WWI Merchant Fleets

⚓ 🧭 🚢 ⛵ ️🔗 All Nation’s merchant ships classes

In 1914, just before World War I, global trade depended heavily on merchant shipping. Fleet size was usually measured in gross register tonnage (GRT), the total internal volume of commercial ships. These differs from military tonnage calculated in water displacement, either in short or long tonnes. Below are the largest merchant fleets in the world in 1914, ranked by approximate total tonnage. This portage page is about all merchant fleets prior to 1914, their fate in WWI, the ship’s types, companies, tonnage, losses and entente nation’s emergency shipbuilding programs to compensate losses.

Centauto, a type 1015 standard ship design.

Introduction

It could be said that the roots of British dominance in naval trade went all the way back to the Navigation Acts, passed in 1651 and 1660 for the protection of British shipping and commerce as against foreign countries, prohibiting importation of goods into England or any of its dependencies and securing that 3/4 of its mariners would be British as well. Some inflexion was done to this principle in the 1850 as international trade developed. Its extension was remarkable: By 1588 it was estimated to 12,500 tons exclusive of fishing-boats but in 1791, it amounted already to 1,511,400 tons, including colonial shipping. In 1840, it tripled, to 3,311,000 tons. In 1880, so just 40 years later with its industrial growth, it reached 8,447,000 tons and ten years later in 1890, was now of 9,688,000 tonnes. Ten years later 10,751,000 and by 1903 it was 11,831,000. In 1914 it nearly reached 19,000,000 tonnes. 1.

Prior to 1914, there was a proportionality of scale between the British Empire, its merchant fleet and its military fleet, the Royal Navy. It was gigantic and Britain alone carried half the goods of the planet, gaining a considerable financial return from it, largely driven also by its own exports and its own industrial base. The financial aspects of everything related to merchant shipping was in London. The world’s largest naval insurance company, the Lloyd, had a book that counted every single merchant hull afloat. It still dominates the industry. The london stck exchange dominated worldwide good’s prices as well.

About Lloyd’s

Lloyd’s of London traces its origins back to a coffee house opened by Edward Lloyd in London in 1688. At the time of its founder’s death in 1713, it had become firmly established as a centre for commercial activity with an association with marine insurance. Helped by the dominance of the british merchant fleet, all merchant marines started to register their own vessels at the lloyds. Captains’ Registers are now held at London Metropolitan Archives and the rest of the archive is available at the Guildhall Library.

Providing ships for all Merchant Marines

The dominance of the British trade was also an industrial dominance, as even many countries developed their own shipbuilding capabilities, British Naval yards, helped by the world’s largest and most extensive indutrial base, still provided the bulk of ships needed by emergent trade companies, notably Japan, Italy, Norway, etc. Even Germany since its unification in 1870, albeit the latter had a meteoritic rise and was self-sufficient for all types of trade vessels around 1890.

📊 Approximate Global Ranking (1914)

1 United Kingdom 18–19M GRT
2 Germany 5M GRT
3 United States 4.3M GRT
4 Norway 2.5M GRT
5 France 2.3M GRT
6 Japan 1.7M GRT
7 Italy 1.4M GRT
8 Netherlands 1.3M GRT
9 Austria-Hungary 1M GRT
10 Russia 1M GRT

National Merchant Fleets in 1914

United Kingdom

The World’s Shipping Superpower. 18–19 million GRT (about 40–45% of world tonnage). Britain dominated global shipping more than any nation in history. Why Britain led: Global empire and coaling stations. London as world financial center. Huge shipbuilding industry (Clyde, Tyne, Belfast). Control of major trade routes. Major companies: Cunard Line, White Star Line P&O. Britain’s merchant fleet was so large it became essential to Allied survival during the war.

British Merchant Fleet Classes

A near-impossible task, albeit four sources might be of use:
Greenwich Research guide C5: The Merchant Navy ships histories
Greenwich Research guide C6: The Merchant Navy Lists
Greenwich Research guide C8: The Merchant Navy losses and caualsties
The lloyds research guide

German Empire

c5 million GRT. Germany had rapidly built a modern merchant marine before 1914. Strengths. Fast passenger liners. Efficient cargo steamers. Strong global trade expansion. Major companies: Hamburg America Line, Norddeutscher Lloyd. Many German ships were trapped in neutral ports once war began.

United States

4.3 million GRT. Despite industrial strength, the U.S. merchant fleet lagged behind Europe due to its focus on domestic rail transport and self-sufficiency in many sectors. Foreign ships dominated overseas trade. Its merchant fleet rose sharply however from 1914 in order to cover the needs of the entente, but trade went on as well with Germany. Decline after earlier sailing era. Expansion accelerated later during wartime shipbuilding programs (see later). She was still third after Germany in 1914 but the emergency construction progam made one of the largest merchat fleets in 1918, close second after Britain.

Norway

c2.5 million GRT. A surprising maritime giant compared to the population’s size. Key traits: Highly efficient tramp shipping. Skilled seafarers. Neutral trading advantage early in WWI (before unrestricted sub warfare). Norwegian ships carried cargo worldwide and massively participated to the national GDP. Just like in WW2, despite having conversely a very small military fleet, the Norwegian merchant marine remained one of the largest in both wars, andin the second took the side of the allies after the German invasion, risking its crews in convoys route infested by U-Bootes.

France

c2.3 million GRT. Important, but smaller than Britain or Germany. Major companies: Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (French Line). French shipping supported colonial routes and Atlantic passenger service. It was still one of the largest users of sailing merchant vessels in 1914, which fell victims to U-Boates in an alarming rate, gutting the French sailing merchant fleet for good. It never regained its prewar scale. The only survivor of that era today is the modest Belem (1896).

Naval registers

The Registre Veritas is published by the French shipping registration agency Bureau Veritas, who are based in Paris. It can sometimes prove useful for 19th century British and American ships trading with the continent. The register is available on microfilm in the National Maritime Museum library for the period 1829–1985. Bureau veritas.

Japan

c1.7 million GRT. Rapidly modernizing maritime power after the Meiji industrialization. Major company: Nippon Yusen Kaisha. Japan’s fleet expanded dramatically during WWI due to wartime demand. Japan gained territorial possessions from its participation to the war with the entente, and grew its merchant fleet even more in interwar years.

Italy

c1.4 million GRT. Focused on emigrant transport and Mediterranean trade. Major company: Navigazione Generale Italiana.

Netherlands

c1.3 million GRT. Neutral trading nation with strong commercial shipping. Major companies: Holland America Line and Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland. It was however a shadow of its former self of past centuries, its former colonial Empire mostly gone apart the Dutch West and East Indies. The latter was the main motivation to keep a sizeable long range merchant fleet.

Austria-Hungary

c1 million GRT. Centered on Adriatic ports like Trieste. Major company: Austro-Americana. Its expansion was limited by its restricted enclaved position and financial resistance from other parts of the Empire (notably Hungary).

Russian Empire

c1 million GRT. Limited by geography and icebound ports but growing. The Russian merchant fleet was also gutted in WW1 and it took nearly two decades to start reconstituting it.

Type of Merchant Vessels in 1914

Cargo Ships (General Cargo Steamers):

Most common merchant vessels. Carried mixed goods: machinery, textiles, food, mail, manufactured products. Cargo stored in multiple holds. Usually powered by coal-fired steam engines. Operated on scheduled trade routes. Typical features: They had cargo crane booms and derricks, had a moderate speed of 8–12 knots, and a crew-focused design, with minimal passenger comfort when some were carried at all. Passsenger liners are a subject out of themselves.

Passenger Liners (Ocean Liners)

Ships designed primarily to carry people across oceans. Transported emigrants, tourists, and mail. Often carried cargo as secondary freight. Operated on fixed routes (e.g., Europe–America).
Famous examples: RMS Titanic, RMS Lusitania. Classes onboard: First class luxury, Second class, Steerage (emigrant transport).

Tramp Steamers

The “freelancers” of maritime trade. No fixed schedule or route. Sailed wherever cargo was available. Essential for bulk commodities. Typical cargo: Coal, Grain, Timber, Ore.

Tankers (Oil Tank Ships)

A relatively new but rapidly growing type by 1914. Designed to carry liquid cargo in bulk. Mainly crude oil or petroleum products. Internal tanks replaced traditional barrels. Important due to rising oil industry demand.

Bulk Carriers (Early Forms)

Not yet specialized like modern bulk carriers, but many ships were adapted to carry: Grain, Coal, Iron ore, Fertilizer. Often converted cargo steamers or tramp ships.

Refrigerated Ships (“Reefers”)

Enabled global food trade. Carried frozen meat, dairy, and fruit. Used early refrigeration machinery. Key routes: Australia/New Zealand to Europe.

Sailing Merchant Ships

Still common in 1914 despite steam dominance. Types included: Barques, Full-rigged ships, Schooners. Used mainly for Long-distance bulk cargo. Routes where fuel costs mattered. Steam ships were replacing them rapidly, but they were not yet obsolete. In 1914, all nations still had larhe sailing merchant marines, France having the lead due to its more limited access to coal or oil.

Coastal Traders & Coasters

Smaller merchant vessels operating near shore. Regional cargo transport. Linked smaller ports to major hubs. Often carried coal or local goods.

Cargo–Passenger Combination Ships

Hybrid vessels carrying both freight and passengers. Economical for colonial and secondary routes. Common in imperial trade networks.

⚙️ Propulsion Types (Important Distinction in 1914)

Merchant ships were often classified by engine type. Steamships: dominant worldwide, Motor ships: Early diesel vessels emerging. Sailing ships, declining but still active en masse.

Cargo Ships

Tramp Steamer Types

British Standard Cargo Steamers. Britain produced the largest number of standardized cargo ships. “Three-Island” Cargo Steamer. The most recognizable cargo ship design of the era.
Layout: Forecastle (“island”) forward, Bridge amidships, Poop deck aft. Characteristics: 4–6 cargo holds. 3,000–7,000 GRT typical. Coal-fired triple-expansion engines. Built in huge numbers (1890–1914). Used for: Coal, Grain, Manufactured goods. Empire trade. These ships formed the backbone of global commerce.

Elder Dempster West African Cargo Class

Operated by: Elder Dempster Lines. Purpose-built colonial cargo steamers. Designed for tropical service. Large cargo capacity. Ventilated holds for palm oil, rubber, cocoa.
Typical traits: Moderate speed, Long endurance, Passenger accommodation for officials/traders.

HAPAG Cargo Steamer Series

Operated by Hamburg America Line. Germany pioneered efficient standardized freighters. Example: “P-class” cargo steamers (informal designation). Steel hull construction. Efficient cargo handling gear. Optimized fuel economy. Designed for: Atlantic trade. South America routes. Far East commerce.

Norddeutscher Lloyd Freight Classes

Operated by the Norddeutscher Lloyd. Known for, Fast cargo liners (faster than tramp steamers). Scheduled freight service. Features: Refrigerated compartments. Mail contracts. Mixed cargo capability.

French Colonial Cargo Liners

Operated by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. Characteristics. Cargo-first ships with limited passenger spaces. Built for North Africa and Caribbean routes. Strong hulls for long voyages
Often classified internally rather than publicly named classes.

Early NYK Cargo Steamer Classes

Operated by. Nippon Yusen Kaisha. Japan adopted British cargo ship designs.
Typical traits:
.
British-built or British-designed. Medium-sized cargo liners. Silk and manufactured goods transport

Refrigerated Cargo Classes (“Reefer Steamers”)

Specialized vessels emerging rapidly after 1890. Common operators: Blue Star Line. Shaw Savill Line. Design features. Insulated holds. Mechanical refrigeration. Meat trade from Australia/New Zealand. Cargo: Frozen lamb, Beef, Butter, Fruit.

Early Oil Tanker Classes

Oil tankers became standardized earlier than many cargo ships. Example early tanker lineage: SS Glückauf (prototype influence). Features adopted before 1914: Internal bulk tanks. Pumping systems
Reduced fire risk vs barrel transport

Specialized Bulk Cargo Types (Pre-Bulk Carrier Era)

Colliers (Coal Carriers): Reinforced holds. Fast loading/unloading. Supplied navies and industry. Grain Steamers. Large unobstructed holds. Grain shifting boards for stability. Timber Carriers
Deck cargo capability. Strengthened hull framing.

Typical Technical Specifications (c. 1900–1914)

Feature Typical Cargo Steamer. Length 90–140 m, Speed 8–12 knots. Engine Triple-expansion steam. Fuel Coal. Cargo gear. Steam winches & derricks. Crew 25–45.
Key Evolution Just Before WWI: By 1914 cargo ships had transitioned from: Sail cargo ships to Steam tramp steamers to Early specialized cargo vessels.
This standardization allowed rapid wartime conversion into: Troop transports. supply ships. Auxiliary naval vessels.

United States Shipping Board

The United States Shipping Board (USSB) was a major U.S. government agency created during World War I to build and control America’s merchant fleet and ensure wartime shipping supply.
It was established on September 7, 1916. By: U.S. Shipping Act of 1916. Purpose: Strengthen American merchant shipping before U.S. entry into WWI.
The U.S. realized it lacked enough merchant ships compared with Britain and Germany and needed a national maritime program.

Main Objectives: Build a Large Merchant Fleet. Expand U.S. commercial shipping capacity. Reduce reliance on foreign vessels. Prepare for wartime logistics.
Regulate Ocean Shipping: Prevent monopolistic freight rates. Supervise shipping practices and routes.
Support National Defense: After the U.S. entered WWI in 1917, this became the dominant mission.
Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC). To actually build ships, the USSB created:
United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation. This was the operational arm responsible for construction. Headquarters: Philadelphia
Massive Shipbuilding Program (1917–1920): The EFC launched one of the largest industrial projects in American history. Results: Over 2,300 ships ordered
Hundreds of new shipyards expanded or created. Standardized ship designs introduced. Ship types included: Steel cargo steamers. Wooden cargo ships (for rapid production).
Tankers: Troop transports.

Standard Ship Designs

Ships are coming, you can help… poster 1917.

The USSB introduced standardized cargo ship classes to speed production. Examples included:
Design 1001 – early steel cargo ships
Design 1022 (“Hog Islander”)
Design 1013 cargo steamers
Hog Island Yard
Ships were mass-produced at: Hog Island Shipyard. At the time, it was the largest shipyard in the world.

Wartime Role. During WWI, the USSB: Took control of many U.S. merchant ships. Seized interned German vessels in American ports. Managed shipping allocation for troops and supplies.
Coordinated transatlantic logistics supporting Allied forces. Merchant ships became as strategically important as warships.

Cartoon of June 1918, shipyard bulletin “the ship that cack build”.

Post-War Activities. After 1918: Operated one of the world’s largest merchant fleets. Sold surplus ships to private companies. Tried (with mixed success) to maintain a U.S. merchant marine.
Problems included: Oversupply of ships. High operating costs. Competition from foreign fleets.
End of the Shipping Board: Functions gradually reduced during the 1920s. Replaced in 1936 by the: United States Maritime Commission.
Historical Importance. The USSB: Created the first large modern U.S. merchant fleet, Introduced industrial ship standardization, Demonstrated mass production techniques later used in WWII Liberty Ships, Helped transform the U.S. into a major maritime power.

Fishing Fleets in WW1

Requisitioned and Armed Trawlers

Another type of ship that was commonplace in 1914, vital to all nations that had access to the sea, was its fishing fleet, a considerable food source. Without surprise, Britain had one of the largest fishing fleet of the time. They paid a heavy price to the war as well: On Tower Hill these is a monument listing the names of the 11,900 fishermen and merchant seafarers who lost their lives during WW1. By the end of the war nearly 1,500 trawlers and 1,400 steam drifters had been requisitioned for minesweeping or anti-submarine work and 675 were lost in action. U-Boats just gunned out of existence when surfaced, sparing their torpedoes for more valuable targets. But while they patrolled, amazingly they also continued to fish, bringing fish and chips on the tables of all Britons despite privations and rationing.

On 15 August 1917, one of these vessels deserves a mention. The armed smack “Nelson” was hauling her nets in the morning, before going on hunt for U-Boats, under its skipper, Thomas Crisp. He caught sight of a surfaced U-boat 6,000 yards away, surfaced, and the latter after identifying its foe, did not bother to dive and instead the crew manned its gun and starting firing, scoring several hits. Nelson was holed, Crisp lost both legs. He called for confidential papers to be thrown overboard and sent a message via carrier pigeon, then ordered to abandon ship. The crew spent two days adrift, but the pigeon made it to Lowestoft. They were rescued and a chase was on to locate the U-Boat while Thomas Crisp received a posthumous VC. There had been quite rocky hunt as well. Armed trawlers were not all just preys.

In WW1, apart these 3,000 trawlers and drifters already working for the RN, Civilian Yards had to provide nwo-built armed trawlers based on a standard “admiralty design”. The plan was to hit two birds with one stone: Providing a chap ASW patroller that would be able to continue to fish as well, and would replace the losses during the war, then return to pure fishing postwar. Initally the Admirakty just converted similar trwalers, called the “military” class armed trawlers purchased from the stocks. They will be treated as a standalone subject in a future post regarding the RN, not in this civilian section.

Long story short they were 350t, 130 feet vessels armed with a 3-in gun at the prow and as the war progresses, accessed to depth charges as well. But in 1914-15 their technique was still to put at sea various devices to catch a submerged U-Boote (rarely more than 50 meters under), incuding some having explosive charges attached. The Admiralty settled to three standard designs, “Mersey”, “Castle” and “Strath”, ordering fishing shpyards to provide these by the hundreds. 250 had been delivered already for 1916 alone. Canada also took part in the effort. The Admiralty did the same with with drifter, wooden-hulled or steel-hulled, 128 delivered in 1917 and the remainder cancelled. In service they received the “CD” pennant and in 1919 they were sold at auction to fishing companies.

Fishing Fleets

Fishing fleets became essential to wartime survival: With farmland damaged and imports disrupted by naval blockades, fish became a major protein source. Britain, France, and Germany depended heavily on North Sea fisheries. Fishing crews worked despite extreme danger from mines and submarines. British fishing vessels supplied large quantities of herring and cod to feed both civilians and soldiers, and food shortages intensified when fishing grounds became combat zones. Conversion into Naval Auxiliaries was seen above, and incuded the use of trawlers as minesweepers or escort craft for merchant ships, ideal because they were, sturdy, slow but stable, already equipped with winches and nets useful for sweeping mines or “fish” U-Boates.

Converted fishing boats dragged cables designed to cut mine moorings and this work was understandably extremely dangerous: many crews were killed when mines detonated nearby. Civilian fishermen also suddenly faced combat-level risks. They were also used for Intelligence and Observation, informal intelligence networks buy reporting enemy ship sightings (that’s why they had pigeons). Coastal patrol trawlers monitored submarine activity, notably from 1914 around rich fishing areas like Heligoland and the Jade, in extra-territorial waters and the North Sea great banks. Some vessels secretly tracked naval movements and their familiarity with local waters made them valuable observers. Fishing areas were well defined however in 1914 and remained valid despite the war, each nation kept its own fishing areas and “enemy” trawlers never met.

But they were still confronted to heavy Losses and constant danger from German U-boats attacking shipping, naval mines (Trawler captains usually had no maps showing minefields and no coordination with the admiralty, unless registered armed trawlers). Storms combined with wartime hazards or accidental friendly fire took their toll as well, esepcially in near-constant seasonal fog. Many fishing communities in Britain, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands lost large portions of their working-age men. The British Royal Naval Patrol Service organized thousands of fishermen into naval service, sometimes nicknamed the “Harry Tate’s Navy.” They were armed and fell under supervision of the Admiralty, crewed armed trawlers, and despite being civilians, they operated under military discipline.

The war reshaped however fishing industries with usual fishing zones restricted or mined, boats seized by governments, insurance costs skyrocketing, and postwar fleets generally depleted and ports damaged. It took a decade to reconstitute fishing fleets to prewar levels. Paradoxically in all “no-go” fishing areas, this allowed local halieutic stocks to reconstitute, and there was more a shortage of ships than preys after 1919.

The German fishing fleet

In short: For their Strategic situation the british fishing fleet was used for minesweeping & patrol service while the German one was still used for food supply under blockade pressure. The british one was expanded through naval conversion but the German fishing fleet shrunk due to restrictions & danger. The British fishing fleet still mostly had access to fishing grounds, mostly maintained with risk whereas it was severely limited by blockade on the German side. Also German trawlers were too precious for their job at hand to be pressed into the Kaiserlisches Marine at any rate, and it was limited. As a rsult, the German fishing fleet was strained and collapsed late into the war. It too, needed a decade to reconstitute under the Weimar Republic.

From 1917 indeed, depite the pressure caused by the blockade and food shortages, many German fishing boats stayed in port to avoid capture or destruction. Fishing became vital but increasingly impossible.
In 1914 the Government encouraged crews as fish replaced unavailable imported food, especially coastal fisheries early in the war but by 1917–1918, shortages of fuel (requsitioned for the Navy), of equipment, as well as the shrinking of safe waters, patrolled and mined by the British, reduced catches drastically. Risk was tied more to blockade than combat operations, and severe food shortages culminated in the “Turnip Winter” (1916–17). Fishing became politically important but physically constrained. In short, Britain used fishermen as naval manpower while Germany depended on fishermen for food under blockade conditions.