The Fleets
The Russian American Line was founded in 1900 by the East Asiatic Company of Copenhagen as the Russian East Asiatic Steamship Co. to run services between Russia and the Far East. After the Russo-Japanese War, Hamburg America Line had acquired a major interest in the Russian East Asiatic Company and they started a Libau - New York passenger service in 1906 in competition with the Russian Volunteer Fleet. Services ceased in 1917 after the Russian Revolution and some came under temporary Cunard Line management. After the Armistice, their ships were either transferred to the Baltic American Line or sold.
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
- 1906-1915 Libau - Rotterdam - New York (occasional calls at Copenhagen and Halifax)
- 1912-1914 Libau - Rotterdam - Halifax - New York (occasional calls at Copenhagen)
- 1914-1917 Archangel - Hammerfest - New York
Ships
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arconia | 1896 | ex- Juliette, 1907 transferred from East Asiatic Co., renamed Arconia. 1908 sold to Germany, renamed Hittfeld. | 4,603 |
| Birma | 1894 | 1908 transferred from East Asiatic Co., 1914 renamed Mitawa (Mitau), 1921 sold to Polish American Line, renamed Jozef Pilsudski. | 4,595 |
| Czar | 1912 | 1917 came under Cunard management, 1921 transferred to Baltic American Line, renamed Estonia. | 6,503 |
| Czaritza | 1915 | 1917 came under Cunard management, 1921 transferred to Baltic American Line, renamed Lituania. | 6,598 |
| Dwinsk | 1897 | ex- C.F. Tietgen, 1913 purchased from Scandinavian American Line, renamed Dwinsk. 1917 came under Cunard management, 1918 torpedoed and sunk west of Bermuda. | 8,173 |
| Estonia | 1889 | ex- Indien (1), 1907 transferred from East Asiatic Co., renamed Estonia. 1913 caught fire at sea near Port Sudan and sunk with explosives. | 4,269 |
| Grodno | 1893 | ex- Albingia, 1906 transferred from Hamburg America Line, renamed Grodno. 1907 reverted to Albingia (Hapag). | 4,634 |
| Korea | 1899 | 1906 transferred from East Asiatic Co., 1910 sank in Atlantic. | 6,163 |
| Kowno | 1892 | ex- Allemania, 1906 transferred from Hamburg America Line, renamed Kowno. 1907 reverted to Allemania (Hapag). | 4,630 |
| Kursk | 1910 | 1917 came under Cunard management, 1921 transferred to Baltic American Line, renamed Polonia. | 7,858 |
| Lituania | 1889 | ex- Kina, 1907 transferred from East Asiatic Co., renamed Lituania. 1913 sold to Japan, renamed Daiten Maru. | 4,248 |
| Livonia | 1902 | ex- Prins Valdemar, 1907 transferred from East Asiatic Co., renamed Livonia. 1907 reverted to East Asiatic Co, renamed Indien (2). | 5,554 |
| Mitawa (Mitau) | see Birma. | ||
| Russia | 1908 | 1917 renamed Rossija, then Russ, 1921 transferred to Baltic American Line, renamed Latvia. | 8,596 |