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French Line - CGT - Page 7
 
(Post-WW2 ships)
 
 
This is Page 7 in a series of postcard galleries that cover the CGT fleet (Compagnie Generale Transatlantique - know as la Transat in France), and marketed as the French Line in the UK and USA. This page is devoted to ships on CGT Trans-Atlantic and Caribbean services that were acquired between 1945 and 1976. Postwar CGT ships on African and Mediterranean services are covered on Page 1B (1945-60) and Page 2 (1960-69).
 
There is an alphabetical list of ships on this page, followed by a table of complete ship histories. Commercial and official postcards of the Post War CGT fleet are then shown in chronological order. Dates given in headings are those within the CGT fleet, not the life of the ship.
 
 
Ships on this Page:-
Antilles - 1952-71
De Grasse (2) - 1971-73
Flandre - 1952-68
France - 1962-74
Liberté - 1950-61
 
Associated Pages:-
French Line Header Page
French Line Page 1A - African & Mediterranean Services up to 1945
French Line Page 1B - African & Mediterranean Services 1945-1960
French Line Page 2 - Mediterranean Car Ferries from 1960
French Line Page 3 - Transat Vessels pre-1910
French Line Page 4 - Transat Vessels 1910-1914
French Line Page 5 - Transat Vessels 1914-1930
French Line Page 6 - Transat Vessels 1930-1945
French Line Page 7 - Transat Vessels 1945-1976 - this page!
French Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
 
 
 
 
Table of Ship Histories

Name

Other names

 Built
 Liberté  Europa (1)

 1930
 Flandre  Carla C, Princess Carla, Carla Costa, Pallas Athena

 1952
 France  Norway

 1962
 De Grasse (2)  Bergensfjord, Rasa Sayang

 1955
 
 
 
 
 
 
CGT Fleet List
 
Part 7 - The Post War Fleet
 
 
 
Liberté
(CGT: 1950-1961)
 
The Liberté was built in 1930 as the Europa (1) for Norddeutsche Lloyd of Bremen. She was awarded to France as reparation after WW2, and re-entered service as Liberté in 1950. She was withdrawn and broken up in 1961, prior to the arrival of the new France.
 
 
Official French Line card of Liberté
 
 
Official French Line card of Liberté
 
 
Official French Line card of Liberté
 
 
Official French Line card of Liberté
 
 
Liberté's funnels were heightened in 1954, as shown on the following cards.
 
 
Liberté's with heightened funnels
 
 
Liberté's with heightened funnels
 
 
 
 
 
Flandre (2)
(CGT:1952-1968)
 
The Flandre and her sister Antilles were the first new large post-war French liners. They were both launched with white hulls in 1951, intended for the Caribbean service. The Antilles was actually launched 6 months before Flandre, but Flandre was completed first. During building it was decided to use her on the North Atlantic routes, so she entered service with a black hull.
 
 
French Line official card of Flandre showing her planned appearance with white hull
 
 
French Line official card of Flandre as delivered with a black hull.
 
 
French Line official card of Flandre as delivered with a black hull.
 
 
French Line official card of Flandre as delivered with a black hull.
 
 
French Line official card of Flandre as delivered with a black hull.
 
 
French Line official card of Flandre as delivered with a black hull.
 
 
 
 
 
Antilles
(CGT: 1952-1971)
 
The Antilles was launched on April 26th 1951, 6 months before sistership Flandre. Antilles' construction was beset with delays, and she was handed over for service on her designed Caribbean route in December 1952. She ran a number of Mediterranean cruises before her maiden Caribbean voyage from le Havre in May 1953, running opposite the Colombie. In July 1971 she hit a rock off Mustique and caught fire and was lost.
 
 
French Line official card of Antilles
 
 
French Line official card of Antilles
 
 
French Line official card of Antilles showing the heightened funnel that she later received.
 
 
French Line official card of Antilles showing the heightened funnel that she later received.
 
 
An Editions d'Art postcard of Antilles at le Havre, with the Flandre berthed ahead of her.
 
 
Louis Dormand (Long Island NY) postcard of Antilles at le Havre.
 
 
After the Battle postcard (serial P129) of Antilles, using a photo by Beken of Cowes.
 
 
 
 
 
France
(CGT: 1962-1974)
 
The France entered service in 1962, and was the longest (but not largest) Atlantic liner at 1035ft. She was withdrawn in 1974 on removal of government subsidies. She was laid up at le Havre until 1979, when she was bought by Norwegian Cruise Line and renamed Norway.
 
Complete history of the France
 
 
This art card of France was issued by CGT before her entry into service.
 
 
This official CGT postcard of the launch of France was printed by Editions de Luxe of Paris (serial 17884).
 
 
Official CGT postcards of the France
 
 
Official CGT postcards of the France
 
 
Official CGT postcards of the France
 
 
Official CGT postcards of the France
 
 
Official CGT postcards of the France
 
 
 
 
 
De Grasse (2)
(CGT: 1971-1973)
 
The second De Grasse was acquired in haste in 1971 to replace the Antilles. She had been built as the Bergensfjord completed in 1956 by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend-on-Tyne, Newcastle for Norwegian America Line. She was 18739grt and carried 878 passengers. Bergensfjord was acquired by the French Line (CGT) as the De Grasse (2) in 1971 to replace the Antilles which had been lost in a fire. She was not profitable on the le Havre-Southampton-Caribbean service, and spent 1972 cruising. De Grasse (2) was sold in 1973, becoming the Rasa Sayang. In 1980 she was sold to Aphrodite Maritime Co, Greece. On 17th August 1980, a fire started in the engine room whilst she was under refurbishment at Perama, Greece. She was towed out of the docks and capsized and sank near the island of Kynosoura, some kilometres from Perama.
 
A complete postcard history of this ship is available on this link
 
 
Official French Line card of De Grasse
 
 
Official French Line card of De Grasse
Scan: Ken Murayama
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
 
 
 
 
French Line Header Page
CGT up to 1910 - CGT 1910-1914 - CGT 1914-1930 - CGT 1930-1945
CGT Mediterranean Services - CGT Mediterranean Car Ferries
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