HISTORY - FRENCH LINE - COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE, a review - Part II Belle Epoque

The COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE, known since the Belle Epoque as FRENCH LINE in the English speaking world (or TRANSAT or CGT), had its origins in 1861. 

by Earl of Cruise

Emperor Napoléon III. wanted strengthening the French primacy on the oceans and an adequate mail line for the French mail. The 1855 established COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE MARITIME of the Péreire brothers was the core for the new company. This company´s headquarter was, as any major business in France, situated in Paris, while the homeport of the vessels had been Le Havre for the North Atlantic and Marseille for the route to the Orient and Africa.

Houseflag of COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE S.A. - soure: ebay

"On  limited space, we put our country on display", a crewmember declared once. And no other line put in more of its national personality into its product than COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE.

After the French - Prussian/German war of 1870/71 France had to sign a peace treaty, which provoked a revenge against Germany. It was a devastating blow for France. It had to pay 5mrd Francs, 25% of the French economical worth in 1869. Because of the destructions caused by the war France had to rebuild vast areas and renew the infrastructure. Due to these difficulties the dregging of the port of Le Havre had to wait.

While Germany was financing its industrialisation and new internatinal important bank societies with the French reparations, France did recover within only five years, thanks to the reforms of Napoléon III. Then too the Third Republic was settled, with finally getting a president, and the economy of France had its old pre war status back.

But outside of France the "19th century globalistion" was struck by the `Panic of 1873´.

It was a first world wide financial crisis that triggered a depression in Europe and North America that lasting from 1873 until 1879, and even longer in some countries. In Britain, for example, it started two decades of stagnation known as the `Long Depression´ that weakened the country's economic leadership. This financial cisis was known as the `Great Depression´ until the events in the early 1930s set a new precedent. The `Panic of 1873´ and the subsequent depression had several underlying causes. It was the Post-Civil War US American inflation. A rampant speculative investment bubble emerged (overwhelmingly in railroads). A large trade deficit (as we have today*). The ripples from economic and war dislocation in Europe resulting from the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71). The massive French reparatioon payment to Germany which nearly flodded the economy. Further immense property losses in the Chicago (1871) and Boston (1872) fires, and other factors put a massive strain on bank reserves, which plummeted in the New York stock exchange during September and October 1873 from US$50 million to $17 million. (It did need the Federal Reserve Act in 1913 to stabilize the financial sytem in the US.*) In Germany it was decided to cease minting silver thaler coins in 1871. This caused a drop in silver demand and leed to a downward pressure on the value of silver. This had a knock-on effect in the USA, where much of the supply was then mined. As a result, the Coinage Act of 1873 was introduced and this changed the United States silver policy. Before the Act, the United States had backed its currency with both gold and silver, and minted both types of coins. The Act moved the United States to a `de facto´ gold standard, which meant it would no longer buy silver or convert silver from the public into silver coins, though the USA still minted silver dollars, but for export as `trade dollars´. In the new `Kaiserreich der Deutschen´ (Empire of the German) the French reparation financed a new second industrial revolution. Massive investments via the federal states in infrastructure and loans to banks, increased the money in the economic system of Germany and Austro-Hungaria. The first symptoms of the crisis in the USA and the United Kingdom have been financial failures in the Austro-Hungarian, Vienna stock excange (Wiener Börsenkrach / Vienna stock crash), which spread to most of Europe and back to North America by 1873. The Ken Follett novel Die Pfeiler der Macht - A Dangerous Fortune, is based on this scenario. * the autors personal opinion

The situation for COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE was not very bright looking when Eugène Péreire became the president of FRENCH LINE. The CGT was still sailing with its first steamers. All but had been reconstructed from paddle wheels into screw driven vessels. During that process the vessels had been lengthend, got new more powerful mashines, and deck houses for more luxurious cabins for their first class guests.

These improvements, starting in 1868 made new buildings not that necessary for the 1870s, but reflected the market shares of TRANSAT on the North Atlantic. Unfortunately the technical level and the luxury level grew each year and with each new vessel on the most pretigeous route in the international shipping trade.

In 1875 Émile Péreire died and his position was filled by the son of Isaac, Eugène.

When CIE. GLE. TRANSATLANTIQUE started new lines to Africa, out of Marseille to Algiers, 1879, the company made its way to the Paris stock exchange.

 

Eugène Péreire, the son of Isaac Péreire, became `Prèsident honoraire´ of Cie. Gle. TRANSATLANTIQUE from 1877 till 1904 - source: Wikipedia

Eugène Péreire started a newbuilding program for TRANSAT, bringing the fleet to the actual and surpasing the international standards. The vessels of FRENCH LINE then were the first implementing cooling in the freight rooms, as well electric light or water toilets.

In the early 1880s the fastest CGT liner had a service speed of 12 knots. An acceptable speed for companies with no ambitions, but not for Eugène Péreire. Across the channel, CUNARD LINE and WHITE STAR LINE had service speeds of 15 knots. CGT decided to order a new competitive ship, to be contemporary to the requirements of the new travelling clientle.

In 1882 the new vessel was laid down at VICKER’s SHIPBUILDING COMPANY in Barrow-in-Furness, Great Britain. She was planed as VILLE DE NEW YORK. She had a projected gross tonnage of over 6,000 tons – the largest ship in the COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE.  But by late October, when time had come to launch the ship, she was christend as NORMANDIE. The liner should have a service speed of over 15 knots to put France in the race for the prestigious Blue Riband of the Atlantic. During her trials NORMANDIE managed to reach a very impressive speed of 17.25 knots. The FRENCH LINE officials delighted, received her gladly from the builders on 1882 27th and commissioned the new vessel. The French Line had advertised their new liner keenly, and 1,066 people were on the passenger list for the maiden departure from Le Havre to New York on May 5th. Upon arrival in New York it was evident that (LA) NORMANDIE would not be able to capture the Blue Riband from the GUION LINE’s ALASKA.

Despite, the French Government agreed to renew the mail contract with CIE. GLE. TRANSATLANTIQUE because of NORMANDIE’s speed. The annual subsidy was 5,480,000 French Francs.

Shipping companies relied in the beginning of their existence in early/mid 19th century on mail subsidies. Those mail contracts have been the reason for the steam ship trade on the Atlantic ocean. CUNARD´s very excistence for example was depending on such a contract. And for the early lines the passenger and freight business was an extra add on. Most lines treted them only as an extra revenue. Later in 19th century with the competition from non mail subsidised lines, those depending on the subsidies had to change their passenger policy.

(LA) NORMANDIE’s engines were indeed a novelty for the time. A safety precaution was installed, making the engines capable of running at a slow speed if one of them should fail to work. Many other liners had to stand still in such an event, or use old-fashioned sails if available.

She was a vessel of 6,283 GT (L 142.1 m, B 14.9 m, 7,200hp driving a single propeller) and the peak of luxury at sea. Her single real competitors from the continent, CGT´s relevant market, have been the last vessels of the Flüsse Klasse of the LLOYD. But (LA) NORMANDIE offered a novelty, of which even LLOYD hadn´t thought of - water toiletts.

LA NORMANDIE, ex NORMANDIE, ex VILLE DE NEW YORK - source, Nouveau Larousse Illustré Dictionnaire, own collection

NORMANDIE became a blue print for the following vessels ordered by FRENCH LINE for their Northern Atlantic trade. The new vessels became larger than NORMANDIE, but still limited by the port conditions in Le Havre. The former fisher´s port of Le Havre was limiting, depending on dregging, the gross tonnage of the vessels Cie. Gle. TRANSATLANTIQUE could order. This was similar to NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD and its homeport Bremerhaven.

The port of Le Havre in the 1870s - own collection 

But as of the national pride these new vessels had to be ordered at French shipbuilders.

To match the new ships TRANSAT added the "LA" to NORMANDIE´s name. In 1886 FRENCH LINE could offer a "five liner service" from Le Havre to New York. A major refit was done to LA NORMANDIE in the winter between 1893-1894. She got triple expansion engines at the PENHOËT shipyards. Therefore LA NORMANDIE required new lengthened funnels. Her superstructure was enlarged, giving the vessel a new profile. Two of the four masts were removed. This transformed LA NORMANDIE into a true steamship, leaving the days of sail entirely behind. On April21, 1894 she re-entered service. However, the schedule would look different for LA NORMANDIE in the future. She would only spend the summer months on the North Atlantic. During the winter months she would sail between Saint Nazaire and Vera Cruz. LA NORMANDIE had some accidents in her carrer. The last serious accident was in one of the ship’s coal bunkers. A build-up of gas caused an explosion and fire in the adjacent stokehold. Due to this accident, LA NORMANDIE missed the following voyage. In 1897 was the 60 years Diamond Jubilee of the British Queen Victoria. Included in her Diamond Jubilee was a fleet review at Spithead with many guests. LA NORMANDIE was a part of the French contribution, and honoured with her presence the Queen. Three years later, 1900, LA NORMANDIE was entirely removed from the North Atlantic, being solely dedicated to the Saint Nazaire - Havana - Vera Cruz route till 1908. She then was put on service between Saint Nazaire and Panama until 1911, when she was considered too old. LA NORMANDIE made her last voyage on September 11th. She was officially taken out of service in October and was sold for 452,000 Francs Français for scrap and was sailed to Bo’ness, Fifth of Forth. LA NORMANDIE, after her reconstruction1894 - postcard, own collection

Not commonly known, but LA NORMANDIE had a sister vessel - NAVARRE. She was build at the same yard but for the SGTM, Société Générale de Transport Maritimes. She was lost in 1882, the year when she was commissioned, near to her port of destination, Marseille.

From 1885 to 1886 the four new vessels have been commissioned by CIE. GLE. TRANSATLANTIQUE. For their speed the French gouvernment renewed the mail contract.

The new French built quartet was constructed of steel, the new material. which reduced the weight as well was stronger and more flexible than iron. Besides steel did resist better against saltwater and reduced the maintenance costs dramtically. The vessels had each a single propeller which forced the vessel through the seas, pushed by a 9,000 hp strong triple-expansion steam engines and had barquentine-rigged masts. Their dimensions had been similar - length 150,3 m, beam 15,8 m, draught 10 m.

All four vessels got their interior design from the Parisien fashion and interior designer Jules Allard et Fils. In the 1880s the most popular interior designer. He too made extravagant fashion designs back then.

The vessels have been named after provinces of France - LA CHAMPAGNE, LA BRETAGNE, LA GASCOGNE, LA BOURGOGNE. Therefore the "LA" prefix instead of "LE" which would have been suitable for French vessels, the Frech `bateaux´ and therefore the ships are "male".

1885 LA CHAMPAGNE, 7,087 GT, from CHANTIERS & ATELIERS de ST.MAZAIRE S.A.

LA CHAMPAGNE - courtesy, coloured by © Georg Link

LA CHAMPAGNE had a speed of 17 kts, accommodation for 390 1st, 65 2nd and 600 3rd class passengers (or over 1,000 steerage). She was launched on 15th May 1885. Her maiden voyage started on 22nd May 1886, when she left Havre for New York. On 7th Aug.1887 she collided with and sank the French ship VILLE DE RIO JANEIRO, sustaining serious damage herself. In 1896 she was rebuild. After she had only two masts, new quadruple steam engines and her 3rd class accommodation increased to 1,500. On 17th Feb.1898 she fractured her propeller shaft and drifted until 23rd Feb, when she was sighted by the Warren Liner ROMAN who towed her to Halifax. Her last Havre - New York sailing started on 21st Jan.1905 and she was then transferred to the Mexican service. She resumed Havre - New York for two round voyages in Mar/Apr.1906 and then returned to the Mexico service. In 1913 she was transferred to St Nazaire - Panama sailings and on 28th May 1915 stranded at St Nazaire and broke her back. Source: North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.2,p.656

LA CHAMPAGNE, cutaway and decks - own collection

LA CHAMPAGNE, longitudional cut - own collection

In 1886 LA BRETAGNE, 6,754 GT, was commissioned from the lines own shipbuilding and repair plant PENHOËT. She had the same dimensions and mashine and engine configuration as LA CHAMPAGNE and carried the same amount of passengers.

LA BRETAGNE - own collection

LA BRETAGNE was the second of the four newbuilds for COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE. LA BRETAGNE was build at Compagnie Générale Transatlantique Penhoët in Saint Nazaire, which was a part of the CGT. Launched in 1885 Sept. 9th she was commissioned in 1886. August 14th 1886 LA BRETAGNE left Le Havre for her inaugural crossing to New York. In 1895, from March 25th till Dec. 28th, she was rebuild massively in Saint Nazaire after nine years of service on the North Atlantic run. She lost two of her masts, as the others her rigging, and got new quadruple steam engines. Her steerage capacity was increased, similar to her sister, to 1,500. Her last crossing to New York LA BRETAGNE made June 8th,  1912. LA BRETAGNE was sold with her sister LA GASCOGNE to COMPAGNIE DE NAVIGATION SUD-ATLANTIQUE in Bordeaux. She now sailed to Buenos Aires. The SUD-ATLANTIQUE was in those days a subsidiary of FRENCH LINES. August 1914 LA BRETAGNE was transformed into a hospital ship for 550 beds because of WWI. Since October 1916 she sailed as BRETAGNE II. She sailed mainly in the Mediterranean. In March 1917 she would be deslisted as a hospital ship and started. April 4th that year as trooper, destination Dakar. Juni 8th 1917 she was decommissioned from war duties in Bordeaux. Juni 1919 LA BRETAGNE was renamed ALÉSIA and sailed still on the South America line for SUD-ATLANTIQUE. In 1923 the vessel was sold tobreakers in the Netherlands. While on delivery voyage she grounded near Texel and became a total loss.

LA BRETAGNE in her aft 1900 appearance - courtesy, coloured by © Daryl LeBlanc

1886 LA GASCOGNE, 7,071 GT from SOCIÉTÉ DES FORGES & CHANTIERS de la MEDITERRANÉE LA SEYNE. She was the third new transatlantic liner for FRENCH LINE.

LA GASCOGNE- courtesy, coloured by ©Daryl LeBlanc

LA GASCOGNE got a six cylinder quadruple expansion steam engine. Her passenger capacity was 390 I. class passengers, 65 II. class and 600 in III. class. Sept. 18th 1886 LA GASCOGNE started her carrer with CIE. GLE. TRANSATLANTIQUE in Le Havre and sailed to New York aus. Nov. 8th 1886 she had Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, the artist, Ferdinand de Lesseps and the French delegation for the inauguration of the Statue of Liberty  a board. 1894 LA GASCOGNE was massively reconconstructed after only eight years in service. It was done to match the new international standard in sea travel. She lost two of her mast and got a new steam engine installed. The passenger capacity in third was emlarged to 1,500. June 3rd 1907 LA GASCOGNE was part of a naval review which was held for Alfons XIII., king of Spain, and sailed for from Le Havre to Spithead and Cowes. LA GASCOGNE sailed March 4th 1911 last time for CGT from Le Havre to New York aus. At April 24th 1912 she was sold to and registered for COMPAGNIE DE NAVIGATION SUD-ATLANTIQUE. after some technical renovations she started sailing for her new owner at Nov. 2nd 1912. She took over the passenger, freight and mail service from Bordeaux to Southamerica. Her sister vessel LA BRETAGNE was her fleetmate as the former, long laid up, "failed" German Greyhound, KAISER FRIEDRICH, renamed BURDIGALA. August 1914 has seen the transformation of LA GASCOGNE in an armored auxilliary cruiser, but was given back to her owners a short time after. February 26th 1915 she sailed again for her original owners, CGT, three times out of Bordeaux to New York. Again in 1915 she was requisitioned by the Marine Française französischen Marine and was used as a depot ship at Thessaloniki. In November 1918 LA GASCOGNE would be decomissiond in Bordeaux and did reach July 1st 1919 the breakers in Genua.

1886 LA BOURGOGNE, 7,395 GT, from SOCIÉTÉ DES FORGES & CHANTIERS de la MEDITERRANÉE LA SEYNE.

LA BOURGOGNE - courtesy, coloured by ©Daryl LeBlanc

LA BOURGOGNE was launched on 8 October 1885. She sailed on her maiden voyage from Le Havre to New York on 19 June 1886. In 1886, LA BOURGOGNE traveled the Le Havre - New York transit in a little more than 7 days and set a new record for the fastest Atlantic crossing by a postal steamer. This gave the company first place in the New York postal service, and ignited a competition for the record in the trans-Atlantic run. On 29 February 1896 she ran down and sank the anchored British steamer Ailsa, of the Atlas Steamship Company, at the entrance to New York harbour. In 1897/8 she was fitted with quadruple expansion engines and her masts reduced to two. LA BOURGOGNE sank in 1898, with the loss of 549 lives. At the time this sinking was infamous, because only 13% of the passengers survived, while 48% of the crew did. Amounf the passengers a panic started, when they woke up after the collision and LA BOURGOGNE started sinking. At the time, LA BOURGOGNE was carrying 506 passengers and 220 crew, of whom 549 were lost. Amoung the passengers had been some famed persons - VIPs of their days. The Turkish wrestler Yusuf İsmail, the American instructor and sculptor Emil H. Wuertz, French artist Léon Pourtau, American painter De Scott Evans, an Armenian Orthodox priest, Rev. Stepan Der Stepanian, his wife and three children, wife and daughter of John Forrest Dillon, the wife and child of George Deslions, and three members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Only 173 people survived, but fewer than 70 survivors were passengers, only one woman was rescued, and all children perished. Reports circulated that the crew had refused to aid passengers in the water, to the point of stabbing them or hitting them with oars. Surviving crew members required police protection upon their arrival in New York. Le naufrage de La Bourgogne-Partition musicale, page 1 own collection On 4 July 1898 shortly before five in the morning LA BOURGOGNE collided with the British sailing ship CROMARTYSHIRE about 60 nautical miles (69 mi; 110 km) south of Sable Island during a dense fog. Captain Oscar Henderson of CROMARTYSHIRE was sailing sounding his fog horn and heard a ship's whistle but was unable to determine direction before the collision with LA BOURGOGNE about midships on the starboard side while most passengers were asleep in their compartments. The liner's compartments adjacent to the collision point filled immediately, starboard side lifeboats were damaged and the ship took a sharp list making launching of port side lifeboats difficult. As the ship started to list, the crew began to panic, rushing for lifeboats without assisting the passengers. LA BOURGOGNE sank just over half an hour after the collision. The CROMARTYSHIRE survived the collision, but her crew mistook the LA BOURGOGNE 's whistle and signal rockets for an offer of assistance, and they did not realize what was happening until the whistle fell silent. Around 5:30 am, the fog thinned out, and the crew of the CROMARTYSHIRE spotted and began rescuing survivors from LA BOURGOGNE. The rescued had been taken by CORMARTYSHIRE, where cargo was thrown overboard to take the refugees on board. She did stay afloat despite her massively damaged bow - it was nearly torn off of her. In the meantime the ALLAN LINE steamer GRECIAN had reached the scene and towed the sailing vessel to Halifax. source: partly Wikipedia

Please click on the article for reading - source: New York Times

The sinking of LA BOURGOGNE, and the VILLE DE SAINT-NAZAIRE which had to be abandoned at sea in 1897, did showcase dramatically the desperate situation in which the COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE has been in those years. Furthermore gew the friction between seamen, labors and directors, which developed into strikes, accompanied by those ashore in all ports. These shore strikes continued until 1923.

In those days, when LA BOURGOGNE sank, there was any wireless telegraphy existing and therefore not installed onboard any ships. So no other vessels could be called to assist when a vessel was in distress.

The Péreire brothers and Eugène have been banquiers. This was seen in their restrained ordering policy. Despite the mail contracts, which forced FRENCH LINE ordering faster vessels, the line was rancking far behind their competitors in Britain and Germany. No real record breaker was ordered. On behalf of the rising costs with faster vessels and their higher consumption of coal, Eugène Péreire once stated:

"Since the caviar costs less than coal - Depuis le caviar coûte moins cher que le charbon ".

The homeport of TRANSAT was still limiting the seize of the vessels that could be send out to New York. Further the main share of emigrants was taken be the British, German, Dutch and Belgian lines, as these companies have been closer to the core markets for emigration.

CIE. GLE. TRANSATLANTIQUE had with its mid 1880s quartet rather fast vessels, which secured their mail contract with the French gouvernment. But they have been far from the supremacy of the Brirish lines and their vessels.

The port of Le Havre 1880/90s - own collection

In 1889 the VERSAILLE, 4,247 GT, ex HAMMONIA (1881) of HAPAG joined the fleet.. She was the "half hearted" answer from Hamburg to the Flüsse Klasse of NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD. She became obsolete with the inauguration of the twin screw vessels of the AUGUSTA VICTORIA class. The J.&G.THOMSON & Co., Glasgow built vessel had been massively rebuild prior to its new inaugural voyage for the FRENCH LINE.

VERSAILLES, ex HAMMONIA of HAPAG - courtesy of HOBOKEN HISTORICAL MUSEUM 

She will not be the last German vessel transformed into France afloat.

As of the restrained ordering policy, assisted by the port facilities in Le Havre, COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE had to be forced by a "CGT law" constructing faster vessels. With the end of the 19th century TRANSAT finally ordered new and fast vessels at their own construction site in Saint Nazaire. LA TOURAINE with twin triple-expansion steam engines driving two screw propellers, rescued in 1890 the mail contract with the French gouvernmet. She was the fifth-largest steamer in the world at the time of her launch. This is not really a restrained order, but was forced by the law. In 1892 followed an advanced rebuild of LA NORMANDIE, the 5,130 GT LA NAVARRE. She too had a double screw propulsion. But it needed a decade nearly for the following sister vessels LA LORRAINE and LA PROVENCE to be ordered.

1890 LA TOURRAINE, 8,893 GT, 158,56 m length and 17,07 m width, Chantier & Ateliers de St. Nazaire S.A., St. Nazaire. She had two triple expansion steam engines which worked on two shafts and screws that drove her at 19 knots (35 km/h).

LA TOURRAINE - own collection

She was fast and again the peak of luxury on board a vessel. Her cuisine was famed amoung the international passengers. LA TOURAINE was a master piece of the Belle Epoque steamers. It was her, of which the first time was spoken of, that gourment seagulls or sharks will follow LA TOURAINE. 

LA TOURAINE was initially equipped with accommodations for 392 first-class, 98 second-class, and 600 third-class passengers.

In 1891 LA TOURAINE made a first Mediterranean cruise after a record crossing of six days and 21h. She left Le Havre via the Azores to Constantinople. She copied with that the successful first commercial modern cruise of HAPAG´s AUGUSTA VICTORIA.

June 20th 1891 LA TOURAINE for New York the first time. In July 1892 she made a crossing within six days, 17h and 30min where she reached an average speed of 21,2Kts. From November 23rd 1901 till January 17th 1902 LA TOURAINE had been rebuild and renovated in Saint-Nazaire. She got a bilge keel bilge, the mashinery was overhauled and the middle mast was removed. Her passengier capacity in III. class was enlarged to 1000. For these reconstructions her meassuring shrinked to 8429 GT.

LA TOURRAINE - postcard, own collection

Januar 21st 1903 her main staircase, the dining room in I. class and the luxury cabins have been destroyed by a fire while she embarked in Le Havre. Prior the next departure she had to be rebuild again. 1910 LA TOURAINE was rebuild again. From then on she had only 69 passengers in I. class, 263 in II. class and 686 in III. class. The crew was in total 498. April 1912 LA TOURAINE was one of the vessels that was sending ice berg warnings to TITANIC. From Mai 1913 till Juni 1914 LA TOURAINE made five roundtrips Le Havre - Québec - Montreal and carried only 2nd and 3rd class passengers. On one of these voyages LA TOURAINE assited the British VOLTUMA which drifted burning on the Atlantic. LA TOURAINE took 40 souls abord and nearly collided with the bigger KROONLAND of RED STAR LINE, which was too assisting the damaged vessel. March 13th 1915 she sailed again from Le Havre to New York. A month later, April 13th 1915, she was transfered to the destination Bordeaux - New York. September 1915 LA TOURAINE again took castaways from the burning Greek ATHINAI. From  February  9th 1919 till September 26th 1922 LA TOURAINE sailed again between Le Havre and New York. That September 1922 she sailed a last time after 30 years of service. In Oktober 1923 LA TOURAINE was scrapped in Dunkerque.

LA TOURRAINE 1891after her rebuilding in 1903 - coloured by © Daryl LeBlanc

1892 LA NAVARRE, 5,130 GT, was outfitted in the contemporary style of the Belle Epoque

LA NAVARRE 1892 - source: Ships of our Ancestors, Michael J. Anuta 

LA NAVARRE was a copy of the LA NORMADIE and sailed alongside to her on the Northatlantic.

Following the LA BOURGOGNE desaster TRANSAT was in nedd of a replacement. They found it in the steamer NORMANNIA, 8,242 GT, build in 1890, at FAIRFIELD S.B. ENG. Co. Ltd., Glasgow. After a massive rebuilding and overhauling she became CIE. GLE. TRANSATLANTIQUE´s L´AQUITAINE and started her career in 1899 in the colours of her new owner. Her interior structure was inspiring the TRANSAT engineers for future vessels.

L´AQUITAINE 1899, ex NORMANNIA 1890 - source: The Peabody Museum of Salem

L´AQUITAINE was the first three staker for TRANSAT, which became later somehow a signature in apperance of the FRENCH LINE. As she was foreign built she lost her subsidies, she wasn´t any longer allowed carrying French mail in 1905, and was sold to the breakers.

The board of directors ordered, based on the "CGT law" and the success of LA TOURRAINE, nearly 10 years later, in the end of the 1890s, new vessels. As in the mid 1880s it should have been again four passenger and mail steamers.

In 1899 and 1900 the sister vessels LA LORRAINE and LA SAVOIE, each 11,168 GT, and built at CHANTIER & ATELIERS DE ST.NAZAIRE S.A., St. Nazaire, were commisioned. These two vessels again, the biggest French flagged civil vessel and and with 20 kts service speed the fastest, again sailed at the peak of the luxury offers on the North Atlantic. Both new FRENCH LINE steamers offered new luxuries to their guests.

Her rivals have been the German Greyhounds of the LLOYD and HAPAG. Smaller than her rivals she have been nearly as fast.

LA LORRAINE - courtesy, coloured by © Daryl LeBlanc

1899 LA LORRAINE, 11,168 GT, 171,63 m length, 18,29 m width, two triple expansion steam engines with 4 cylindres of 22,000 hp and 2 hélices. Her top speed was 21,5kts. She accomodated 446 I. class, 116 II. class, 552 III. class passengers and a crew of 410.

LA LORRAINE and her 6 month younger identical sister vessel LA SAVOIE have been the first FRENCH LINE ships which exceeded 10,000 GT. LA LORRAINE started her transatlantic career Aug. 11th 1900 with her inaugural crossing to New York. In March 1905 a wireless station was installed. LA LORRAINE was the first passenger liner who embarked at the new embarkation which had been inaugurated by Armand Fallières, Président de la République Française. July 25th 1914 was the last civil crossing of LA LORRAINE as the war broke out, in which all European knowingly slid into. LA LORRAINE was commissioned  as auxiliary cruiser for the French Navy at Aug. 12th 1914 for which she was renamed LORRAINE II. She was used for patrolling duties under the command of Ernest Louis Antoine Maurras in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Beginning 1916 she was used with her sister  LA SAVOIE as a trooper, bringing  46.000 serbian soldiers from Corfu to Thessaloniki. In 1917 she was transformed into a trooper. September 1917 she was decommissioned by the FRench Navy and renamed back to LA LORRAINE. In November 1917 LA LORRAINE  ferried General Joseph Joffre and the politician René Viviani for peace confeerences to New York. From Mai 1918 till January 19th 1919 LA LORRAINE sailed between Bordeaux and New York, and was transfered back to the New York - Le Havre route on Februrary 22nd 1919. In Mai 1922 the passenger accomodations had been refurbished. LA LORRAINE from then on had only cabin class and 3rd class quarters. Oktober 1st 1922 LA LORRAINE started her sailing to New York. December 1922 she was decomissioned from the fleet. The former pride of the FRENCH LINE was scrapped at Penhoët in Saint-Nazaire.

LA SAVOIE 1901 - courtesy, coloured by © Daryl LeBlanc, based on a photography of my own collection

1900 LA SAVOIE, 11,168 GT, 170 m length, 18,29 m width, two triple expansion steam engines with 4 cylindres of 20,000 hp and 2 hélices.  The vessel accomodated 437 I. class, 118 II. class and 398 III. class passengers. Her crew numbered 410.

LA SAVOIE cutaway and main deck - own collection

LA SAVOIE and her 6 month younger identical sister vessel LA LORRAINE have been the first ships of FRENCH LINE which exceeded 10,000 GT. A year later than her sister LA SAVOIE started her Northatlantic career August 31st 1901 started her inaugural crossing to New York. She needed for this crossing 6 days and 11 hours. The East Bound voyage took 6 days, 13 hours and 11 min. In January 1902 LA SAVOIE was hit by a freakwave during a storm, which destroyed her first funnel and parts of her superstructure. March 1905 she was equiped with a wireless communication system. During LA SAVOIE´s crossing to New York, August 17th 1905, her larboard shaft bearing brocke. She managed on her own power, with 14 kts, to New York, and had to be repaired at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News (Virginia). Tghe following years she again had several issues with her larboard bearings. 1911 Juni 24th LA SAVOIE was apart of the French delegation for the Coronation Fleet Review which was held for the coronation of king Georg V. in Spithead. LA SAVOIE´s last crossing before WWI started July 18th1914. She was commissioned by the French Navy and converted into a an auxilliary cruiser, as which she made primarily patroling voyages and troop transports. In January 1915 she was transferred to the French Mediterranean Fleet, where she participated in the  Gallipoli Campaign. She disembarked troops at the Dardanelles and in the Eastern Mediterranean. On one of these transports she was hit by a Turkish coast batterie. In the beginning of 1916 LA SAVOIE and LA LORRAINE  have been part of the fleet which brought Serbian troops from Corfu to Thessaloniki. And from 1917 onwards she was part of the troop transport fleet from the USA to Europe. After Armistice and the end of the hostilities LA SAVOIE was converted back into her former role as transatlantic liner. April 26th 1919 LA SAVOIE sailed again as passenger and mail liner to New York. March 1923 LA SAVOIE got another refurbishment after which she had 430 cabin class passengers, as 613 in III. class and became one of the new Cabin Class Liners. September 25th 1927 LA SAVOIE sailed for the last time to New York. November 25th 1927 she sailed for Dunkirque, where she was scrapped.

When Eugène Péreire 1904 resigned as president of COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE the era of the Péreire family ended, as well the ordering policy for the company. The two men who succeed would mark the society with their own mark for decades to come - President JulesCharles-Roux, and administrator John Dal Piaz.

Viewing from our todays point of view it seems as if a new dawn rose on the horizon for COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE. And the very same John Dal Piaz we see again as the initiator for the NORMANDIE.

The new vessel, LA PROVENCE, constructed at CHANTIER & ATELIERS DE ST.NAZAIRE S.A., St. Nazaire, LA PROVENCE, was finished, but the contracts for her sister vessels were canceld. With a once more renewed mail contract at hand, plans began for a step into the international competition on the North Atlantic.

At CHANTIER & ATELIERS DE ST.NAZAIRE S.A., St. Nazaire and CHANTIER & ATELIERS DE PROVENCE S.A., Port de Bouc the new board of directors ordered a set of three "working horses" for the company, a kind of pre cabin class vessels. The CHICAGO, 11,127 GT, ESPAGNE, 11,155 GT - ordered in Port de Bourc and ROCHAMBEAU, 12,678 GT.

1905 LA PROVENCE, 13,753 GT, 191 m, 19.8 m, 8.15 m, 30,000 hp, 23 knots, 397 first class, 205 second class and 900 third class passengers Crew 435. She was limited for the still relatively shallow harbor of Havre from which the ship was to operate.

A proposal to power the ship with turbines was rejected and two conventional triple expansion steam engines chosen instead driving two screws with 30,000 IHP for an expected speed of 23 knots. Four steam driven dynamos supplied electric power. The ship was designed with accommodation for 397 first class, 205 second class and 900 third class passengers served by 435 crew members for a total of 1,937 persons.

 LA PROVENCE, painting by AntonioJacobsen - source: Wikipedia

LA PROVENCE cutaway - own collection

When launched on March 21st 1905, in a ceremony attended by the Ministers of Public Works and Commerce, along with the First Secretary of Marine, LA PROVENCE was the largest ship in the French merchant fleet and the largest passenger liner built in France. LA PROVENCE was destined for the Northatlantic route to New York. Some month after the inaugural crossing, she made a voyage of 6 days and 4 hours, with an average speed of 21.63 kts. This made her competitive to the German Greyhounds. and these have been the meassuring point for all other competitors, and a sting in the flesh of especially the British liner companies and the public. When WWI broke out, LA PROVENCE was taken over by the French government to become the French Navy's armed merchant cruiser PROVENCE II. For the Gallipoli Campaign and Macedonian campaign she was converted into a troopship in order to support transporting troops from France to Salonika. South of Cape Matapan she was sunk by the German U-boat U-35 which was commanded by Lothar vonArnauld de la Perière. The ship listed quickly. So many of the lifeboats could not be used. There were 742 survivors and nearly 1,000 people were killed in the sinking. Contemporary reports in Paris indicated nearly 4,000 souls aboard and 3,130 lives lost. In modern accountes those losses revise downward to about 1,700 troops aboard and under 1,000 lost. The wartime reports from Paris for losses in this one sinking are quite close to the total, 3,180 souls, for the three troop ships which sunk in connection with the Salonika troops movements - PROVENCE II, GALLIA of SUD-ATLANTIQUE in October 1916 and AMIRAL MAGON in January 1917.

The Sydney Morning Herald for March 8th 1916, and several other English-language papers, reported:

M. Bokanowski, a French Deputy, who is one of the survivors of the French auxiliary cruiser PROVENCE II, which was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean, narrates that a battalion of the Third Colonial Infantry was aboard. There was no lamentation, and there was no panic, though the ship was sinking rapidly and the boilers exploding. Captain Vesco, he states, remained on the bridge, calmly giving orders, and finally cried, "Adieu, mes enfants." The men clustered on the foredeck, and replied, "Vive la France." Then the Provence made a sudden plunge, and the foredeck rose perpendicularly above the water.

A British patrol and a French torpedo boat picked up the survivors after they had been 18 hours in the water. Many died or went mad before the rescue ships arrived.

Despite the success and despite anual subsidies of 11 mio Francs Francaise, France with the COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE and other companies, ranged in 1902 on third palce after Germany and Britain. HAPAG and NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD ahve been in these days the biggest shipping ventures in the world. With 24,579 passengers TRANSAT was the fifth on the Transatlantic trade, aft of HAPAG, LLOYD, WHITE STAR and CUNARD. 

When the emigrant trade peaked in 1907/08 CIE. GLE. TRANSATLANTIQUE had only a share of 10%

A year after the inauguration of LA PROVENCE, ordered by old board under Eugène Péreire, the forerunners of the cabin class vessels from the 20s and 30s of CIE. GLE. TRANSATLANTIQUE, ordered by the new board under President Jules Charles-Roux, and administrator John Dal Piaz went into service, with the CHICAGO as the first. 

CHICAGO went into service 1908 and was built by CHANTIER & ATELIERS DE ST.NAZAIRE S.A., St. Nazaire, for FRENCH LINE. She had 10,501 GT and her meassurings have been 155 m length and 17.63 m beam. Her mashines propelled the twin screw vessel with a speed of 15 kts. She had accomodations for 358 II. class and 1,250 III. class passengers.

CHICAGO 1908 - postcard, own collectio

Launched on November 5th 1907, she started her maiden voyage on 30th May 1908 when she sailed from Havre for New York. Her last voyage on this route started 22nd Mar.1915 and on 16th May 1915 she transferred to the Bordeaux - New York service. She commenced her last Bordeaux - New York sailing on 31st Jan. 1920 and resumed Havre - New York voyages on 3rd Feb.1921. In Aug. 1926 she was refitted to carry cabin, tourist and 3rd class passengers and on 9th June 1928 commenced her last North Atlantic sailing when she left Bordeaux for New York. In 1928 she was rebuilt, renamed "Guadeloupe" and transferred to the West Indies service. Scrapped at St Nazaire in 1936. Source: North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.2,p.660

ESPAGNE went into service in 1910 and was built by CHANTIER & ATELIERS DE PROVENCE S.A., Port de Bouc, Bouches-du-Rhône for Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. She was 163.88 m long, with a beam of 18.49 m and a depth of 11.89 m. She was assessed at 11,155 GRT, 5,659 NRT, 4,467 DWT.

ESPAGNE was powered by two 4-cylinder triple expansion steam engines. The engines had cylinders of 85 cm, 137 cm and two of 170 cm diameter by 150 cm stroke. The engine was built by CHANTIER & ATELIERS DE PROVENCE. Rated at 1,376 NHP, they could propel the ship at 18 kts with her twin screw propellers.

ESPAGNE was the only transatlantic ocean liner built by Chantiers & Ateliers de Provence. Her port of registry was Le Havre and the Code Letters OGPR were allocated.

ESPAGNE 1910 - postcard, own colletion

ESPAGNE served on routes to Central America and the West Indies. In April 1911, she was chartered as a troopship along with AQUITAINE and MOULOUYA to transport 2,700 troops from Marseille, France, Algiers, Bône and Philippeville, Algeria to Constantinople, Ottoman Empire. In September 1911, ESPAGNE developed a leak on her arrival at Santander, Spain, and was taken to Le Havre for repairs. In mid  1912, ESPAGNE was used on the Le Havre - New York route. Following the Tampico Affair, ESPAGNE transported 100 refugees from Puerto Mexico to Veracruz, Mexico. ESPAGNE returned to the Le Havre - New York route in mid 1914 and was transferred to the Bordeaux - New York route in 1915. In February 1916, American passengers booked to travel on ESPAGNE received anonymous letters telling them not to. War duties for ESPAGNE started in 1916 and lasted till 1920 as a troopship. ESPAGNE returned to the Central America route in 1920. In 1926, a decree was issued in Mexico that all priests had to be born there. A number of Spanish priests were arrested and deported. Fourteen of them travelled on ESPAGNE from Veracruz to a Spanish port in February 1926. In August 1926, she struck a rock off La Coruña, Spain and damaged one of her propellers and had to be repaired. ESPAGNE served until June 1932, when she was laid up. She was scrapped at Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Atlantique in February 1934, by the company M. Glotz.

ROCHAMBEAU was with 12,678 GT the biggest of the trio - The third of a "à classe unique" - "unique class" of liners commissioned by FRENCH LINE. Entering service in 1911, she was a larger version of the CHICAGO which had entered service in 1908.

ROCHAMBEAU 1911 - postcard, own collection

She was named after the Count of Rochambeau, a French nobleman and soldier who participated in the American Revolutionary War. Between 1915 and 1918, she was part of a regular, civilian service! between Bordeaux and New York, the company's flagship the FRANCE having been requested as a hospital ship during World War I. Refitted in 1926, she was scrapped in Dunkirk in 1934.

These vessels, except the CHICAGO class liners, of the Belle Epoque finally are the genes of which all further comming passenger ships rely on, even the magnificient NORMANDIE of 1935.

COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE  and the French gouvernment put efforts in deepening the port of Le Havre and and building new embarkation fascilities. This enabled the new board ordering a complete new kind of vessel for the company - the FRANCE.

With this new liner under construction FRENCH LINE sailed in absolute style into a not that uncertain future.

COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE S.A. Shareholders silvered bronze medal - source: Wikipedia

 

COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE, a review - Part I

COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE, a review - Part III