The Fleets
The Compagnie Generale des Paquebots Transatlantiques started sailing in 1847. The general English translation in The Times newspaper was Transatlantic General Steam Packet Co. They started Cherbourg/Havre - New York sailings in 1847 but the ships incurred severe storm damage and were found to be unsuitable for North Atlantic conditions and sailings ceased in early 1848. The ships were returned to the French Navy and reverted to their previous names.
The 1847 newspapers were full of the arrivals of this new French Line, not just because it was new, but for other reasons. The vessels seemed to run out of coal and would have to put into Halifax to refuel. Several times this happened. Then, in a December issue of the New Orleans Picayune an item appears stating that several people in France had been charged with fraud. It appears that when the ships ordered 1,000 tons of coal, they were only receiving about 800 tons instead!
Many thanks to Ted Finch for his assistance in collecting this data. The following list was extracted from various sources. This is not an all inclusive list but should only be used as a guide.
Routes
- Cherbourg / Havre - New York.
Ships
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | 1843 | ex- Canada, 1847 purchased from French Navy, renamed Union. 1848 reverted to Canada and the French Navy | 1,500 |
| Philadelphie | 1843 | ex- Christophe Colomb, 1847 purchased from the French Navy, renamed Philadelphie. 1848 reverted to Christophe Colomb and the French Navy. | 1,500 |
| Missouri | 1842 | ex- Ulloa, 1847 purchased from the French Navy, renamed Missouri. 1848 reverted to Ulloa and the French Navy. | 1,500 |
| New York | 1842 | ex- Darien, 1847 purchased from the French Navy, renamed New York. 1848 reverted to Darien and the French Navy. | 1,500 |