CP Ships
House flag of CP Ships |
CP Ships was a large
The company moved to a model of container shipping from passenger, freight and mail service in the 1960s due to competitive pressure from the airline industry. The company was a part of the
The Atlantic and Pacific passenger liners of Canadian Pacific were always British-flagged and largely British-manned and were not part of the Canadian Merchant Marine, ownership being with the British-registered Canadian Pacific Steamships Ltd. subsidiary.
History
Early era (1881–1915)
In the early 1880s, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) negotiated with the Government of the United Kingdom to establish trans-Pacific steamship routes between Vancouver, British Columbia and the Far East.[1] The trans-Pacific services of Canadian Pacific were begun by Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, the Canadian-American builder of the railroad network in 1887. In that year, Sir William chartered three vessels from Cunard Line; SS Abyssinia, SS Parthia, and SS Batavia—as a beginning of the CP fleet.[2] The agency for chartering and managing the ships was secured by Adamson, Bell and Company for the first three years.[3] When the new shipping line had shown to be profitable, Canadian Pacific decided not to renew the contract with Adamson, Bell and Company and to run the line itself.[4]
In 1891, CPR adopted a new name — the
In the late 19th century, CPR initiated an ocean-going service between the port of Vancouver and Hong Kong, with calls at Japan and China, and later at Manila, Philippine Islands and Honolulu, Hawaii. This service provided a link for CPR's transcontinental railroad passenger and freight services. Passengers could travel from England to Eastern Canada, travel across the railway to Vancouver, and on to Asian destinations. During 1887, temporary steamship service was initiated on a Vancouver-Yokohama-Hong Kong route.[7] From 1887 through 1941, the Canadian Pacific Railway provided steamship service between Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and Hong Kong with calls at Japan and China, and later at Manila, Philippine Islands and Honolulu, Hawaii. Three ships were built at Barrow-in-Furness in England, and the three sailed together towards Vancouver in 1890, with initial voyages projected for January 15, February 15, and March 15 of the new year. An 11-foot (3 m) scale model of the ship was put on display in Canadian Pacific's New York offices. In an effort to lure American-Chinese passengers to sail with CPR from North America to Shanghai and Hong Kong, prominent members of the Chinese community in New York were invited to examine the scale model and its amenities.[8]
In 1915, CP changed the name of its shipping business to Canadian Pacific Steamships Ocean Services Ltd.[9][10]
In 1891, CPR and the British government reached agreement on a contract for subsidised mail service between Britain and Hong Kong via Canada.[11] The route began to be serviced by three specially designed Empress liners—RMS Empress of China, RMS Empress of India and RMS Empress of Japan. Each of these "Empress" steamships sailed regularly in the period from 1891 through 1912. In that year, Empress of China struck a reef near Tokyo, and she was subsequently towed to Yokohama where she was scrapped. Empress of India would continue in service through 1914. RMS Empress of Japan sailed regularly from 1891 through 1922. These three ships and the others which comprised the "Empress fleet" carried mail, passengers, and freight speedily across the Pacific for over half a century.[12]
In 1903, the company took over the ships and services of the Beaver Line and began operating ships on the Atlantic between Halifax, Nova Scotia and the United Kingdom. In 1906, two vessels were built in Scotland: RMS Empress of Britain and RMS Empress of Ireland. These two vessels had a full capacity of 1,530 passengers. There were accommodations for 310 first class, 470 second class passengers, 500 third class and 250 steerage passengers. The CP transported many immigrants from Europe to Canada, primarily from Great Britain and Scandinavia.
CP acquired the successful
Sinking of Empress of Ireland
In 1914, the Empress of Ireland collided with the Norwegian
Empress of Ireland was heading down the channel near
World War I (1914–1918)
Canadian Pacific was an important contributor to the Merchant Navy (United Kingdom) in World War I. Like other shipping companies, Canadian Pacific provided ships to carry troops in both World Wars. CP lost 18 ships in the war.
In World War I, some ships were refitted as
Inter-war period (1919–1938)
CP purchased eleven new steamships to replace its losses during the war. New liners including
In 1939, the CP Ship Empress of Australia transported King
World War II (1939–1945)
In World War II, the CP fleet carried over a million tons of cargo and a million troops and civilians during World War II.
Post-war period (1945–2005)
From 1956 to 1961, the company acquired its last three steam passenger ships Empress of Britain, Empress of England and Empress of Canada. Competition from airlines forced CP to retire these ships in the 1970s. The company looked towards bulk carrier and tanker fleets as replacements for its steamships.
In 1971, the company changed its name to CP Ships Ltd. Container ships added as Intermodal freight transport became popular. Intermodal transportation integrated well with CP's rail assets. In 1972, CP Ships regular transatlantic passenger service from the Port of Liverpool finished with the sale of Empress of Canada.
In 1984, CP Ships entered a joint venture with
Sale
On August 21, 2005,
CP Ships archives were held by CP Limited until 2012 when it was donated to the
Fleet events
Civilian
There are several notable civilian events in the CP fleet.
- In 1912 RMS Empress of China struck a reef near Tokyo and was towed to Yokohama and scrapped. All crew and passengers were uninjured.
- In 1914 RMS Empress of Ireland sank in the St. Lawrence River. 1,012 passengers died in the worst maritime disaster in Canadian history.
- In 1918 Alaskanhistory.
- In 1923 CBEfor his actions.
- In 1952 SS Princess Kathleen ran aground and sank in Lynn Canal, Alaska. All crew and passengers were rescued by the United States Coast Guard.[19]
World War I
CP ships served in the Merchant Navy (United Kingdom) in World War I.
- In 1916 crewmen were released as the United States was neutral at the time. Four crew were killed.
World War II
CP ships served in the Canadian Merchant Navy in World War II. Twelve ships were lost to direct enemy action. Two additional ships were lost to accidents.
- In 1940 RMS Empress of Britain was attacked by a Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor bomber and, while being towed back to port, was torpedoed by U-32, a Kriegsmarine U-boat. She was the largest vessel sunk by a U-boat in WWII. 45 men were lost in the initial attack.
- In 1940 SS Beaverburn was torpedoed by U-boat U-41. One sailor was lost and 76 were rescued by the US tanker Narraganset.
- In the first hours of 19 June 1940 RMS Niagara sailing from Auckland, New Zealand, sank giving a position of 35° 53′ south, 174° 54′ east in the Hauraki Gulf as a result of an explosion whose origin was not known at the time of distress messages. By afternoon mines identified as German had been swept up.[20] It was later determined that the mines had been laid by the German auxiliary cruiser Orion.[20] All crew members were rescued.
- On 5 November 1941 SS Beaverford was part of Convoy HX 84. The convoy was escorted only by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Jervis Bay. The convoy was attacked by the German heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer. Jervis Bay attacked Admiral Scheer to give the convoy the chance to scatter and escape but was quickly sunk. When Admiral Scheer caught up with the convoy, the lightly armed (one 4-inch gun) Beaverford turned to attack the cruiser, engaging it for five hours until Beaverford exploded and sank with all 76 crew.[21] Delayed by Beaverford, thirty-two of the convoy ships were able to escape in the darkness with Admiral Scheer destroying only six ships of the convoy.
- In 1941 SS Beaverbrae was bombed by a Focke-Wulf aircraft and sunk. All crew members were rescued.
- In 1941 SS Beaverdale was torpedoed by U-boat U-48. 21 crew were killed. Captain Draper navigated one lifeboat 300 miles to Iceland. The other lifeboat was rescued at sea.
- In 1942 OBEfor his actions.
- In 1942 OBE for this action.[citation needed]
- In 1942 SS Princess Marguerite was sunk by U-83 with over 1,000 troops on board. Swift action from its escorts allowed the rescue of most persons on board. 55 crew were lost with the ship.
- In 1942 SS Duchess of Atholl was sunk by the German submarine U-178 2,000 miles off Ascension Island with 831 people on board. Five crewmen were lost in the initial torpedoing, everyone else was rescued from lifeboats by HMS Corinthian.
- In 1943 RMS Empress of Canada was sunk by an Italian submarine off Cape Palmas. 392 of the 1,800 people on board were killed, many were Italian prisoners of war.
- In 1943 SS Duchess of York was sunk by long range Luftwaffe bombers. Twenty-seven crew were killed.
Notable captains
- King George VI in 1941 – a position he held part-time throughout World War II.[24]
- Captain Sir Medal of Honour, Red Ribbon (Japan);[26] Order of the White Elephant (Siam);[25] Cross of the Second Class of the Order of Naval Merit (with white badge) (Spain).[28]
- Captain CBE (1888–1965) served with distinction in both first and second World Wars. He was appointed as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his handling of RMS Empress of Scotland during an attack by the Luftwaffe off the coast of Irelandon November 9, 1940. Captain Thomas was the only member of the Canadian merchant navy to have been honoured with the CBE during that war.
Corporate timeline
- 1881 Canadian Pacific Railway was founded.
- 1891 Shipping assets are incorporated into Canadian Pacific Steamship Company.
- 1915 Name changed to Canadian Pacific Steamships Ocean Services Ltd.
- 1971 Name changed to CP Ships Ltd.
- 2001 CP Ships Ltd. is spun out from the conglomerate Canadian Pacific Limited and became an independent company.
- 2005 CP Ships Ltd. is acquired by TUI AG
· 2013 Name Canadian Pacific Steamships Ltd (abandoned by TUI AG) is registered by Eyecon Brands Ltd. of Ontario, Canada.
See also
- Canadian Merchant Navy
- CP Lake steamers
- List of Ships of CP Ships
- Princess fleet
- List of largest container shipping companies
Notes
- ^ "Canadian Railroad Interests; To Connect with Steamships to Japan" (PDF). The New York Times. 28 November 1884.
- ^ "Pacific Air Routes Replace Ship Line; Canadian Company Abandons Pre-War Service of Fleet, Maps Overseas Flights". The New York Times. 10 April 1949.
- ISBN 0-275-98035-9.
- ISBN 0-333-37172-0.
- ISBN 0-8453-4792-6.
- ^ a b "CP Innovations". E. Chambré Hardman Archive. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011.
- ^ "Railway Management; the Canadian Pacific" (PDF). The New York Times. 13 May 1887.
- ^ "The Chinamen Were Pleased; They Viewed the Model of the Canadian Pacific's New Ships". The New York Times. 23 December 1890.
- ^ "To Transfer C. P. R. Fleet; Ships and Railroad to be Managed by Separate Companies" (PDF). The New York Times. 25 February 1915.
- ^ "Canadian Pacific Divorces Ships; Forms Company to Take Over Its Boats and Those of the Allan Line, Which It Owns. PRICE IS PUT AT $24,000,000 Railway to Get All of New Corporation's $10,000,000 Stock and $14,000,000 Debentures" (PDF). The New York Times. 24 August 1915.
- ^ "Rivals of Pacific Mail; Canadian Pacific Steamers Cutting into China Traffic". The New York Times. 10 October 1891.
- ^ Postal History Society of Canada: trans-Pacific mail service and the "Empress fleet" Archived 2008-03-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Investigating the Empress of Ireland". Shipwreck Investigations at Library and Archives Canada. collectionscanada.gc.ca. 8 May 2018.
- ^ The Golden Age of Liners. BBC Four. Timeshift, Series 9, Episode 2.
- ^ "SS Beaverford", Clydebuilt Canada’’
- ^ Pigott, Peter (2010). Sailing Seven Seas: A History of the Canadian Pacific Line. Dundurn Press. p. 139.
- ^ Press release, 19 October 2005, archived from the original on 30 September 2007
- ^ Torrance, Adele (24 April 2019). "Uncovering family history aboard a Canadian Pacific steamship". Ingenium Canada. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ Cruise line history. Retrieved 2013-01-10
- ^ a b Gill, G. Hermon (1957). Royal Australian Navy 1939–1942. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 2 – Navy. Vol. 1. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. pp. 125–126. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
- ^ "The Story of Beaverford". Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ^ "No. 30194". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 July 1917. p. 7424.; "No. 31021". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 November 1918. p. 13694.
- ^ Snelling, Stephen. 2002. The Naval VCs, p. 142.
- ^ Obituary for Captain Ronald Neil Stuart Archived 23 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine, The Times. Retrieved May 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Capt. Samuel Robinson, Who Won Fame For Rescue Work in Jap Quake, Dies," New York Times. September 7, 1958.
- ^ a b c d National Maritime Museum, Greenwich Archived March 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Vancouver Maritime Museum Archived January 5, 2013, at archive.today
- ^ "No. 32973". The London Gazette. 12 September 1924. p. 6778.
References
- Musk, George. (1981). Canadian Pacific: The Story of the Famous Shipping Line. Toronto: Holt, Rinehart and Winston of Canada.
- Snelling, Stephen. 2002. The Naval VCs. Stroud, Gloustershire: ISBN 978-0-7509-1395-9
Further reading
- History of CP Ships Archived 2007-04-03 at the Wayback Machine – Hapag Lloyd
- The Role of the CP Ships in World War II
- SECDatabase.com: [1] CP SHIPS LTD, Form 6-K, Filing Date September 7, 2004
External links
- CP Ships at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
- White Empress fleet list: 20 vessels
- NYPL ID 97712, unknown photographer: Empress of Canada, portside view
- NYPL ID 97717, unknown photographer: Empress of Scotland, starboard view
- Documents and clippings about CP Ships in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW
- Passenger List of the Canadian Pacific Line (CPOS/CPR) GG Archives
- Canadian Pacific Line (CPR/CPOS) History and Ephemera GG Archives