© 2005 - Mike MacKenzie, Largs and District Historical Society , Kirkgate House, Manse Court, LARGS, Ayrshire, KA30 8AW, United Kingdom. The information is provided for the purposes of private study and research - Commercial Rights Reserved.
In 1855 the French entrepreneur brothers, Émile and Isaac Pereire, founded the Compagnie Générale Maritime. In 1861 the name was changed to be Compagnie Générale Transatlantique and a contract was awarded to John Scott, of Scott’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. of Greenock (established in 1711), to build several vessels, some of which were to be built in France in a shipyard to be set up and run by Scott's. The yard was established as Societé Anonyme des Chantiers et Ateliers de St. Nazaire (Penhoët), and it is believed that this was known as Chantiers de Penhoët. [ for details of the vessels involved, see below ] When the contract was completed, Scott's withdrew from Saint Nazaire, but the shipyard was then taken over by Compagnie Générale Transatlatique.
In 1881 a second shipyard was established - Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire; it is believed that this yard was known as Chantiers de la Loire. There were shipbuilding yards in both Nantes and Saint Nazaire.
From these shipyards have come many well known liners such as FRANCE (1912), ILE DE FRANCE (1927), NORMANDIE (1935) and FRANCE (1960) (later re-named NORWAY).
In 1955, Chantiers de Penhoët and Chantiers de la Loire were merged to form Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
In 2003 Chantiers de l'Atlantique are building the world's biggest ocean liner, QUEEN MARY 2, in the shipyard at Saint Nazaire.
It should be noted that in 2003, following various mergers and acquisitions, there is still a major shipping enterprise which owes its origins to the Compagnie Générale Maritime and the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, but is now known as “CMA CGM” “The French Line”.
In 1938 the banana-carrier CHARLES PLUMIER was built by Societé Anonyme des Chantiers et Ateliers de Provence at Port de Bouc, near Marseilles. This vessel was operated/managed by Compagnie Générale Transatlantique both before and just after World War II, but for the years 1942 to 1945 the ship was re-named HMS LARGS and performed a very important role as a Royal Navy Headquarters Ship for most of the principal landing operations, from North Africa to Malaya. The two engines for this vessel were MAN diesels, manufactured under licence by Chantiers et Ateliers de St. Nazaire. It is believed that this was the yard of Societé Anonyme des Chantiers et Ateliers de St. Nazaire (Penhoët).
Thus there are connections between the new Cunard liner, St. Nazaire, Greenock and Largs.
In April 1940 the French Destroyer MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ (2400 tons), named after a French Admiral (1618-1646), blew up off Greenock with heavy loss of life following an accident involving her own torpedoes. This vessel was launched in 1931 from the yard of Chantiers et Ateliers de St. Nazaire (Penhoët) - yet another link between Greenock and St. Nazaire.
At the end of November 2003, to mark the completion of the new Cunard liner QUEEN MARY 2, a Colloquium entitled QM2 "The Celtic Connection" was held in Sainte-Nazaire to acknowledge the links between the shipyards of the Clyde and the Loire estuary.
Confirmation from those with more detailed information about the history of these French companies and shipbuilding yards will be welcome. Please use the address at the top of this page or use the e-mail link Mike MacKenzie
The following details of the ships built, with the involvement of Scott's of Greenock, for Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, have been extracted from North Atlantic Seaway, by N. R. P. Bonsor, Brookside Publications, 1978; and from Merchant Fleets 30, French Line, by Duncan Haws, 1996. :-
--- 3 Paddle-Steamers built in Greenock : WASHINGTON (1864) 3,204 gross tons ; LAFAYETTE (1864) 3,375 gross tons ; EUROPE (1865) 3,200 gross tons
--- 4 Paddle-Steamers built at Penhoët : IMPÉRATRICE EUGÉNIE (1864) 3,400 gross tons (later re-named AMÉRIQUE) ; FRANCE (1864) 3,200 gross tons ; NOUVEAU MONDE (1866) 3,200 gross tons (later re-named LABRADOR) ; PANAMA (1866) 3,400 gross tons (later re-named CANADA)
--- 1 Single-Screw Steamer built at Penhoët : SAINT LAURENT (1866) 3,413 gross tons
[ see also the Largs and District Historical Society page ]
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