The Fleets
This page covers German-Australian Line and Deutsche-Australische Dampfschiffs Gesellschaft.
Formed in 1888 to operate services from Hamburg via Antwerp and the Cape to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. The service commenced in July 1889, but within a couple of years, passenger services to Australia were discontinued and the company restricted its activities to the cargo trade to Australia and the Dutch East Indies and latterly to North and South America. Taken over by the Hamburg America Line in 1926 and lost its identity as a seperate concern.
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.
Ships
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | 1911 | 1914 interned Sao Paulo, 1916 seized by Portugal renamed Cunene. | 5,898 |
| Albany | 1911 | 1914 interned Syracuse, 1915 seized by Italy, 1918 renamed Matteo Renato Imbriani mined and sunk. | 5,582 |
| Altona (1) | 1902 | 1914 seized by Australia at Melbourne, renamed Conargo, 1918 torpedoed and sunk by U-Boat. | 4,312 |
| Altona (2) | 1921 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 5,892 |
| Annaberg | 1909 | 1914 seized by Britain at Suez, renamed Hunsbrook, 1919 stranded Walvis Bay. | 4,463 |
| Apolda | 1901 | 1914 seized by Britain at Capetown, 1919 to South African Government. | 4,939 |
| Augsburg | 1896 | 1912 lost in North Atlantic. | 4,287 |
| Australia | 1912 | 1914 captured by Britain, 1921 sold to British India S.N. Co. | 7,485 |
| Barmen | 1889 | 1894 sold to Hamburg America Line renamed Bolivia. | 2,614 |
| Bergedorf | 1900 | 1911 stranded Cape Comorin. | 5,125 |
| Berlin | 1904 | 1914 seized by Australia at Sydney renamed Parattah. | 4,196 |
| Bielefeld | 1898 | 1914 German Navy, 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1920 to Japan renamed Kobun Maru. | 4,460 |
| Bochum (1) | 1912 | 1914 interned at Manila, 1917 seized by USA renamed Montpelier. | 6,161 |
| Bochum (2) | 1921 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 6,121 |
| Brisbane | 1911 | 1914 interned Mormugoa, 1916 renamed Damao for Portugal, 1918 torpedoed and sunk by U-Boat. | 5,668 |
| Cannstatt | 1913 | 1914 seized by Australia at Brisbane renamed Bakara. | 5,930 |
| Cassell | 1922 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 6,047 |
| Ceylon | 1916 | 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1920 to David SS Co., London renamed Ardover. | 7,600 |
| Chemnitz | 1889 | 1906 sold to Lihn & Co., Chile renamed Enrique Lihn. | 2,700 |
| Colmar | 1912 | 1914 interned at Madeira, 1916 seized by Portugal renamed Machico. | 6,184 |
| Dortmund | 1926 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 5,138 |
| Duisburg (1) | 1900 | 1915 sold to G. Siemers & Co, Hamburg, renamed Burgermeister von Melle. | 4,520 |
| Duisburg (2) | 1925 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line, 1928 renamed Heidelberg. | 6,530 |
| Dusseldorf (1) | 1912 | 1914 interned at Barcelona, 1919 war reparations to France, 1921 passed to Britain, renamed City of Boston for Ellerman Line. | 5,877 |
| Dusseldorf (2) | 1922 | 1923 stranded at Valparaiso. | 5,146 |
| Elberfeld | 1889 | 1894 sold to Hamburg America Line renamed Hercynia. | 2,617 |
| Elbing | 1898 | 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 sold to Reederei Kayser AG, Hamburg renamed Heinrich Kayser. | 4,884 |
| Elmshorn | 1910 | 1914 interned Manila, 1917 seized by USA renamed Casco, 1922 repurchased by German Australia Line renamed Mannheim, 1925 renamed Elmshorn, 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 4,594 |
| Erlangen | 1889 | 1894 stranded and sank. | 2,750 |
| Essen (1) | 1889 | 1907 sold to de Freitas & Co., renamed Austria. | 2,985 |
| Essen (2) | 1912 | 1914 interned Delagoa Bay, 1916 seized by Portugal renamed Inhambane. | 5,878 |
| Essen (3) | 1922 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 5,158 |
| Esslingen | 1910 | 1914 interned Manila, 1917 seized by USA renamed Nyanza. | 4,902 |
| Flensburg | 1895 | 1912 sold to Reederei AG, Oceana, Hamburg renamed Waltraute. | 4,435 |
| Forst | 1918 | 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 to Hogarth & Sons renamed Baron Ogilvy. | 5,850 |
| Freiberg | 1914 | 1914 interned at Sourabaya, 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 renamed City of Sydney, 1923 repurchased by German Australia Line renamed Luneburg (2), 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 5,811 |
| Freiburg | 1923 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 5,165 |
| Fremantle | 1911 | 1914 interned at Cadiz, 1919 war reparations to France, 1921 renamed Andromede. | 5,872 |
| Furth | 1907 | 1914 seized by Britain renamed Kerman. | 4,229 |
| Gera (1) | 1916 | 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1920 to David SS Co., London renamed Bourne. | 5,831 |
| Gera (2) | 1923 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 5,156 |
| Goslar | 1906 | 1914 seized by Britain at Suez, renamed Huntsfall, 1916 torpedoed and sunk by U-Boat. | 4,331 |
| Guben | 1914 | 1915 became German surface raider GRIEF, 1916 sunk in battle with British Armed Merchant Cruisers ANDES and ALCANTARA. | 4,750 |
| Hagen (1) | 1906 | 1914 interned at Sourabaya, 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 sold to Greece renamed Aegeon. | 4,210 |
| Hagen (2) | 1921 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 5,988 |
| Halle | 1921 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 5,899 |
| Hamburg | 1920 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line renamed Naumburg. | 5,878 |
| Hamm (1) | 1920 | 1914 seized by Britain, 1922 sold to Greece renamed Aghios Marcos. | 4,598 |
| Hamm (2) | 1907 | ex- Hestia, 1920 purchased from DG Neptun, Bremen renamed Hamm, 1925 sold to E. Russ, Hamburg renamed Fohr. | 1,245 |
| Hanau (1) | 1907 | 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 sold to F. Bolton & Co., renamed Ribera. | 4,213 |
| Hanau (2) | 1921 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 5,892 |
| Hannover | 1921 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line, 1931 renamed Hamm. | 5,874 |
| Harburg (1) | 1899 | 1914 interned at New York, 1917 seized by USA renamed Pawnee. | 5,134 |
| Harburg (2) | see Worms | ||
| Hobart | 1912 | 1914 seized by Australia at Melbourne renamed Baram. | 5,923 |
| Hof | 1913 | 1914 interned at Delagoa Bay, 1916 seized by Portugal renamed Gaza. | 4,705 |
| Inlander | 1901 | 1906 sold to Schliewinsky & Ziegler, Hamburg renamed Sascha. | 752 |
| Iserlohn (1) | 1909 | 1914 interned at Batavia, 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 sold to St. Just SS Co., renamed Union City. | 4,667 |
| Iserlohn (2) | 1922 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 3,704 |
| Itzehoe | 1899 | 1911 wrecked Cape Recife. | 5,134 |
| Java | 1913 | 1919 war reparations to France, 1920 renamed Min. | 7,676 |
| Kiel (1) | 1900 | 1914 interned Wilmington, Del., 1917 seized by USA renamed Camden. | 4,510 |
| Kiel (2) | 1922 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 3,703 |
| Laeisz | 1901 | 1901 struck rock and sank in Red Sea. | 5,157 |
| Lennep | 1915 | 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 to J. Coull & Co., Newcastle renamed Brant County. | 4,750 |
| Linden | 1906 | 1914 interned at Batavia, 1918 to Royal Holland Lloyd renamed Eemland. | 4,188 |
| Lubeck (1) | 1914 | 1914 interned in Dutch East Indies, 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 to J. Hain & Co. renamed Trelevan. | 4,770 |
| Lubeck (2) | 1922 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 3,703 |
| Luneburg (1) | 1912 | 1914 interned at Macassar, 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 to P & O Steam Nav. Co., renamed Padua. | 5,819 |
| Luneburg (2) | see Freiberg | ||
| Magdeburg (1) | 1900 | 1914 interned New York, 1917 seized by USA renamed Neuse. | 5,154 |
| Magdeburg (2) | 1925 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 6,128 |
| Mannheim (1) | 1911 | 1919 war reparations to France, 1921 renamed Lieutenant St. Loubert Bie. | 5,878 |
| Mannheim (2) | see Elmshorn | ||
| Meissen | 1897 | 1913 sold to Reederei AG, Oceana, Hamburg renamed Woglinde. | 4,487 |
| Melbourne | 1911 | 1914 seized by Australia at Sydney, renamed Boonah. | 5,926 |
| Neumunster | 1907 | 1914 seized by Australia at Fremantle renamed Cooee. | 4,224 |
| Oberhausen | 1905 | 1914 seized by Australia at Port Huon, Tasmania renamed Booral. | 4,322 |
| Offenbach | 1900 | 1914 interned at Sourabaya, 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 sold to Reederei Kayser AG, Hamburg renamed Anna Kayser. | 4,336 |
| Osnabruck | 1907 | 1914 seized by Australia at Brisbane renamed Calulu. | 4,240 |
| Ottensen | 1904 | 1914 German Navy, 1916 sunk after striking mine and collision. | 4,258 |
| Pauline | 1900 | 1905 sold to Carlos Salvador, Lourenco Marques renamed Bilene. | 193 |
| Plauen | 1907 | 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 to Ellerman City Line renamed City of Milan. | 4,210 |
| Reichenbach | 1906 | 1914 interned at Christiansand, 1915 to Bergen Line renamed Meteor, 1916 torpedoed and sunk by U-Boat. | 4,217 |
| Rendsburg (1) | 1910 | 1919 war reparations to France, 1920 renamed Mont Kemmel. | 4,639 |
| Rendsburg (2) | 1925 | 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 6,200 |
| Rostock | 1901 | 1914 seized by Britain at Port Said, 1915 renamed Huntsmoor, 1918 torpedoed and sunk by U-Boat. | 4,957 |
| Shamrock | 1878 | ex- Helene Grisar, 1901 purchased from A. Grisar, Antwerp renamed Shamrock, 1902 transferred to Australian flag. | 1,335 |
| Solingen (1) | 1889 | 1904 stranded and sank. | 2,875 |
| Solingen (2) | 1905 | 1914 German Navy, 1919 war reparatons to Britain, 1922 sold to T. H. Skogland, Haugesund renamed Kari Skogland. | 4,195 |
| Sommerfeld | 1889 | 1906 sold to de Freitas & Co., renamed Roma. | 2,609 |
| Sonneberg | 1894 | 1912 sold to Reederei AG, Oceana, Hamburg renamed Waelsung. | 4,498 |
| Stassfurt | 1891 | 1906 sold to Deutsche-Levant Line renamed Chios. | 3,231 |
| Stolberg | 1912 | 1914 interned in Dutch East Indies, 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 sold to Union S.S. Co. of New Zealand renamed Waiotapu. | 5,886 |
| Sumatra | 1913 | 1914 seized by Australia at Sydney renamed Barunga, 1918 sunk by U-Boat. | 7,484 |
| Sydney | 1911 | 1914 interned Dutch East Indies, 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1920 passed to Belgium, 1922 renamed Caucasier. | 5,893 |
| Tasmania | 1913 | 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 to New Zealand Shipping Co. | 7,514 |
| Teck | 1891 | 1901 purchased from Woermann Line, Hamburg, 1905 sold to Portugal renamed Beira. | 577 |
| Ulm | 1914 | 1914 interned at Amboina, 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 to J. Nourse & Co. renamed Tapti. | 4,708 |
| Varzin | 1898 | 1914 captured by Britain, 1919 operated by Secretary of State for India, Bombay, 1922 sold to Greece renamed Electra Stavroudi. | 4,455 |
| Waldenburg | 1916 | 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1920 to R. Thomas & Co., London renamed Maritime, then Cambrian Queen. | 5,823 |
| Wismar | 1910 | 1914 interned Dutch East Indies, 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1921 sold to St. Just SS Co., renamed Truro City. | 4,868 |
| Worms | 1907 | 1919 war reparations to Britain, 1922 repurchased by German-Australian Line renamed Harburg (2), 1926 taken over by Hamburg America Line. | 4,428 |