The Fleets

Java China Japan Lijn 1902-1947 / Koninklijke Java China Paketvaart Lijnen 1947-1977, Amsterdam

In the Netherlands East Indies the spread of steam shipping gave rise to inter-insular mail services (pakketvaart). Like its counterparts in other European empires, the pakketvaart owed its prominence to government mail contracts. From 1850 to 1865 the colonial government contracted with several local shipping companies. From 1866 to 1890 the pakketvaart was operated by the Nederlandsch-Indische Stoomvaart Maatschappij (NISM), a subsidiary of the British India Steam Navigation Company. When after the opening of the Suez Canal two Dutch mail lines were established, the Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland (SMN) in 1870 and the Rotterdamsche Lloyd (RL) in 1883 the foreign control over the pakketvaart network was no longer compatible with Dutch commercial interests. In 1888 the Dutch government pushed its ocean-going mail lines to establish a new corporation, the Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij (KPM).

Around 1900, the Dutch consul in Shanghai saw opportunities for a Dutch shipping company, to operate a line of steamships from Java to East Asia with a extension to North America, however, the Dutch Government did not allow the KPM to set up an extension to Japan and China because the mail contract with Dutch Government stated to provide shipping in the archipelago. In 1902 with the aid of the Dutch Government, three Dutch shipping companies ( Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland, SMN, Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij, KNSM and the Rotterdamsche Lloyd, RL) which had also close relations with the KPM started a new service from Java to China and Japan as the Java China Japan Line (JCJL) subsidised by the Dutch Government and three steamships with limited passengers accommodation were ordered. The first ship the Tjipanas (1) was ready to sail in August 1902. In 1907 the line to China and Japan was divided into two separate lines, one to China and the other to Japan which gave a better profit to the company. The Tjibodas (1) built in 1906 had accomodation for 2 first class, 18 second class, 84 third class passengers and 1584 steerage passengers. The JCJL specialized to transport coolies or steerage passengers from the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) to China. The Tjitaroem (1) opened in 1911 a new line; the Java Hong Kong Line.

When World War I started JCJL owned nine ships. Holland with its colonies became neutral in this conflict. In 1915 together with de SMN and RL the Java Pacific Line was founded to give a monthly service to the West coast of North America and was a great success during its first years. World War I did not alter much for the JCJL in the Far East only in 1918 the Tjikembang and Tjsondari (1) were temporarily seized by the US Government and the Tjibodas (1) and Tjitaroem by the British Government according to the Angaria right. There was not much of a competition because the German shipping companies were driven from the seas, only the Japanese shipping companies Nanyo Yusen Kaisha and Osaka Shosen Kaisha started a connection from Japan to North Sulaweshi (Celebes).

In 1920 the N.V. Vereenigde Nederlandsche Scheepvaartmaatschappij, was founded by Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland (SMN), Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij (KNSM), Java, China, Japan Lijn (JCJL), Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij (KPM), Holland America Line (HAL), Rotterdam Lloyd (RL), Van Nievelt, Goudriaan en Co’s. Stoomvaart Maatschappij (Nigoco) and N.V. Stoomvaart Maatschappij “De Maas” ( Van Ommeren) and the JCJL participated with capital and two ships in this new venture, but already in 1922 there was a depression in the freight market and the JCJL withdraw its two ships because of the sustained losses.Also in 1923 the Java Pacific Line was temporary stopped and reopened in 1927 but without the JCJL. The Wall Street crash of 1929 was the beginning of a big depression in the thirties and the JCJL was making losses, al lot of ships were sold for scrapping and some line services were dismissed, the fleet consisted in 1932 of 13 ships of 105,000gt.

After 1936 the freight- and passengers market was slowly booming again and in 1937 a new passenger freight motorship the Tjitalengka was ordered by the Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Mij., Amsterdam and delivered in 1939. In 1939 a new passengership the Tjikini (2) was ordered but never delivered to the JCJL because World War II started in September 1939 and Holland was occupied by the Germans in May 1940. After Holland was occupied by the Germans on 10 May 1940 the Dutch colonies in the Far East were still free and several ships were chartered to the Ministry of War Transport. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941 Holland and his colonies declared war on Japan. To rebuilt the fleet the JCJL took over from the Dutch Government an Empire ship and two Victory ships from the American surplus fleet. Because of political uncertainties in Netherlands East Indies after World War II and Indonesia becoming independent in 1948 most ships of the KPM were used and transferred for services in the JCJL fleet.

On 10 December 1947 the prefix Koninklijke (Royal) was granted and the Koninklijke Java China Paketvaart Lijnen (KJCPL) or Royal Interocean Lines was born. The KPM ships Boissevain, Ruys and Tegelberg were used in 1948 in the Asia-Africa-South America Line and the Nieuw Holland was used on the Australia and New Zealand run. In 1948 a new building program started and two passengers ships the Tjiwangi and Tjiluwah and two cargo passengers ships Straat Makassar and Straat Banka were ordered. In 1965 it was clear that the KPM had lost it’s reason to exist after Indonesia gained its independence and the later political troubles with Holland about New Guinea, so in 1966 the decision was made to merge the KPM into the KJCPL on 1 January 1967 and also brought the daughter companies Hollandse Vrachtvaart Maatschappij (HVM) and Nederlandse Tank- en Paketvaart Maatschappij (NTPM) under the RIL flag and on 1 January 1967 the fleet consisted of 77 ships of 520,620gt. The passengers ships, Boissevain, Tjitjalengka, Ruys and Tegelberg were sold in 1968 and after this year only cargo ships were built for the company. The Mercury Shipping Company at Hong Kong was founded to place surplus ships under the flag of Liberia or Panama and so extended their economical life. Also a joint venture was started with the South African Marine Corporation named Safocean Pty and in 1974 to avoid flag discrimination the Jupiter Lines Pty a daughter company was started in Durban. The New Holland (ex Randfontein) was taken over from Nedlloyd but the Australian passengers or tourist market was too small and the ship was sold to China. The last passenger ship the Tjiwangi was sold in 1974 to Singapore.

In 1975 all the shipping lines were re-grouped and brought under the Nedlloyd banner and on 1 May 1977 the Nederlandsche Scheepvaart Unie was restyled as Koninklijke Nedlloyd Groep and the KJCPL or RIL lost its name and disappeared into history.

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:
  • Java-China Lijn
  • Java-Japan-Lijn
  • Java-Hong Kong Lijn
  • Asia-Africa-South America
  • Australia-South America-South Africa
  • East Asia-South Africa
  • China-West Africa-Australia-New Zealand
• Abbreviations:
  • KRL :       Koninklijke Rotterdamsche Lloyd
  • VNS :       Vereenigde Nederlandsche Scheepvaartunie
  • JCJL :      Java China Java Lijn
  • KJCPL :   Koninklijke Java China Paketvaart Lijnen
  • KPM :      Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij
  • RIL :        Royal Interocean Lines = KJCPL
  • KNSM :   Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij
  • RL :          Rotterdamsche Lloyd
  • SMN :      Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland
  • HVN :       Hollandse Vrachtvaart Maatschappij
  • NTPM :    Nederlandse Tank- en Paketvaart Maatschappij
• Note:
• not all the ships of the KPM which went to the KJCPL after the merger are in this list, see KPM.

Funnel & Flag:
Fleet:	1907-1947		1947-1977

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