934. Their last steamer "Edison" was sold in 1935 and Leonidas A. Embiricos emigrated to Paris, disappointed. Then Greece had no own transatlantic service for several years.

A new development was described by Heleni Manta (100 Aiones Thalassa, published by the Nautical Museum): "In 1939, Geniki Atmoploia tis Ellados of the Goulandris brothers, of Andros too, bought the ship "Nea Hellas" and started services Piraeus - New York". The company became known also as General S.N.Co of Greece or simply Greek Line. The "Nea Hellas" was a conservative steamer of 16,991 tons with a black painted hull, white superstructure and a single strait funnel, buff with a blue and black top, delivered in 1922 from Fairfield, Glasgow, to Anchor Line as "Tuscania". When World War II interrupted the traffic, this only Greek ocean liner became the British trooper "Nelly Wallace", operated by Anchor Line (and a great-uncle of our family, employed on the ship, had to stay in America).

"Nea Hellas", Greek Line (source unknown)

Immediately after WWII, Greece had no transatlantic liners. According to Tzamtzis, a New York - Piraeus - Palestine service was provided in 1947 by Markos Nomikos with the motor-hip "Olympia" (1928/9,880 gt), the former "Orinoco" of Hapag. Laurence Dunn described her fate: She had been confiscated in 1941 by the Mexican government, renamed "Puebla", chartered out to the U.S. Maritime Commission as a trooper, in 1946 sold to the Southern Steamships (Pty.) Ltd. of Cape Town, for a short time used as "Olympia" and in 1947 sold to the Transoceanica of Buenos Aires.

The Goulandris bothers had acquired the "Katoomba" and introduced her in 1947 as "Columbia" on New York services of the Greek Line. In the same year the "Nea Hellas" had come back and was employed on the Piraeus - Lisbon - Halifax - New York route. The "Canberra" of 1913 and other second-hand vessels followed. In 1951 the Greek line opened services from the refurbished German port of Bremerhaven to New York, initially with the "Neptunia" of 1920, joined by the "Columbia", the "Canberra" and other ships. The "Nea Hellas" was renamed "New York" in 1955 and in 1961 she went to the scrapyard. In 1953 the new "Olympia", a twin-screw 22,979-ton steamer, built in Glasgow for a speed of 21 knots, became the pride of Leonidas Goulandris and of the Greek nation. As flagship she took up services from Bremerhaven via Southampton to New York and (according to Kludas) not before 1955 from Piraeus to New York. From 1961 the route was Haifa - Piraeus - Halifax - New York. Also the "Arkadia" (1931/20,648 gt, ex "Monarch of Bermuda") and smaller ships appeared on the Bremerhaven route. The "Queen Anna Maria" (1956/21716 ts, ex "Empress of Britain") was acquired in 1964, being refurbished for the Haifa - Piraeus - America service. And a Greek lady, who had related her earlier impressions of a North Atlantic crossing on board the "Queen Mary" (I), praised also the life aboard of the Greek 'Queen', the cuisine being excellent with a 'Hellenic' touch, music and dancing still a little more lively. During the '70s the end of regular North Atlantic crossings became inevitable. The "Olympia" lay idle from 1974, the "Queen Anna Maria" was sold in 1975 to Carnival and in the same year the Greek Line closed down. Their flagship "Olympia", acquired in 1983 by Commodore Cruise Lines as "Caribe I", survived until the 21st century as "Regal Empress" in the USA. The "Queen Anna Maria" continued crossing the oceans as "The Topaz" of the Peace Boat Organization until she was replaced in 2008.

"Olympia" of 1953, Greek Line (old card, coll. WS)

"Olympia", laid up at Perama, 1974 (WS)

"Lakonia", Greek Line, ex "Johan van Oldenbarneveld" (source unknown)

Home Lines
In 1946 the Greek entrepreneur Eugen Eugenides founded Home Lines starting South America services from Genoa. The Genoa - New York route was opened in 1949 with the "Atlantic" of 1927, the former 16,435 ton liner "Malolo", then "Matsonia" of Matson Lines, a beautiful twin-funnel steamer, later registered with 21,329 tons. She was joined by the diesel-powered "Italia" (1928/21,600 gt), the former "Kungsholm" of Svenska Amerika Linjen, which held a 51-percent capital share in Home Lines. In 1950 Home Lines tried a service Bremerhaven - New York with the steamer "Brasil" (1905/11,182 gt, ex "Virginian" of Allan Line, later "Drottningholm"). This policy inspired the Hamburg Municipality to recommend America services, too. In 1951 the "Homeland" (the former "Brasil") opened a new Hamburg - New York route. In 1952 she was replaced by the above-mentioned "Italia". That beautiful white-painted ship with two buff funnels, sporting the Home Lines ensign (though she was operated by the Hamburg-Amerika Linie), brought the glory of ocean shipping back to Hamburg and in 1954 to the Steubenhoeft terminal of Cuxhaven. The "Homeland" changed to the Genoa - Halifax - New York route, where she was joined in 1953 by the "Homeric" (1931/18,017 gt, ex "Mariposa") one of the elegant Matson liners. The "Italia" was withdrawn from the German service in December 1960, became later a hotel ship and was scrapped in 1965.

The next step was described by N.R.P.Bonsor: "By arrangement with the Greek Government, the "Atlantic" has been transferred to a subsidiary company, the National Hellenic American Line (...). Since its conclusion, she has been employed in regular service between Greece, Italy and New York". She opened that Piraeus - Halifax - New York route in 1955, renamed "Queen Frederica". A picture postcard of that year showed her with the buff/blue funnels of Home Lines, but the new name shown is only touched up. Tzamtzis mentioned the subsidiary's name in Greek as Ethniki Elliniki Grammi Amerikanis. In the '60s, Home Lines changed to cruises.

"Atlantic" with Home Lines label, used as ad for "Queen Frederica" (old card, coll. WS)

"Amerikanis" of Chandris, ex "Kenya Castle" (Chandris ad, coll. HSch)

"Queen Frederica" of Chandris, Piraeus 1966 (WS)

Chandris
The roots of Chandris' shipping, who's label "X" (the Greek letter Chi) survived in the 21st century with Celebrity Cruises, are going back to the year 1915, when John D. Chandris of Chios founded a shipping company. In 1959 Antonis Chandris inaugurated an Australia service with the Greek-Australian Line. "In late 1965 the enterprise Chandris acquired the Ethniki Grammi Voreio Amerikis from Home Lines, together with the "Queen Frederica". The ship continued Mediterranean - New York services, making however also several Australia voyages", so reported by A.I.Tzamtzis. J.M.Maber described the acquisition by D.& A. Chandris in 1966 and a transfer "to the registry of Themistocles Nav. S.A.". The historian Curt Frick listed as owner of the "Queen Frederica" and the "Australis" (employed on Australia services) the Chandris England Ltd. The author saw the "Queen Frederica" at Piraeus before a departure for Halifax and New York on 31st August 1966, the blue funnels sporting the "X" label. Maber mentioned her first departure for Sydney in October of that year and (according to Tzamtzis) she abandoned in late 1967 the New York route and then also the Australia service, her activities being confined to cruising. The complicated Greek transatlantic shipping history continued, described by Arnold Kludas: In 1967 the "Kenya Castle" (1952/17,041 gt) of the Union-Castle Line was "... sold to the Chandris group and registered as "Amerikanis" for the National Hellenic American Line SA...". In 1968 she had her first departure from Piraeus to New York. Then all the ships changed more and more to cruises. In 1974 the "Queen Frederica" was to be seen lying at Perama shipyards, the funnels showing a different appearance. In the same year the company of Antonis Chandris and Chandris Cruises of his bother Dimitris were united into Chandris Lines. According to Tzamtzis, the "Queen Frederica" was sold in 1977 for being scrapped. Finally a fire put the end of this splendid ship.

Turkey In the list of liners arriving at New York, the mentioned Greek companies were named for the period from 1909, but no Turkish company appeared in. In 1910 however, Turkey acquired the "Ottawa" of Dominion Line, the former "Germanic" of the White Star Line, once a prestigious 5,000-ton liner when she had set sail on the North Atlantic in 1875. Renamed "Gul Djemal", torpedoed in 1915 and reconditioned, she was used from 1920 for an Istanbul - New York service of the Ottoman America Line. Bonsor mentioned routes New York - Istanbul - Varna - Constanza and also Odessa. For 1921 the New York arrivals' list mentioned the Ottoman American and also an America - Black Sea Line. In the same year the transatlantic service disappeared and further on the oldtimer was employed for decades as "Gulcemal" on coastal services.

An odd interlude was the announcement of a New York - Piraeus - Istanbul service by a New York - Naples Steamship Co., as Bonsor reported. The only departure of their "Philadelphia" in 1922 ended after a mutiny at Naples and led to her scrapping.

Egypt
The only Egyptian transatlantic service listed by Bonsor is a passenger-cargo route Alexandria - New York, operated from 1948 by the Khedivial Mail Line. Later the Shipping Guide did not mention any Egyptian transatlantic service.

Russia

"Belorussiya", Piraeus 1986 (WS)

Start of a service Odessa - New York by the Russian Volunteer Fleet was announced for 1903, but cancelled on account of the Russian-Japanese war (according to Bonsor). Passenger-cargo services Odessa - New York were provided in 1919, but then stopped (according to Wikipedia).

Concerning the Soviet Union decades after, of course the Cuba service became known, started with the "Mikhail Kalinin" class of 1958. However, there were earlier voyages, too. In 1948 the "Pobeda", the former "Magdalena" of Hapag, caught fire on her way from New York to Batumi. In 1964 the Black Sea Shipping Company introduced the "Ivan Franko" (19,861 gt), the first of the 'Five Poets' class, built in East Germany, predominantly used for cruises however. The ABC Shipping Guide listed e.g. in 1978/79 for the Black Sea Shipping Co. the only trans-Atlantic service Odessa - Istanbul - Piraeus - Naples - Cartagena - New York - New Orleans with the "Kazakhstan" of 1976, one of the 16,631/13,251-ton motor ships built in Finland. Later all of them were employed exclusively in cruising.

American Export Lines

"Independence", "Carmania" (or "Franconia") and "Megalonisos Kriti", Piraeus 1968 (WS)

"Independence", American Export Lines" (old card, coll. WS)

"Savannah", nuclear-powered (old card, coll. WS)

In 1931 the Export Steamship Corp, which operated freighters since 1919, started passenger-cargo services New York - Alexandria - Tel Aviv - Haifa - Beirut with the 9,350 ton Four Aces class. In 1936 the name was changed into American Export Lines Inc. The services were interrupted in 1941. After the war initially only cargo operations were resumed. With refurbished troopers, passenger services between New York, Italy, Alexandria, Beirut and Iskenderun in Turkey were started in 1947. Due to Bonsor, the 18,000-ton "La Guardia" was chartered in 1949 for New York - Piraeus - Haifa services, according to the Web site maritimematters as "Laguardia". Originally she had been the "General W.P. Richardson" of the U.S. Navy, introduced in 1944 and rebuilt in 1948. In 1951 she was handed over to the U.S. Marine Commission, being employed as "Laguardia" by the Military Sea Transportation Service on the North Atlantic (see chapter USA's Last Word and for her further career see chapter Pacific).

In 1951 American Export Lines achieved the status of a prestige line with their new liners "Constitution" and "Independence". Built by the Bethlehem Steel Co., they measured 23,754 tons, were powered by geared steam turbines, working on 2 screws, proper for a cruising speed of 23 and a maximum of 26 knots, laid out for 1,000 passengers in three classes, fully air-conditioned. An advertisement proclaimed: "These thoroughly modern ships exemplify Modern American Living at Sea". With these ships an express line New York - Naples was opened, the shortest traveling time being 11 days. Most itineraries included Genoa, some ones also Cannes, Palma or Barcelona. Algeciras replaced Gibraltar as a port-of-call and from 1955 a CIWL sleeping-car train "Castellano Expreso" to and from Madrid connected at Algeciras port with the steamers. For slower passages the "Atlantic", a rebuilt U.S. Navy freighter, was acquired from American Banner Lines. Together with the Aces class she provided services to Piraeus, Haifa and Beirut. The "Savannah" of 1961 (13,699 ts, then 15,585 ts), world's first nuclear-powered merchant ship, was operated from 1965 by the First Atomic Ship Transport Inc, a subsidiary of the American Export Isbrandsen Lines, on freight services, though being a mixed passenger-cargo ship. When the express line of the "Constitution" and "Independence" was given up in 1968, the latter got a fancy livery for cruises. Then their career continued for some time, cruising for C.Y. Tung. The "Independence" survived until the 21st century and some hope had emerged with keen plans for her refurbishment by Norwegian Cruise Line. However, the dream remained unfulfilled.

Israel
The State of Israel was founded in 1948. Already in 1945 a Zim shipping line predecessor was constituted by three institutions (see Ships Monthly, Feb. 2008). In 1947 the subsidized Medem Line was founded for Mediterranean services. The Zim Israel Navigation Co. was established by a reorganization in 1948 and by amalgamation with an organization named Ships & Vessels, engaged in the immigrant traffic. Initially the services of the new company, known as Zim Lines, were confined to the Mediterranean. In 1973 the route Haifa - Cyprus - Malta - Cannes - Halifax - New York was opened with the "Jerusalem" (11,000 gt ex "Bergensfjord" of Norske Amerika Linje, then "Argentina" of Home Lines). Then also Piraeus became a port-of-call. The new "Israel", "Zion", "Jerusalem" and "Theodor Herzl" were 9,900 ton steamers, built as reparations by Deutsche Werft, Kiel, in 1956-57. The class entered the New York services, but was later confined to Mediterranean routes. The new proud flagship was the "Shalom". With her two parallel funnels and the clipper bow she showed a strikingly modern appearance. This twin-screw turbine steamer of 25,338 gt with a capacity of 1,090 passengers and a speed of 20 knots, was built at Chantiers de l' Atlantique in France. In April 1964 she had her maiden voyage to New York. In November she collided with the Norwegian tanker "Stolt Dagali", which sank. Making losses, she was sold in 1967 to Deutsche Atlantik Linie as "Hanseatic" (II). Cook's timetable of 1969 showed still the smaller "Theodor Herzl" in service. The Zim Passenger Lines (1970) Ltd operated at last only Mediterranean ferries. When their last ships were laid up in 1974, every passenger service had ended.

"Israel", Zim Lines (old card, coll. WS)


Jaffa, Tel Aviv (WS)