House Flags of German Shipping Companies (e)

Last modified: 2010-02-27 by jarig bakker
Keywords: ems shipping | elbclearing |
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• Carl Robert Eckelmann
• Ed Line
• H.H.Eggers
• Heinze Ehler
• O.L. Eichmann
• Reederei Cassen Eils
• Theodor & F. Eimbke
• Elbclearing
• Elbdeich
• Elbe City Jet
• Gebrüder Elfering
• Heinr. Elskes KG
• Emder Schlepp-Betrieb
• Ems Offshore Service
• Ems-Schlepper A.G.
• EMS Shipping
• Emstank
• Thomas Entz Tanker
• E.R. Schiffahrt
• Ertel Reederei
• Europa Canada Linie
• Albert Evers und Classen

• Horst-Eberhardt Eberhardt
• Eder und Kuhn
• Elbe
• Elbia Eilfracht
• Emder Dampfer Compagnie
• Emder Verkehrs AG
• A.G. "Ems", Emden
• Ernst Erdmann
• John T. Essberger
• Esso Tankschiffreederei

• House Flags of German Shipping Companies
• House Flags of Shipping Companies
• Germany

Carl Robert Eckelmann

Carl Robert Eckelmann is a salvaging company operating in Hamburg port. Flag and funnel look the same. It's a blue flag with a roundel in its centre. The roundel is vertically divided in a white half(hoist) and a red one(fly).
I spotted this flag on 9 June 2006 in the harbour area.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 May 2007

Ed Line

A German inland shipping company established at Berlin, Reederei Ed Line GmbH maintains a website where the house flag’s main colour, turquoise, dominates: stating the four main activities right away: transportation of bulk goods, of exceptional loads, of heavy loads, and assistance in waterway construction.
We learn that the company was founded by Martina and Carsten Klink, starting out in 1997 with a tugboat named ‘Mister Ed’ introducing a series of push boats.  Two years later, a subsidiary company ‘Ed Line Service Center GmbH' is founded in order to service Ed Line and other customers.  The following years see intensive waterway construction projects at home and abroad.  The Bunte push navigation fleet is taken over in 2005.
In all, Ed Line employs about 30 operating twenty push boats and a number of pontoons.  As befits this kind of website, a instructive overview of the vessels is given in the ‘Flotte’ i.e. fleet section while ‘Referenzen’ (references) shows what the firm is able to do.
The house flag is horizontally divided turquoise-white-turquoise and bears the firm’s name ‘Reederei Ed Line’ (special font, serifed) in black.
Jan Mertens, 23 Dec 2006

H.H.Eggers

H.H.Eggers - This company existed probably from 1903 to 1928, founded by Max Eggers. The company used a blue flag with with capital letters "HHE" in the
centre.
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; p.204.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2007

Heinze Ehler

Heinze Ehler, Otterndorf - horizontal black over green flag; in center white "HE".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 13 Jan 2006

O.L. Eichmann

This one is simply a blue cloth with a white "E". The caption is still practically illegible. Could be something like "O. L. Eishmarc", though...
Jorge Candeias, 8 May 2004

Looks like O.L. Eichmann to me, and indeed there was such a company - it operated out of Hamburg.
James Dignan, 8 May 2004

Reederei Cassen Eils

Reederei Cassen Eils G.m.b.H., Cuxhaven - blue flag, over all white cross; in center white disk, black cross formy, white "E".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 19 Jan 2006

Theodor & F. Eimbke

Theodor & F. Eimbke - The company was founded by Theodor Eimbke and was named "Theodor Eimbke; Fr.Brödermanns Nachf". Theodors brother joined the company and it was renamed "Theodor & F. Eimbke". The shipping branch started business in 1869. In May 1910 the last ship was sold and since then the shipping branch was discontinued. The company used a white flag with horizontal red stripes on both edges. In the centre was a red roundel with a white Hamburg-gate therein.
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; p.127ff.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Mar 2007

Elbclearing

Dov Gutterman spotted the link of Elbclearing GmbH & Co. KG: flag: white, two unfinished red chevrons.
Santiago Dotor, 11 Nov 2003

Elbdeich

‘Elbdeich Reederei’ is a young German shipping company established at Drochtersen which is situated on the left bank of the River Elbe, to the N.W. of Hamburg.  Website showing the house flag as a drawing: Founded in 2004 by four partners, Elbdeich („Elbe Dyke“) is said to cover all aspects of maritime transport, from project management (new building) to chartering.  In all, seven container ships – all locally built - are operated; but for one chartered vessel, their names start with “Elb-“. Elbdeich is financially interested in other companies: ‘H & H  Bereederungs GmbH & Co. KG’ and ‘ED Bereederungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG’ and actively seeks further cooperation with like-minded partners.

The house flag is horizontally divided into seven stripes dark blue-red etc. and bears a large white initial “E” (no serifs) over the central five stripes (at least the initial does not seem to encroach upon the outer stripes but the arms – are they cut off straight?).
The real item appears - seen from a considerable distance - on this Shipspotting photo by M. Hernández Lafuente, showing the former ‘Elbmarsch’.
Jan Mertens, 11 Sep 2009

Elbe City Jet

Elbe City Jet: In a white field is a dark blue rectangle  having  8/10 of total height connected with the hoist by a narrow blue stripe. The rectangle is bordered by narrow greenish blue and white rectangles. In the blue rectangle are white letters “ecj” arranged along an imaginary bendy line.
Elbe City Jet finished its service due to economical reasons at the end of 2007’s season. The line connected Hamburg with Stade by a speed catamaran.
Source: I spotted this flag on a boat trip with Elbe City Jet on 23 July 2007.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 17 Sep 2008

Gebrüder Elfering

Elbe City Jet: In a white field is a dark blue rectangle  having  8/10 of total height connected with the hoist by a narrow blue stripe. The rectangle is bordered by narrow greenish blue and white rectangles. In the blue rectangle are white letters “ecj” arranged along an imaginary bendy line.
Elbe City Jet finished its service due to economical reasons at the end of 2007’s season. The line connected Hamburg with Stade by a speed catamaran.
Source: I spotted this flag on a boat trip with Elbe City Jet on 23 July 2007.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 8 Apr 2009

Heinr. Elskes KG

Now engaged in concrete producing, transporting and buiding, the firm ‘Elskes Transportbeton’ has a website integrated into that of the mother company, Hülskens Holding, and we recognize the “initial inside cogwheel” symbol – in this case an ‘E’ – as applied by Hülskens.

But according to the brochure ‘Ausbau des Rheins’, Heinr(ich) Elskes K.G., situated at Duisburg, was active in extending the Rhine near Düsseldorf between 1969 and 1973. So I am attaching a drawing published in above brochure of what may called a house flag. As in the case of Hülskens, the flag is divided per saltire (blue upper and lower triangles, white left and right) and has a black cogwheel in the centre enclosing a red initial in this case ‘E’.  The cogwheel is fimbriated; the emblem is shown larger than Hülskens does now.
Jan Mertens, 5 Jan 2007

Emder Schlepp-Betrieb

Emder Schlepp-Betrieb or ESB, situated at Emden; the name means ‘Emden Towage Company’, represented here.
We see a horizontally divided house flag yellow-red-blue with black initials ‘ESB’ in the centre stripe. Click the tug names to see that flag in action: vaguely on ‘Fritzen II’ and better on ‘Radbod’.  Radbod’ on Tugspotters.
Company website, English version available (ignoring the other two flags… for now): As explained in the ‘Who we are’ section, ESB was founded in 1859 when Peter W. Wessels assisted a becalmed ship with his cutter.
(According to MarCollect, Wessels and a further firm, ESAG, merged in 1994 to form ESB, still a Wessels family business – more later.)

Nowadays the company operates five tugs active in Emden harbour and in coastal waters: moreover it cooperates with similar German and foreign firms.  ESB also offers “assistance during launches, pontoon-transports and conveyance of newbuildings as well as passenger and cargo transports and every different work on hydraulic construction sites”.

As you can see, ESB’s flag is derived from that of the home town: simply replacing the arms with initials (it should be remembered that Emden is a North Sea port not
far from the Dutch-German border).
Image adapted from German eBay. This was no. 290068839459 (end 12 Jan 2007) put up by “shipflag”, approximate dimensions given as 15 cm x 24 cm.
Jan Mertens, 3 Aug 2008

Ems Offshore Service

Ems Offshore Service GmbH & Co. KG at Leer on the River Ems, further upstream, to the SE of Emden. Possibly the Seatowage photo of 'Ems Pull' shows the house flag - it is not very clear - but it appears on the funnels and there is the drawing which also appears on the company website. English version: Quarterly divided black (top), red (hoist and fly), and blue (bottom); in the centre a black-rimmed white disk containing black stylized initials 'eos', the 's' pushing through the rim.
"Blue" and not purple.
The 'Fleet' section gives full details on EOS's two tugs and six pontoons.  The (clickable) photos in the 'Projects' section illustrate the company's fields of activity, as listed: heavy lift transports; RoRo shipments; towage; and "other", rather spectacular!  These vessels are active all over Europe.
For a better view of the house flag in action, see this Shipspotting photo: Design on funnels helps confirm blue, not purple.
PS: could this firm be related to EMS Shipping & Trading, the house flag of which so much resembles the above?
Jan Mertens, 8 Aug 2008

Ems-Schlepper A.G.

Ems-Schlepper A.G., Emden - divided per saltire black (with white "E") - white ("A")- red ("G")- white ("S").
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 4 Sep 2005

ESAG was the other partner in the ESB merger which took place in 1994 (MarCollect info).  See also the ESB homepage, the flag on the left.
AS ‘Ems-Schlepper A.G.’ means ‘[River] Ems Towage Co., Ltd’ it is easy to see where the intials come from. As in P.W. Wessel’s case, this firm is still listed in a number of directories (under the old address, it seems).  According to MarCollect, the company was founded in 1924 by - among others – Bugsier, WTAG, and Lehnkering; nine tugs were operated in 1975.
Jan Mertens, 5 Aug 2008

EMS Shipping

Dov Gutterman spotted the link of EMS Shipping & Trading GmbH: flag: quartered per saltire black, red, blue, red; in center white disk, black "EST".
Santiago Dotor, 11 Nov 2003

Note that the colours of the quarters are those of the East Frisian flag - the company is located in Wilhelmshaven, Emden and Leer.
Stefan Schwoon, 13 Nov 2003

Emstank

Emstank is a bunkering company established at Emden, a harbour in NW Germany where the River Ems reaches the North Sea (and close to the Dutch border).  Website (German only): Founded in 1978 on the ashes of bankrupt Schulte & Bruns (also Emden) by Wessels, Frisia and Jade Dienst, having taken over fleet and personnel, Emstank was gradually bought up by Frachtkontor Junge, an operation rounded off in 1989. Current owner is Bominflot at Hamburg. Six bunkering vessels, stationed at Emden, Bremen, and other ports, are operated.

Shown on the website as a drawing, the house flag has a remarkable design: large white italic initials ‘E’ and ‘T’ within black holding lines appear on a complicated background: divided per saltire black (upper and lower triangles) and light blue & white (hoist and fly triangles), the horizontal edges bordered of black (outer stripe) and white (inner stripe, narrower).
“Light blue and white” should be understood as light blue with white outer edges gradually getting narrower towards the flag’s centre or alternatively, white triangles bearing light blue ones, all converging (their tips meeting) in said centre.
See the funnel (where the initials, perhaps for better reading, are not italic – neither are they on the website drawing) on a Shipspotting page, photo by Hans Rosencranz: this shows a table flag found on German eBay: offer no. 230115769370 (end 20 Apr 2007) put up by “deichgraefin12”.  Rest assured, there are real-flag sightings as well – two Shipspotting photos showing ‘Emstank 12’ (photo by Franz Rosencranz) and ‘Emstank 8’.
Jan Mertens, 8 Jan 2009

Thomas Entz Tanker

The flag is blue with a white lozenge touching the edges and a big red E in the center. Once more, the caption doesn't seem to have enything to do with the initial. It seems to read something like "M. Jetser, Hamburg". No E's that I can distinguish...
Jorge Candeias, 8 Jan 2005

Wolters' See und Seefahrt (1968) has: Thomas Entz Tanker GmbH, Rendsburg, with diamond not touching the edges and serifless "E".
Jarig Bakker, 9 Jan 2005

E.R. Schiffahrt

Dov Gutterman spotted the link of E.R. Schiffahrt: flag: horizontal white - blue - white, proportions 1:4:1; on center of blue white "E.R."
Santiago Dotor, 11 Nov 2003

Ertel Reederei

Ertel Reederei GmbH - The company was located in Hamburg. The flag is divided per saltire into blue(top), red(bottom) and white. In both white quarters is a black capital: “E”(hoist) and “R”(fly). In the centre of the flag is a white disc, fimbriated black, containing a sinister facing black sejant lion, which is supporter of a round shield having a white field divided by a black bendlet.
Source:  “Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen”; 2nd ed.; Hamburg; 1956; p.17.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 18 Apr 2009

Europa Canada Linie

Europa Canada Linie - The company was located in Bremen and seemed to have only two ships. Those were the SEVEN SEAS (blue funnel) and the RIJNDAM (yellow funnel with green ring with white lozenges). The company might have been established in the 1940's, but I have no further details.
Description of flag: It is a chequered flag of mainly green and white. The green rectangles are in the flags corners. In the centre was a red rectangle with a white lozenge and a green maple leaf within the lozenge.
Source: Arnold KLUDAS: "Die Geschichte der deutschen Passagierschiffahrt (5 vols.)" Hamburg 1986; Reprint Laibach Slovenia-Buch Nr. 03617-8, flagchart; p.224.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 June 2007

Albert Evers und Classen

Albert Evers und Classen - This company used a black flag with a red diamond touching the edges with a white capital "O".
Source: Jürgen Meyer: "Hamburger Segelschiffe von 1795-1945"; ISBN 3-89225-400-1; Hamburg 1999; cover inside.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Mar 2007