The Fleets

Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique

A concern entitled the SOCIETE D'ETUDES DE NAVIGATION was founded in 1910 by the French shipowners Cyprien Fabre, Fraissinet and the Société Générale de Transports Maritimes in conjunction with two French banks. On 27 May 1910 they submitted a request to the French Government to be allowed to undertake all the mail services then maintained by Messageries Maritimes.
Messageries Maritimes had done very little since 1904 to improve their South American service.
After the French authorities had had private discussions with both Messageries and the Societe d'Etudes, contracts were signed on 11 July 1911 and were to be effective from 22 July 1912. Messageries were allowed to retain all their mail services except the one to South America which was to be transferred to the Societe d'Etudes. They, for their part were required to build four 18 knot passenger liners with a minimium length of 175 metres and provide six paquebots mixtes in order not only to maintain a fortnightly mail service but also a fortnightly intermediate service between Bordeaux and Buenos Aires. However these arrangements were not confirmed by the French Parliament until 31 December 1911, thus allowing an unreasonably short time for the appropriate ships to be acquired. Nevertheless, orders were placed next day with the Chantiers de l'Atlantique at St. Nazaire for the 14,000 ton LUTETIA and with Forges & Chantiers de la Mediterranee at La Seyne for a similar ship, the GALLIA, both to be delivered in 1913.
On 8 February 1912 the Societe d'Etudes de Navigation changed its name to Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique, its capital being 15 million francs (£600,000). Its board of directors consisted of prominent bankers and shipowners, among whom were Andre Berthelot, Cyprien Fabre, Alfred Fraissinet, Comte Arrnand, Pellerin de la Touche and Hubert Giraud. The inaugural date of the service was, not surprisingly, postponed from 22 July to 22 September 1912 and, of course, a number of second hand ships had to be acquired in order to open it.

In 1914, the company was placed under the control of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique and was taken over in 1916 by Chargeurs Réunis. In 1928 Chargeurs Réunis took over Sud Atlantique's intermediate service.

Messageries Maritimes took over the South American service in 1962 with the only two ships still left (LAENNEC and CHARLES TELLIER), this was the end of the Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique

Many thanks to Henk Jungerius and Ted Finch for their assistance in collecting this data. The following list was extracted from various sources. This is not an all inclusive list but should only be used as a guide. If you would like to know more about a vessel, visit the Ship Descriptions (onsite) or Immigrant Ship web site.

Routes:

• France - South America

Funnel: Buff with black top
Fleet:		1911-1931	1931-1962

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