The Fleets
A Belgian company formed in 1940 to operate transatlantic services. The company was owned 60% by Belgium and 40% by United States Lines and was a ploy to avoid Roosevelt's Neutrality Act which barred United States shipping from the European war zone. The ships were all transferred from the U.S flag, but heavy wartime losses and the German invasion of Belgium ensured that the company was extremely short lived.
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
- New York - Havre
- New York - Liverpool
Ships
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ville d'Anvers | 1919 | ex- American Banker, 1940 transferred from United States Line renamed Ville d'Anvers, 1945 returned to United States Line. | 7,430 |
| Ville d'Arlon | 1919 | ex- American Traveler, 1940 transferred from United States Line renamed Ville d'Arlon, 1940 torpedoed and sunk in North Atlantic. | 7,555 |
| Ville de Bruges | 1920 | ex- President Harding, 1940 transferred from United States Line renamed Ville de Bruges, 1940 bombed in River Scheldt, beached and burned out. | 13,869 |
| Ville de Gand | 1920 | ex- American Importer, 1940 transferred from United States Line renamed Ville de Gand, 1940 torpedoed and sunk off Ireland. | 7,555 |
| Ville de Hasselt | 1920 | ex- American Trader, 1940 transferred from United States Line renamed Ville de Hasselt, 1940 torpedoed and sunk off the Hebrides. | 7,430 |
| Ville de Liege | 1920 | ex- American Farmer, 1940 transferred from United States Line renamed Ville de Liege, 1941 torpedoed and sunk in North Atlantic. | 7,430 |
| Ville de Mons | 1920 | ex- American Shipper, 1940 transferred from United States Line renamed Ville de Mons, 1940 torpedoed and sunk off Ireland. | 7,430 |
| Ville de Namur | 1921 | ex- American Merchant, 1940 transferred from United States Line renamed Ville de Namur, 1940 torpedoed and sunk in Bay of Biscay. | 7,430 |