Coastal service of the Woermann Line on the West African coast

The coastal service of the Woermann Line on the West African coast existed from 1877 to 1914.

history

As early as 1877 Woermann used the small steamer M'Pongwe, her first ever steamship on the Ogowe River. The river steamer of 160 GRT was built for Woermann at the Reiherstieg shipyard in Hamburg and remained in Woermann's service until 1886. In the following years, the Woermann Line procured a number of small steamers that brought freight and passengers to places on the West African coast that could not be reached by the liners, or that took freight and passengers there.

By 1914, the Woermann Line's coastal fleet had grown to ten steamers. In addition to the governor v. Puttkamer of 779 GRT it was the steamers Kuka and Marina of 600 GRT each, the last delivered sister ships Haussa and Fullah as well as the second Ado purchased in the Netherlands of 380 GRT each, the sister ships Epe and Oyo of 325 GRT delivered by Bremer Vulkan in 1900 , the Itolo (299 GRT, 1903) bought in 1911 and the Ondo of 271 GRT bought in the Netherlands in 1902 .

In addition, the Hamburg-American Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft has been using two coastal steamers since 1911 with the Idumata (301 BRT, 1905), a sister ship of the Itolo , and the Ereko (454 BRT, 1910) bought from Norway . The Hamburg-Bremen Africa Line (HBAL) has also been using a sister ship of the Ereko since 1911 in the joint service of the German Africa shipping companies with the Eggo (453 GRT, 1909) .

However, the basis for all coastal ships was not a port in one of the German West African colonies , but the British Lagos in Nigeria . In Duala ( Cameroon ), however, there was a floating dock of the Woermann line .

Coasters of the Woermann line and partners

Surname	Shipyard	GRT	Length [m]	Launched in the service of the WL	further fate
Epe	Bremen volcano no.441	324	44.2	08.1900 06.09.1900	Sunk as a block ship off Duala on September 10, 1914
Oyo	Bremen volcano no.442	326	44.2	September 8, 1900 1900	Sunk as a block ship off Duala on September 15, 1914
Ondo	Groningen	271	36.4	02.1901 07.11.1902	Bridge and engine at the rear, sunk as a block ship in front of Duala on September 15, 1914
Ado (2)	Hasselt	383	41.1	1902 08/25/1902	Bridge and engine at the rear, sunk as a block ship in front of Duala on August 17, 1914
Marina	Bremen volcano no.465	600	56.2	08.1903 26.09.1903	Escaped from Duala on August 13, 1914, captured off Accra , sunk under British flag after collision on April 14, 1922
Kuka	Bremer Vulkan No. 487	602	56.2	2.05.1905 2.06.1905	September 27, 1914 before Duala sunk as a block ship, raised and until 1917 when Sir Hugh under British until March 4, 1927 ( Sainte Anne. To 1924 sea bream ) under the French flag into service
Itolo	Nüscke & Co. No. 125	299	41.8	03.1903 08.1911	Engine and bridge aft, broken out of Duala, sunk by the French gunboat Surprise off Corisco Bay on September 21, 1914
Idumata	Nüscke & Co No. 136	301	41.8	10.1905 11.1911	Hapag, engine and bridge aft, in August 1914 in the neutral Spanish Fernando Póo , in 1919 as the governor v. Puttkamer seized by the French, 1920. Hapag sold in 1923 than to 1932 Krückau and Blumenau under German flag under six names until 1974 under the Danish flag in the North and Baltic used
Ereko	Stavanger No. 62	454	42.9	1910 08.1911	Hapag, engine and bridge aft, sunk in front of Duala as a harbor barrier
Eggo	Stavanger	453	42.9	1909 1911	HBAL , engine and bridge aft, sunk in front of Duala as a harbor barrier
House sa	Reiherstieg shipyard no.449	387	44.4	April 19, 1913 May 15, 1913	Engine and bridge aft, captured in Duala on September 27, 1914, in service under the French flag until 1930
Fullah	HC Stülcken No. 454	367	44.1	04.1913 06/10/1913	Engine and bridge aft, captured in Duala on September 27, 1914, in service under the French flag until 1950

literature

• Arnold Kludas : The ships of the German Africa Lines 1880 to 1945 . Verlag Gerhard Stalling, 1975.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Kludas: Ships of the Africa Lines. P. 132ff.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Kludas: Ships of the Africa Lines. P. 133.
3. ↑ ^{a b c} Kludas: Ships of the Africa Lines. P. 134.
4. ↑ Kludas: Ships of the Africa Lines. P. 135.
5. ↑ ^{a b c} Kludas: Ships of the Africa Lines. P. 137.
6. ↑ ^{a b} Kludas: Ships of the Africa Lines. P. 146.
7. ↑ Kludas: Ships of the Africa Lines. P. 147.