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DAPG/ESSO (German Shipping Company)

Deutsch-Amerikanische Petroleum Gesellschaft, Esso Tankschiffreederei

Last modified: 2008-02-16 by jarig bakker
Keywords: dapg | esso |
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[DAPG - black hoist] image by Jorge Candeias, 21 Jan 2005 See also:

Deutsch-Amerikanische Petroleum Gesellschaft

A vertical tricolour of black, yellow and red with a big red R in the yellow band. But the caption is practically illegible. I think the first word is "Deutsch", I believe that the second begins with an R, but the rest is a mystery to me.
Jorge Candeias, 7 Jan 2005

It must be related to this one: No. 653 in the on-line 1912 Lloyds Flags & Funnels, i.e. 'Deutsch-Amerikanische Petroleum Gesellschaft, Hamburg' (German-American Petroleum Company). As to what the 'R' stands for, I've really no idea.
Jan Mertens, 8 Jan 2005

The "R" denotes W.A. Riedemann, who was largely instrumental in the formation of the company. In the 1930's the "WARIED" Tankschiff-Rhederei had a red, white and black flag. Riedemann had been in at the formation of the Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey, which later became known as ESSO, whose mark has now replaced that of Riedemann on the ships, though the flag continued to be flown for a number of years, and is still flown on occasion, in memory of its founder.
Source: Loughran, "A Survey of Mercantile Houseflags & Funnels", 1979.
Jarig Bakker, 16 Oct 2006

The originator was Wilhelm Anton Riedemann indeed, who commenced business in Geestemunde in 1863 as a commission agent and then in partnership with Franz Schütte in 1866 became involved in petroleum imports. In 1890 they were involved in the formation of Deutsch-Amerikanische Petroleum Gesellschaft with the black-yellow-red triband with the red "R" being shown by Griffin 1895 onwards by pre WW1 sources. Possibly the colours were based on the old German ones i.e. pre the black-white-red version adopted in 1867 but with these latter colours eventually being adopted, presumably post WW1. Riedemann was mixed up with Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey and Deutsch-Amerikanische became the German associate although in 1917 Standard Oil very patriotically announced that they had disposed of all their stock in the company but managing to re-aquire it after the war ended being noted in 1940 as holding 94%.

In the meantime Riedemann had started Waried Tankschiff Rhederei GmbH (apparently around 1928 but that is a guess), again being connected with Standard Oil, and operating Deutch-Amerikanische with both under the black-white-red flag version which most sources ascribe to Waried TRG but a couple of German sources show under Deutsch-Amerikanische.
Finally in 1956 Waried TRG became Esso Tankschiff Reederei GmbH.
Neale Rosanoski, 13 Feb 2008

Esso Tankschiffreederei

[Esso Tankschiffreederei] image by Jorge Candeias, 21 Jan 2005

Interestingly, a similar flag (now a tricolour of black, white and red) is given for 'Esso Tankschiffreederei GmbH Hamburg' (Esso Tanker Shipping Company) at the Biedenkarken site. See thirteenth row, last flag. I suppose various company ramifications or evolutions are responsible for these differences, or is it all a coincidence?
Jan Mertens, 8 Jan 2005

Baltisch-Amerikanische Petroleum-Import-Gesellschaft

[Baltisch-Amerikanische Petroleum-Import-Gesellschaft] image by Jarig Bakker, 13 Feb 2008, after image sent by Neale Rosanoski

However there were some other flags relating to Riedemann as Waried TRG had a subsidiary, Baltisch-Amerikanische Petroleum-Import-Gesellschaft mbH of Danzig, seemingly also dated from 1928, which is originally showing with a flag gyronny wavy of 14 red and white surmounted by a white circle bearing the black letters "B"
[possibly with a dot after it] over "API" over "G", attached] which Brown 1929 incorrectly shows as being for Deutsch-Amerikanische Petroleum, but is correctly shown by the German cigarette card collections of Massary [1930] and Lloyd [1933].
Neale Rosanoski, 13 Feb 2008

BAPIG new flag

[BAPIG new flag]] image by Jarig Bakker, 13 Feb 2008, after image sent by Neale Rosanoski

However this was replaced by a flag similar to the parent company replacing the black band with another red one, which is shown by Brown 1934 & 1943 and the Talbot-Booth books from 1936-1944.
Neale Rosanoski, 13 Feb 2008

Panama Transport Co

[Panama Transport Co] image by Jarig Bakker, 13 Feb 2008, after image sent by Neale Rosanoski

Then with the war clouds again looming the ships of Baltisch-Amerikanische were transferred to Panamanian registry under Panama Transport Co. which Lloyds 1937-8 shows as being operated by Waried TRG but subsequently it is shown "independent" based Panama by Lloyds until the early 1960s when it came under American control and was then absorbed into Esso, with its flag being of Standard-Vacuum format, sourced from Loughran 1979 and which obviously belongs to the Panama section.
Neale Rosanoski, 13 Feb 2008