House Flags of German Shipping Companies (e)

Deutsche Reedereiflaggen (e)

Last modified: 2015-05-18 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: ed line | eggers | ehler | eichholz | eichmann | cassen eils | elbclearing | elbdeich | elbe city jet | elbe dg | elbe everfuehrer | elbe humber dg | elfring | emder schlepp | ems schlepper | ems shipping | emstank | entz | rickmers(e |
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• Ed Line
• H.H.Eggers
• Heinz Ehler
• W. Eichholz
• O.L. Eichmann
• Reederei Cassen Eils
• Theodor & F. Eimbke
• Elbclearing
• Elbdeich
• Elbe City Jet
• Elbe Dampfer Genossenschaft
• Elbe Everführer AG
• Elbe-Humber Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft
• Gebrüder Elfring
• Emder Schlepp-Betrieb
• Emder Tankschiffahrt
(Frisia)
• Ems-Schlepper A.G.
• EMS Shipping
• Emstank
• Thomas Entz Tanker
• E.R. Schiffahrt (Erk Rickmers)
• Ertel Reederei
• Europa Canada Linie
• Albert Evers und Classen
• H.F.A. Evers

• Horst-Eberhardt Eberhardt
• Carl Robert Eckelmann
• Caesar Eckelmann & Söhne
• Eder und Kuhn
• Elbe
• Elbia Eilfracht
• Heinr. Elskes KG
• Emder Dampfer Compagnie
• Emder Verkehrs AG
• A.G. "Ems", Emden
• Ems Offshore Service
• Ernst Erdmann
• John T. Essberger
• W v. Essen
• Esso Tankschiffreederei

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

Ed Line

image by Jarig Bakker, 13 Jan 2006

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Jul 2012

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’ (left image) inspecial font, serifed in black.
Jan Mertens, 23 Dec 2006

Ed Line variant with different inscription in black initials "ED LINE" only (right image).
Source: I spotted this flag in Billwerder Bucht on 23 May 2010.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 23 Jul 2012

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

Heinz Ehler

image by Jarig Bakker, 13 Jan 2006

image by Jorge Candeias, 16 May 2006

Heinz Ehler, Otterndorf - horizontal black over green flag; in center white "HE".
Left 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

This one is simply a blue cloth with a white "E". (right image)
Jorge Candeias, 8 May 2004

W. Eichholz

It was a white flag with a blue upright anchor superimposing hammer and mallet of the same colour. The anchor was flanked by blue initials "W" (hoist) and "E" (fly).
Source: Gratis Beilage zu Deicken und Behrmann's Neuen Monatsheften Neue Ausgabe Sommer 1897
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 May 2012

O.L. Eichmann

This one is a blue cloth with a white "E" .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

Elbe Dampfer Genossenschaft

It was a white pennant cotized black at two edges. A red initial "E" was shifted to the hoist.
Source: Gratis Beilage zu Deicken und Behrmann's Neuen Monatsheften Neue Ausgabe Sommer 1897
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 May 2012

Elbe Everführer AG

It is a white flag with a red wheel in the upper hoist corner. From the centre of the wheel a blue wave is flowing down to the fly side. Beneath wheel and wave is an inscription of red initials "ELBE EAG".
Source: Gratis Beilage zu Deicken und Behrmann's Neuen Monatsheften Neue Ausgabe Sommer 1897
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 Jun 2012

Elbe-Humber Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft

Description of flag:
The flag is divided per saltire into blue (hoist and fly) and red (top and bottom) superimposed by a white lozenge containing dotted blue capitals "E.H.D.G.". The lozenge is touching the edges at hoist and fly. The company was located in Hamburg and existed from 1848 to 1868. Peter Christian Holm made an oil painting of the company's vessel ARCHIMEDES in 1859.
Source: I spotted Holm's oil painting in the Hamburgmuseum on 16 August 2011
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 12 Apr 2012

Gebrüder Elfring

The company was located in Haren/Ems. It is a yellow flag with a white disc, fimbriated black, in the centre, the disc containing a red number 11. "Elf" is the Germen word for eleven, so the flag is "canting".
Source: "Flaggen, Schornsteine, Reedereien- Flaggen und Schornsteine der deutschen Reedereien und ihre Schiffe über 300 BRT"; Hamburg 1957; p.F8
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 8 Apr 2009

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

Emder Tankschiffahrt

It is a green over white over green horizontal triband. In the centre of both (blueish) green stripes is a white italic "F". In the white stripe is an inscription in black italic initials "FRISIA".
As Erdölwerke Frisia the company was located in Emden and was not only a shipping line but also oil refining and the company maintained numerous petrol stations all over northern and western Germany in the 20th century.
Source: Josef Nüsse's webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 15 Jul 2012

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 (Erk Rickmers)

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

Erk Rickmers is a descendant of the well known shipowner family Rickmers, (the Rickmers dockyard had been established by Rickmer Clasen Rickmers 1834 in Bremerhaven). Erk Rickmers made an apprenticeship at Ernst Russ shipping company. Later on he worked as a shipbroker in London and founded Nordcapital in 1992 in Hamburg, being the only head since 1996. He founded E.R. Schiffahrt, one of the biggest container shipping companies worldwide, in 1998. He retired in 2010.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 3 Apr 2012

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

H.F.A. Evers

It was a red flag with white, serifed initials "AE". Source: Gratis Beilage zu Deicken und Behrmann's Neuen Monatsheften Neue Ausgabe Sommer 1897
Klaus-Michael Schneider,13 May 2012