Société Maritime Coloniale (Shipping company, France)

Last modified: 2004-10-02 by ivan sache
Keywords: societe maritime coloniale | letters: smc (white) |
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by Ivan Sache

• History of Société Maritime Coloniale
• House flag of Société Maritime Coloniale

See also:

• France
• House flags of French shipping companies based in Marseilles
• House flags of shipping companies

History of Société Maritime Coloniale

The establishment of the French mandate on Lebanon and Syria by the treaty of Lausanne (1923) triggered the commercial relationships with the Middle-East.
The Société Coopérative de Navigation was founded in Marseilles in 1922 for the operation of bimonthly passenger and heavy freight scheduled lines to Alexandria, Port-Said, Jaffa, Beirut, Tripoli, Lattakia, Alexandrette, Mersin and Cyprus. The Société Maritime Coloniale was the technical management branch of the Société Coopérative de Navigation. Four ships were purchased from the French Navy, which had decided to modernize its fleet and get rid of the obsolete units of German origin.

However, the company lacked experience in the shipping business and its ships became rapidly obsolete. The company lowered its flag when its last ships, MS Belgrano, Grand-Liban and Ville-de-Damas were sold out for scrap in 1931.

Source: Paul Bois. Armements marseillais - Compagnies de navigation et navires à vapeur (1831-1988), published by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Marseille-Provence [boi03].

Ivan Sache, 22 February 2004

House flag of Société Maritime Coloniale

The house flag of Société Maritime Coloniale is green with a orange oval charged with the white letters SMC, the M being bigger than the S and the C.

Source: Paul Bois. Armements marseillais - Compagnies de navigation et navires à vapeur (1831-1988), published by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Marseille-Provence [boi03].

Ivan Sache, 22 February 2004