White Star Line

 

HistoryRoutesFleet

 

Short Company History

 

18 January 1869: Thomas Henry Ismay buys the name White Star Line. The former owner had gone bankrupt.

6 September 1869 founded as Oceanic Steam Navigation Company.

1871 first advertisments with the name "White Star Line, Oceanic S.N. Co." - Finally, White Star Line is the name which is linked with this company and the brand name that sticks.

1902 International Mercantile Marine Company (IMM) buys all shares of Oceanic Steam Navigation Company thus is the owner of the White Star Line. IMM is a trust founded by the American J. P. Morgan.

1 January 1927:  White Star Line Limited founded to buy the shares of Oceanic Steam Navigation Company from IMM. This brings the White Star Line back into British hands.

10 May 1934: Cunard White Star Limited founded. Cunard Line owns about 2/3 of the shares, White Star Line about 1/3. The ships of this new company show both flags and keep the colours of their original companies.

1947 kauft die Cunard Steam Ship Co. die Anteile der früheren White Star Line an der Cunard White Star Limited.

31 December 1949: Cunard Steam Ship Co. Ltd. buys the shares of the White Star Line thus taking over the Cunard White Star Limited. This erases the White Star Line from the oceans. Until her breaking up in 1960, Britannic (III) works for Cunard Line in White Star colours which makes her the final White Star Liner.

 

The Routes

Source: Duncan Haws, Merchant Fleets, White Star Line (Oceanic Steam Navigation Company)

Only ports with regular calls are listed

1871 - Ende Liverpool - Queenstown/Cobh - New York
1871 - 1872 Liverpool - Suez Canal - Calcutta
1872 - 1873 Liverpool - Bordeaux - Vigo - Lissabon - Rio de Janeiro - Montevideo - Buenos Aires - Valparaiso - Arica - Islay - Callao
1874 - 1914 Freight service Liverpool - New York
1875 - 1904 San Francisco - Yokohama - Hong Kong - Manila
1883 - 1926 London - Plymouth - Tenerife - Cape Town - Hobart - Port Chalmers - Lyttleton - Wellington - Canterbury - Napier - Cape Horn - Montevideo - Rio de Janeiro - Tenerife - Plymouth - London (from 1920 onwards via Panama Canal)
1888 - 1926 Cattle service New York - England (Zielhäfen Liverpool, Manchester, London)
1898 - 1904 San Francisco - Honolulu - Yokohama - Hong Kong
1899 - 1934 Liverpool - Cape Town - Melbourne - Sydney - Durban - Cape Town - Tenerife - Plymouth - London - Liverpool
1902 - 1924 Liverpool - Philadelphia - Boston
1903 - 1924 New York - Azores - Gibraltar - Neaples - Genua
1907 - 1934 Southampton - Cherbourg - Queenstown - New York - Cherbourg - Southampton
1909 - 1939 Liverpool - Quebec - Montreal (Summer)
Liverpool - Halifax (Winter)
1922 - 1926 Hamburg/Bremen - Le Havre - Quebec - Montreal (Summer)
Hamburg/Bremen - Le Havre - Halifax (Winter)
1928 - 1930 London - Le Havre - Southampton - Quebec - Montreal (Summer)
1928 - 1931 London - Le Havre - Southampton - Halifax - New York (Winter)
1923 - 1930 Liverpool - Cobh - Boston - New York
1930 - 1934 Liverpool - Cobh or Galway - Boston - New York

 

The Fleet

(A) = sold for breaking up; (C) = on charter; (G) = sank or other complete loss at sea; (M) = missing
(R) = sold to another company; S = transferred by shipping controller
(T) = transferred within the IMM; (V) = sank by enemy action

Only ships which were owned by the White Star Line are listed.
* Transferred to the White Star Line within the IMM.
+ bought from other companies or received as reparation or managed on order of the shipping controller

All Dates are listed as DD.MM.YYYY

Ship First WSL Voyage

Gross Tonnage

Route Left WSL for
Oceanic (I) 02.03.1871 3.707 BRT Liverpool - New York until 1875
1875 onwards serving from San Francisco on the Pacific
1895 (A)
Asiatic + März 1871 2.122 BRT Liverpool - Calcutta until 1872
Liverpool - Südamerika 1872 onwards
1873 (R)
Tropic + ? 1871 2.122 BRT Liverpool - Calcutta until1872
Liverpool - Südamerika 1872 onwards
1873 (R)
Atlantic 08.06.1871 3.707 BRT Liverpool - New York 1. April 1873 (G)
Baltic (I) 14.09.1871 3.707 BRT Liverpool - New York 1888 (R)
Republic (I) 01.02.1872 3.707 BRT Liverpool - New York
reserve ship 1875 onwards
1889 (R)
Adriatic (I) 11.04.1872 3.888 BRT Liverpool - New York
reserve ship 1897 onwards
1899 (A)
Celtic (I) 24.10.1872 3.867 BRT Liverpool - New York
1892 laid up
1893 (R)
Traffic (I) 1872 155 BRT Tender in Liverpool 1896 (R)
Gaelic (I) + 29.01.1873 2.685 BRT Liverpool - Valparaiso
From July 1873 Liverpool - New York
1875 (C)
1883 (R)
Belgic (I) 16.04.1873 2.652 BRT Liverpool - Valparaiso
From 1874 Liverpool or London - New York
1875 (C)
1883 (R)
Britannic (I) 03.02.1874 5.004 BRT Liverpool - New York
Trooper in Boer War from 1899 onwards
1903 (A)
Germanic 30.05.1875 5.008 BRT Liverpool - New York
1903 laid up
1904 (T)
Arabic (I) 10.09.1881 4.368 BRT Liverpool - New York until 1882 and 1887 - 1888
Pacific service from 1882 and from 1888
1890 (R)
Coptic 16.11.1881 4.367 BRT Liverpool - New York until 1882
Pacific service 1882 - 1884 and from 1894
London - New Zealand from 1884
1894 (C)
1906 (R)
Ionic (I) 26.05.1883 4.753 BRT London - New Zealand 1900 (C)
1900 (R)
Doric (I) 26.07. 1883 4.784 BRT London - New Zealand 1896 (C)
1906 (R)
Belgic (II) 7. Juli 1885 4.212 BRT Liverpool - New York
Pacific service from November 1885
1899 (R)
Gaelic 18. Juli 1885 4.206 BRT Liverpool - New York
Pacific service from November 1885
1905 (R)
Cufic (I) 8.12.1888 4.639 BRT Liverpool - New York (cattle and freight) until 1896 und from 1898 1896 (C)
1901 (R)
Runic (I) 21.02.1889 4.833 BRT Liverpool - New York (cattle and freight) 1895 (R)
Teutonic 07.08.1889 9.984 BRT Liverpool - New York until Winter 1900 and 1901 - 1907
Trooper Winter 1900
Southampton - New York from 1907
Canadian Service from 1911
War service 1914 - 1918
Shipping Controller from 1918
1921 (A)
Majestic (I) 02.04.1890 9.965 BRT Liverpool - New York until December 1899 and 1903 - 1907
Trooper 1899 - 1900
Southampton - New York 1907 - 1911 and 1912 - 1914
reserve vessel November 1911 - April 1912
1914 (A)
Nomadic (I) 24.04.1891 5.749 BRT Liverpool - New York (cattle) bis 1899
Trooper 1899 - 1901
1903 (T)
Tauric 16.05.1891 5.728 BRT Liverpool - New York (cattle) 1903 (T)
Magnetic 06.06.1891 619 BRT Passenger tender in Liverpool 1932 (R)
Naronic 15.07.1892 6.594 BRT Liverpool - New York (cattle ship with passenger cabins) Feb. 1893 (M)
Bovic 26.08. 1892 6.583 BRT Liverpool - New York (cattle ship with passenger cabins) until 1914
Manchester - New York 1914 - 1917 and from 1921
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1919
1922 (T)
Gothic 28.12.1893 7.755 BRT London - Wellington
England - Australia 1911 - 1913
1907 (T)
1913 (T)
Cevic 12.01.1894 8.301 BRT Liverpool - New York (cattle service) until 1908
Australia service until 1914
War service 1914 - 1916
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1920
1920 (R)
Pontic 13.04.1894 395 BRT Water and baggage tender in Liverpool 1919 (R)
Georgic (I) 16.08.1895 10.077 BRT Liverpool - New York (cattle) 10.12.1916 (V)
Delphic (I) 17.07.1897 8.273 BRT Liverpool - New York until1897
London - Neuseeland from 1897
Shipping Controller from 1917
17.07.1917 (V)
Cymric 11.02.1898 13.096 BRT Liverpool - New York until 1900 and 1900 - 1903
Trooper 1900
Liverpool - Boston 1903 - 1914
Liverpool - New York from 1914
09.05.1916 (V)
Afric 08.02.1899 11.948 BRT Liverpool - New York (one voyage)
Liverpool - Australien from September 1899
02.07.1917 (V)
Medic 03.08.1899 11.985 BRT Liverpool - Australien until 1917 and from 1919
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1919
1928 (R)
Oceanic (II) 06.09.1899 17.274 BRT Liverpool - New York until 1907
Southampton - New York 1907 - 1914
War service 1914
1914 (G)
Persic 07.12.1899 11.973 BRT Liverpool - Australien until 1917 and from 1920
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1920
1927 (A)
Runic (II) 03.01.1901 12.482 BRT Liverpool - Australien until 1917 and from 1919
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1919
1930 (R)
Suevic 23.03.1901 12.531 BRT Liverpool - Australien until 1917 and from 1920
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1920
1928 (R)
Celtic (II) 26.07.1901 21.035 BRT Liverpool - New York until 1914 and from 1919
War service 1914 - 1919
10.12.1928 (G)
Athenic 14.02.1902 12.345 BRT London - Neuseeland until 1917 and from 1919
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1919
1928 (R)
Corinthic 20.11.1902 12.367 BRT London - Neuseeland until 1917 and from 1919
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1919
1931 (A)
Canopic * 14.01.1903 12.097 BRT Liverpool - Boston until 1904
Mittelmeer - New York until 1915 and 1919 - 1922
Liverpool - New York or Boston until 1917
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1919
Liverpool - Canada 1922
Bremen - Canada 1922/23
Hamburg - Canada 1923/24
Liverpool - Philadelphia 1924/25
1925 (A)
Ionic (II) 16.01.1903 12.352 BRT London - New Zealand until 1917 and from 1919
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1919
1934 (R)
Cedric 11.02.1903 21.035 BRT Liverpool - New York until 1914
Kriegsdienst 1914 - 1918
Liverpool - New York until 1931
1932 (A)
Arabic (II) * 26.06.1903 15.801 BRT Liverpool - New York until 1905, 1907 - 1911 and from 1914
Liverpool - Boston until 1907 and 1911 - 1914
19.08.1915 (V)
Cretic * 19.11.1903 13.507 BRT Liverpool - Boston until 1904
Mediterranean - North America until 1917 and until 1923
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1919
1923 (T)
Romanic * 19.11.1903 11.394 BRT Liverpool - Boston until1903
Mediterranean - Boston until 1912
1912 (R)
Republic (II) * 17.12.1903 15.378 BRT Liverpool - Boston until 1904
Mediterranean - North America from 1904
24.01.1909 (G)
Cufic (II) * 21.05.1904 8.249 BRT Liverpool - Sydney from 1904 (freight route) and from 1919
1914 - 1917 War service
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1919
1923 (R)
Tropic (II) * 1904 8.262 BRT Liverpool - Sydney from 1904 (freight route) and from 1919
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1919
1923 (R)
Baltic (II) 29.06.1904 23.876 BRT Liverpool - New York from 1914
War service 1914 - 1918
Liverpool - New York until 1932
1933 (A)
Gallic 1907 461 BRT Tender at Cherbourg until 1911
Positioned at Liverpool from 1911
1913 (A)
Adriatic (II) 08.05.1907 24.541 BRT Southampton - New York until 1911 and 1919 -1922
Liverpool - New York until 1917 and 1922 - 1934
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1919
1934 (A)
Laurentic (I) * 29.04.1909 14.892 BRT Liverpool - Canada until 1915
War Service from 1915
25.01.1917 (V)
Megantic * 17.07.1909 14.878 BRT Liverpool - Canada until 1914 and 1919 - 1928 and from 1931
Liverpool - New York until 1917 and 1918/19
Trooper 1915
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1918
London - Canada 1928 until 1931
Laid up 1931
1933 A)
Zeeland * 11.04.1910 11.905 BRT Liverpool - New York or Boston 1911 (T)
Nomadic (II) Juni 1911 1.273 BRT Passenger and baggage tender at Cherbourg 1927 (R)
Traffic (II) Juni 1911 675 BRT Passenger and baggage tender at Cherbourg 1927 (R)
Olympic 14.06.1911 45.324 BRT Southampton - New York until 1914 and from 1920
Trooper 1914 - 1919
1935 (A)
Belgic (III) * 30.08.1911 9.748 BRT Antwerp - New York ? 1913 (T)
Zealandic 30.10.1911 10.898 BRT England - New Zealand until 1917 and from 1919
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1919
1926 (R)
Titanic 10.04.1912 46.329 BRT Southampton - New York until 1912 15.04.1912 (G)
Ceramic 24.07.1913 18.495 BRT Liverpool - Australia until 1917 and from 1919
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1919
1934 (R)
Southland * 03.09.1914 11.899 BRT Southampton - New York from 1914
Liverpool - Canada from 1915
04.06.1917 (V)
Lapland * 29.10.1914 18.695 BRT Liverpool - New York until 1917 and from 1918
Shipping Controller 1917 - 1918
Southampton - New York from 1919
1919 (T)
Britannic (II) 12.12.1915 48.158 BRT Hospital ship (never served in peace time) 21.11.1916 (V)
Hunslet + Jan. 1917 5.341 BRT Shipping Controller 1917 (S)
Justicia + April 1917 32.234 BRT Shipping Controller 20.07.1918 (G)
Belgic (IV) * 21.07.1917 24.547 BRT Shipping Controller until 1921 (?)
Laid up until 1922
März 1922 (T)
Vedic 11.07.1918 9.302 BRT Trooper until 1918 and 1919
Glasgow - Boston 1918 - 1919
Glasgow - Canada 1920 - 1921
Liverpool - Portland/Maine or New York 1921
Bremen - Montreal or Halifax 1922 - 1925
Liverpool - Australia 1925 - 1930
Laid up 1930 - 1934
1934 (A)
Alexandra Woermann + März 1919 3.908 BRT managed by White Star 1920 (R)
Frankfurt + März 1919 7.431 BRT managed by White Star 1922 (R)
Zeppelin + März 1919 14.167 BRT managed by White Star 1920 (R)
Ypiranga + 15.05.1919 8.142 BRT Australia service until 1920
Laid up until 1921
1921 (R)
Gallic (II) + Aug. 1919 7.914 BRT Freight service to Australia 1933 (R)
Bardic + 18.08.1919 8.010 BRT Liverpool - New York until 1921 (run by Atlantic Transport)
Australia service until 1925
1925 (R)
Haverford * 01.04.1921 11.635 BRT Liverpool - Philadelphia until 1922
Hamburg - New York 1922
1922 (T)
Arabic (III) + 07.09.1921 16.786 BRT Southampton - New York until 1921
Mediterranean - New York 1921 - 1924
Hamburg - New York 1924 - 1926
Liverpool - New York 1930/31
1926 (C)
1931 (A)
Homeric + 15.02.1921 34.351 BRT Southampton - New York until 1932
Cruises 1932 - 1935
Laid up 1935
1936 (A)
Poland * April 1922 8.282 BRT Bremen - Montreal until 1922
Laid up from 1922
1925 (A)
Majestic (II) + 10.05.1922 56.551 BRT Southampton - New York until 1936 1936 (R)
Pittsburgh * 06.06.1922 16.322 BRT Liverpool - Boston until 1922
Bremen - New York 1922 - 1923
Hamburg - New York 1923 - 1925
1925 (T)
Doric (II) 08.06.1923 16.484 BRT Liverpool - Montreal until 1932
Cruises out of Liverpool from 1933
1935 (A)
Regina * 12.12.1925 16.313 BRT Liverpool - New York until 1929 1929 (T)
Delphic * 1925 8.006 BRT Australian service until 1933 1933 (R)
Albertic + 22.04.1927 18.939 BRT Liverpool - Kanada until 1928 and 1930 - 1933
London - Montreal 1928
Liverpool - New York 1929
Laid up 1933
1934 (A)
Calgaric + 04.05.1927 16.063 BRT Liverpool - Kanada until 1929
London - Kanada 1929
reserve vessel from 1930
1934 (A)
Laurentic (II) 12.11.1927 18.724 BRT Liverpool - New York until 1928
Liverpool - Kanada 1928 - 1934
Short cruises 1935
Laid up 1935 - 1939
Armed merchant cruiser from 1939
03.11.1940 (V)
Britannic (III) 28.06.1930 26.943 BRT Liverpool - New York from 1930 and 1948 - 1960
London - New York 1935 - 1939
Trooper 1939 - 1946
1960 (A)
Georgic (II) 25.06.1932 27.759 BRT Liverpool - New York until 1935 and 1949 - 1955
London - New York 1935 - 1939
Trooper 1940 - 1946
Liverpool - Australien 1949
1956 (A)

© Susanne Störmer, April 2007

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