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 SS Mongolia underway | |
| Industry | Shipping |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1881 in United States |
| Founder | Bernard N Baker |
| Defunct | 1936 |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | North Atlantic |
| Services | Passenger and Cargo transport, including live cattle |
The Atlantic Transport Line was an American passenger shipping line based in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1901 the company was folded into the International Mercantile Marine Company (IMM).
The line developed with railroad support as an offshoot of Bernard N. Baker's Baltimore Storage and Lighterage Company in 1881. Although American owned, the Atlantic Transport Line operated from Britain, with British registered and manned vessels, most of which were British built. General cargo, live cattle and small numbers of passengers were carried from Baltimore and Philadelphia to British ports and the line developed an excellent reputation for shipping valuable horses. A full-scale weekly passenger service between New York and London commenced in 1892 and today the line is best remembered for its exclusively first class direct London to New York passenger/cargo service operated by its four Minne-class ships: Minneapolis, Minnehaha, Minnetonka and Minnewaska from 1900 to 1915.
In 1898 the U.S. Government bought seven of the Line's ten ships for use as military transports in the Spanish–American War (Baker lent another for use as a hospital ship). The line survived this potentially devastating blow because Baker pulled off a sensational deal and bought a British competitor's five brand new ships almost immediately as replacements. The Atlantic Transport Company of West Virginia was formed at this time to assert American ownership of the line's overseas assets. Baker's attempt to sell the line to British owners in the late 1890s sparked the chain of events that lead to the formation of the IMM.
The line's most important ships were all sunk during the First World War. After the war four huge replacements for the Minne-class ships were planned. Only two of these were built however, and the passenger service, which recommenced in 1923, never matched pre-war successes. With first class travel declining, a tourist third-class ship was introduced in 1925 and for two seasons operated a second. But the line was faltering even before the Wall Street Crash and with the recession of 1931 its remaining ships were laid up or transferred to other IMM lines, and it effectively ceased to exist. The American holding company survived until 1936. Minnewaska was the last ship the Atlantic Transport Line operated.
| Ship | Launched | ATL Service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 1914 | 1935–1936 | Ex Belgic, ex Belgenland. Scrapped 1936 |
| Korea | 1901 | 1915–1916 | Purchased from the Pacific Mail Steamship Company in 1915. In 1916 the ship was sold to Toyo Kisen Kaisha of Yokohama, Japan, and renamed Korea Maru. Scrapped 1934 |
| Mackinaw | 1890 | 1897–1923 | Ex British Crown. Scrapped 1923 |
| Maine | 1887 | 1887–1899 | Ex Swansea. Converted to a hospital ship for the Boer War. Wrecked 1914 |
| Maine | 1903 | 1903–1907 | Sold and renamed Virginian. Scrapped 1948 |
| Maine | 1904 | 1913–1917 | Ex Sierra Blanca. Torpedoed by UC-17 1917 |
| Maine | 1919 | 1920–1931 | Ex War Riddle. Sold and renamed Skala. Scrapped 1955 |
| Manchuria | 1903 | 1915–1918 | Requisitioned as a troop transport. On return transferred to the American Line. Sold and renamed President Johnson. Resold and renamed Santa Cruz. Scrapped 1952 |
| Manhattan | 1898 | 1898–1927 | Chartered to the Phoenix Line 1911 - 1914. Scrapped 1927 |
| Manitoba | 1892 | 1892–1898 | Sold to US Government and renamed USAT Logan. Sold in 1922, scrapped 1924 |
| Manitou | 1897 | 1898–1902 | Ex Victoria. Transferred to Red Star Line. Requisitioned 1915 - 1919. On return renamed Poland then transferred to White Star Line in 1922. Scrapped 1925. |
| Marquette | 1897 | 1898–1904 | Ex Boadicea. Transferred to Red Star Line. Torpedoed by U-35 1915 |
| Maryland | 1886 | 1886–1912 | Sold and renamed Redentore. Wrecked 1913 |
| Maryland | 1913 | 1913–1933 | Scrapped 1933 |
| Massachusetts | 1891 | 1892–1898 | Requisitioned by US Government and renamed USAT Sheridan. Scrapped in 1923 |
| Massachusetts | 1902 | 1902–1911 | Sold and renamed Kansan. Torpedoed 1917 |
| Memphis | 1891 | 1907–1908 | Ex America. Scrapped 1908 |
| Menominee | 1897 | 1898–1905 | Ex Alexandria. Transferred to Red Star Line. Scrapped 1927 |
| Mesaba | 1897 | 1898–1918 | Ex Winifreda. Torpedoed by UB-118 1918 |
| Mesaba | 1918 | 1919–1925 | Ex War Icarus. Transferred to White Star Line and renamed Delphic. Subsequently, sold to Clan Line and renamed Clan Farquhar. Scrapped 1948 |
| Michigan | 1890 | 1890–1896 | Transferred to the National Line. Sold to US Government and renamed USAT Kilpatrick. Resold and renamed Acropolis. Subsequently, resold and renamed Washington. Finally sold and renamed Great Canton. Scrapped 1924 |
| Michigan | 1899 | 1899–1900 | Transferred to the Dominion Line and renamed Irishman. Scrapped 1924 |
| Michigan | 1897 | 1914–1926 | Ex Monmouth, ex Irishman. Sold and renamed Candido. Scrapped 1927 |
| Minneapolis | 1899 | 1900–1915 | Requisitioned by UK government. Torpedoed by U-35 1916 |
| Minnehaha | 1900 | 1900–1917 | Torpedoed by U-48 1917 |
| Minnekahda | 1917 | 1920–1931 | Laid up and eventually scrapped in 1936 |
| Minnesota | 1887 | 1887–1926 | Renamed Mahopac in 1917. Scrapped in 1926 |
| Minnesota | 1903 | 1917–1923 | Chartered by US government in 1919 and renamed USS Troy. Scrapped 1923 |
| Minnesota | 1900 | 1927–1930 | Ex Zeeland, ex Northland. Scrapped 1930 |
| Minnetonka | 1901 | 1901–1918 | Torpedoed by U-64 and U-67 1918 |
| Minnetonka | 1924 | 1924–1934 | Scrapped 1934 |
| Minnewaska | 1894 | 1897–1898 | Ex Persia. Requisitioned by the US Government and renamed USAT Thomas. Scrapped 1928 |
| Minnewaska | 1908 | 1909–1916 | Total loss after being mined by UC-23 1916 |
| Minnewaska | 1923 | 1923–1931 | Sold to Red Star Line. Scrapped 1934 |
| Mississippi | 1890 | 1890–1898 | Requisitioned by US government and renamed USAT Buford. Scrapped 1929 |
| Mississippi | 1902 | 1902–1906 | Transferred to Red Star Line and renamed Samland. Transferred to White Star Line 1911 - 1913 and temporarily renamed Belgic. Scrapped 1931 |
| Mississippi | 1914 | 1914–1933 | ATL's only diesel-powered ship. Scrapped 1933 |
| Missouri | 1888 | 1888–1898 | Sold to US Government and renamed USAT Egbert. Sold and renamed Stanley Dollar. Wrecked 1905 |
| Missouri | 1903 | 1903–1908 | Sold and renamed Missourian. Torpedoed by U-52 1917 |
| Missouri | 1913 | 1913–1933 | Scrapped 1933 |
| Mobile | 1892 | 1892–1898 | Sold to US Government and renamed USAT Sherman. Resold and renamed Calawaii. Scrapped 1933 |
| Mobile | 1890 | 1907–1911 | Ex Europe. Sold and renamed Throger. Renamed Guvernoren. Burnt at sea 1915 |
| Mohawk | 1892 | 1892–1898 | Sold to US Army and renamed USAT Grant. Converted to dredge USED Chinook. Scrapped 1946 |
| Mohawk | 1885 | 1899–1903 | Ex Belgic. Scrapped 1903 |
| Mohegan | 1898 | 1898–1898 | Ex Cleopatra. Sank 1898 |
| Mongolia | 1903 | 1915–1920 | Transferred to the American Line and subsequently to the Panama Pacific Line. Sold and renamed President Fillimore. Subsequently, resold and renamed Panamanian. Scrapped 1947 |
| Montana | 1887 | 1887–1913 | Sold and renamed Resurrezione. Scrapped 1926 |
| Montana | 1919 | 1920–1935 | Ex Defender. Scrapped 1935 |
| Montauk | 1919 | 1920–1935 | Ex Champion. Scrapped 1935 |
| Siberia | 1901 | 1915–1916 | Sold and renamed Siberia Maru. Scrapped 1934 |
| Suffolk | 1881 | 1882–1886 | Wrecked 1886 |
| Surrey | 1881 | 1881–1889 | Renamed Michigan in 1888. Sold and renamed Harry Luckenbach. Torpedoed by U-84 1918 |
| Sussex | 1882 | 1882–1885 | Sank 1885 |
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