This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Compagnie Nationale de Navigation (Shipping company, France)

Last modified: 2006-12-23 by ivan sache
Keywords: compagnie nationale de navigation | fraissinet | disc (blue) | disc (red) | letter: c (red) | letter: n (blue) | letter: c (black) | letter: n (black) |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors



[Flag of CNN]     [Flag of CNN]     [Flag of CNN]

House flag of Compagnie Nationale de Navigation, three reported versions - Images by Ivan Sache, 4 November 2005


See also:


History of Compagnie Nationale de Navigation

Compagnie Nationale de Navigation was founded by Marc Fraissinet in 1879. The purpose of this company was to open scheduled lines with India, Indonesia and Philippines (then called in France Insulinde) and Indochina. In the latter case, the company specialized in the transport of troops to Tonkin.
In 1886, the company attempted to open a line to New York, and next year a line Dakar-Buenos Aires. However, only the Indochinese line was still active in 1896.
In 1904, the company had to face the competition with the Messageries Maritimes and the end of the monopole on transport of war material to Tonkin. Therefore, it was decided to sold off the company when it was still profitable. The fleet was sold to the Messageries Maritimes and the Chargeurs Réunis.

All the ships of the Compagnie Nationale de Navigation were named after exotic places, e.g. SS Cochin, Chandernagor, Hindoustan, Colombo, Cachemire and Caobang.

Source: Paul Bois. Armements marseillais - Compagnies de navigation et navires à vapeur (1831-1988), published by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Marseille-Provence [boi03].

Ivan Sache, 15 February 2004


House flag of Compagnie Nationale de Navigation

P. Bois (op. cit.) shows the house flag of Compagnie Nationale de Navigation is white with a blue disc at mid hoist and a red disc at mid fly, and a red C and blue N letters placed vertically in the middle of the flag. Griffin (1895) shows both letters as blue whilst Lloyds (1904) has them black.

Ivan Sache & Neale Rosanoski, 1 November 2005