United States Navigation Company Explained

United States Navigation Company
Foundation:	in New York City, United States
Fate:	sold in 1979.
Defunct:	1981
Industry:	Shipping, Shipbroker
Key People:	Ed Oelsner President^[1] John William Oelsner ^[2] Arnie Portocarrer ^[3] Johannes W. Praesent Robert W. Boissevain James A. Lyons T. C. Hopkins

United States Navigation Company was founded by Edward Carl Wilhelm Oelsner (1888-1973) in New York City in 1917. Oelsner was a Prussian-born German (born in Bialystok, Podlaskie, Poland), who came to America in 1908. In 1915 became a manager of the Hamburg America Line's New York office. In 1917 he became a steamship broker, he then founded his own steamship brokerage firm, United States Navigation Company. United States Navigation Company's first clients were the Hamburg-American Line and North German Lloyd Line. Next Oelsner entered into a joint venture with Biehl & Company chartering ships that serviced the Gulf of Mexico ports. United States Navigation Company when went from just a shipbroker to a ship owner, with the purchase of 1885 SS City of Salisbury, a 397-ton cargo ship. On March 7, 1973, Oelsner died, he and his wife, Eva, were on vacation in Torremolinos, Spain. United States Navigation Company continued doing business. In 1979 the United States Navigation Company was sold and in 1981 closed. The United States Navigation Company supported the World War II effort with its ship and as an operator of United States owned ships.^{[4] [5] [6]}

United States Navigation Company was a US broker for a number of shipping lines:^[7]

• A partial list of Lines:
• Hamburg-American Line, of Germany
• North German Lloyd, of Germany
• Watts Line, of UK, of Watts, Watts & Co. Ltd.
• Reardon-Smith Line, of UK
• Iino Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd., of Japan
• Baron Line, of Scotland's H. Hogarth & Company
• K Line, of Japan, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd.
• Kousal line

Joint Venture

United States Navigation Co. and the Marine Services Company Limited founded a subsidiary, the Canada South Africa Line of Montreal, Canada in 1945.^[8]

World War II

United States Navigation Company fleet of ships that were used to help the World War II effort. During World War II United States Navigation Company operated Merchant navy ships for the United States Shipping Board. During World War II United States Navigation Company was active with charter shipping with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. United States Navigation Company s operated Liberty ships and Victory ships for the merchant navy. The ship was run by its United States Navigation Company crew and the US Navy supplied United States Navy Armed Guards to man the deck guns and radio.^{[9] [10] [11]}

Ships

• • Ships owned:
• Fort Meigs T2 tanker (1949 to 1950)
• City of Salisbury, purchased in 1941 as Joppa, built in 1885 ^[12]
• Big Chief
• At its peak in 1950 United States Navigation Company had 75 ships, many were surplus World War II ships.
• Operator for World War II only:
• SS Audacious (1913)
• SS Vittorin (also named Guantanamo and Comerio)

thumb|Liberty ship of World War II

• • World War II :
  • Liberty Ships:
  • SS C. W. Post SS John Einig
• SS Robert F. Burns
• SS John Einig
• SS Frank Park^[13]
• E. A. Peden ^[14]
• Wallace M. Tyler ^[15]
• Walter Kidde ^[16]
• SS Harold O. Wilson ^[17]
• Howard L. Gibson Oct. 14, 1944 had a fire at after collision with Geo. W. McKnight, was towed to Casablanca, then New York City, a loss not repaired ^[18]
• Charles Dauray ^[19]
• David Wilmot * ^[20]
• SS James K. Paulding
• SS Richard K. Call
• SS Chief Osceola
• James I. McKay ^[21]
• SS Jasper F. Cropsey ^[22]
• SS J. Howland Gardner
• SS James F. Harrell
• SS James Eagan Layne
  • Victory ships:
• Lynchburg Victory ^[23]
• St. Augustine Victory ^[24]
• Webster Victory, Troopship^[25]

Post World War II:

• El Coston
• SS Registan (1910)
  • Korean War operator of:
• Harry L. Glucksman (MSS-1)
• Carthage (AG-185)^[26]
• MSS-1 ^[27]
• George Uhler ^[28]
• Donald H. Holland ^[29]
• SS Harry L. Glucksman
• SS American Victory now a museum ship

See also

• World War II United States Merchant Navy

Notes and References

1. Web site: Edward C. Oelsner '37. January 21, 2016. Princeton Alumni Weekly.
2. Web site: John William Oelsner. July 28, 2013. Valley News.
3. Web site: Arnie Portocarrero – Society for American Baseball Research.
4. Records & Briefs New York State Appellate Division A-107
5. NY Times September 30, 1950, Page 20, Purchased surplus Liberty ships
6. The Liberty Ships of World War II, by Greg H. Williams
7. NY Times, LANGUAGE MIXTURE MARKS SHIP OFFICE; U. S. Navigation Is Agent for 6 Foreign-Flag Lines as Well as Running Own Service,December 1, 1952
8. Web site: Posst War Years – Expanding The Vision, 1945.
9. Web site: Sea Lane Vigilantes. www.armed-guard.com.
10. World War II U.S. Navy Armed Guard and World War II U.S. Merchant Marine, 2007-2014 Project Liberty Ship, Project Liberty Ship, P.O. Box 25846 Highlandtown Station, Baltimore, MD https://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html#:~:text=There%20were%20three%20basic%20training,California%3B%20and%20Gulfport%2C%20Mississippi.
11. Web site: Steamship Company Operators of American Flag Ships during World War II. www.usmm.org.
12. https://astral.tripod.com/vlynn.html Victor Lynn Lines, City of Salisbury
13. http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsF.html mariners-l.co.uk LibShipsF
14. Web site: LibShipsE .
15. Web site: LibShipsW .
16. Web site: LibShipsW .
17. http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsH.html mariners-l.co.uk LibShipsH
18. Web site: LibShipsH .
19. Web site: LibShipsC .
20. http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsD.html mariners-l.co.uk LibShipsD
21. http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsJ-Ji.html mariners-l.co.uk LibShipsJ
22. http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsJ-Ji.html mariners-l.co.uk LibShipsJ
23. http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsK.html mariners-l.co.uk vicshipsK
24. http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsS.html mariners-l.co.uk vicshipS
25. http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/vicshipsT.html mariners-l.co.uk vicshipsT
26. Web site: Miscellaneous Auxiliary (AG). www.navsource.org.
27. Web site: MSS-1. www.navsource.org.
28. http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsG.html mariners-l.co.uk LibShipsG
29. http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsD.html mariners-l.co.uk LibShipsD