Messageries Maritimes

[Nicholas Peppas]

Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes was a very well known company that served the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea in the beginning of the 20th century.

Some time ago, I bought from E-bay the January 1907 brochure of this company specifically for the "Lines of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea"
Here are a few scans from the booklet

Compagnie cover.jpgCompagnie page 1.jpg

Maps with the Mediterranean Mail Lines from the Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes 1907 brochure, see now the "special" Greek ports used by the company's boats. They included Patras, Kalamata, Syra, Piraeus, along with Thessaloniki and Smyrna. Some of their ships went all the way to Samsus, Trapezous and Batoum, while another line was going to Odessa!

Compagnie map 1.jpg

Compagnie map 2.jpg

Here is the fleet of Messageries Maritimes in 1907

Compagnie page 6.jpg

Let us now summarize all the Messageries ships working in the Mediterranean and Black Sea in 1907. and with the help of the wonderful site of Philippe Ramona, let's see some pictures

Portugal 1886-1916 5,335-ton 16.5 knots Alexandria route (1899-1912) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/portugal.htm
Saghalien 1880-1915 3,955-ton 13.5 knots Piraeus- Smyrna-Constantinople route (1895-1914) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/saghal.htm
Equateur 1875-1922 3,848-ton 15 knots Piraeus-Smyrna-Latakia (1896-1914) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/equateur.htm
Orinoque 1874-1925 3,833-ton 14.5 knots East Mediterranean routes (1895-1913) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/orenoque.htm
Congo 1878-1913 3,844-ton 14 knots Piraeus- Smyrna-Constantinople route (1896-1913) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/congo.htm
Niger (1871-1913) 3,644-ton 13 knots Black Sea route (1888-1913) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/niger.htm
Senegal (1870-1913) 3,625-ton 13 knots Egypt-Syria route (1888-1913) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/senegal.htm
Charente (1889-1911) 3,673-ton 13.5 knots Egypt-Syria route (1902-07) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/charente.html
Dordogne (1888-1911) 3,723-ton 13.5 knots http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/dordogne.htm
Medoc (1884-1914) 3,634-ton 12.5 knots http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/medoc.html
Matapan (1884-1910) 3,613-ton 12.5 knots London-Smyrna-Constantinople (1903-10) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/matapan.htm
Corduan (1884-1911) 3,630-ton 12.5 knots London-Smyrna-Constantinople (1902-11) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/cordouan.htm
Bosphore (1889-1922) A Scottish ship of P&O originally; 3,503-ton 13 knots Black Sea line (1903-17) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/bosphore.htm
Crimée (1889-1923) A Scottish ship of P&O originally; 3,540-ton 12 knots Black Sea route (1904-17) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/crimee.htm
Danube (1889-1923) A Scottish ship of P&O originally; 3,508-ton 12 knots Black Sea route (1903-20) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/danube.htm
Douro (1889-1910) 2,678-ton 12.5 knots Black Sea route (1903-08) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/douro.htm
Guadiana (1888-1922) What an ugly and slow ship! 2,581-ton 12 knots Egypt route (1901-1907) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/guadiana.htm
Bagdad (1891-1935) launched as Athenai for the Panhellenic Co. (1891-95) 2,382-ton 10 knots http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/bagdad.htm
Memphis (1891-1916) launched as Byzantion for the Panhellenic Co. (1891-95) 2,382-ton 10 knots http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/memphis.htm
Sidon (1891-1922) launched as Sparta for the Panhellenic Co. (1891-95) 2,382-ton 10 knots Black Sea route (1895-1912) http://www.es-conseil.fr/pramona/sidon.htm