Swiss Shipping Company & Neptun AG, Switzerland

(1975 – 2000)

Last modified: 2024-11-09 by martin karner
Keywords: swiss shipping company | swiss shipping company & neptun ag |
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• Introduction
• Flags of Forerunner Companies
  • Schweizerische Schleppschiffahrtsgenossenschaft (SSG, 1919 – 1938)
  • Schweizerische Reederei AG (1938 – 1975)
  • Neptun Reederei AG (until 1975)
• Schweizerische Reederei & Neptun AG (1975 – 2000)
• Variant with bigger canton
• False variant shown in Stewart (1953)
• Small Caliber Shooting Section of Swiss Shipping & Neptun AG

• Swiss maritime companies
• Commercial Flags (Switzerland)
• Switzerland

Introduction

Swiss Shipping Co. Originated 1919 as an inland shipping company Schweizerische Schleppschiffahrts-Genossenschaft (SSG), which was later changed to Schweizerische Reederei A.G. or the Swiss Shipping Co. Ltd. Its first ocean going vessel was the Calanda, which was acquired in 1939 and registered in Panama as Switzerland at that stage did not have a merchant ship registry. This was changed by Government decree 9.4.1941 enabling the vessel to officially hoist the Swiss flag for the first time on 19.4.1941 (source: http://www.swiss-ships.com).

They apparently acquired a stake in Alpina Reederei AG and this company at some stage appears to have become operators for Swiss Shipping who, in due course with changes of ownership and mergers, seem to have ended up as part of the Alpina Group which in turn ended up as part of the Rhenus Group.

Flags of Forerunner Companies

Schweizerische Schleppschiffahrtsgenossenschaft (SSG, 1919 – 1938)
(Swiss Tow Shipping Cooperative)

1919–1920

First the company was only engaged in river shipping, the first deep sea vessel was taken over only in 1935.

1920–1938

Schweizerische Reederei AG (1938 – 1975)
(Swiss Shipping Company Ltd.)

image located by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 12 April 2017

In 1938 the SSG (in colloquial language also called "Schleppi") was converted to a joint stock company, and the name was changed to Schweizerische Reederei AG, Basel (Swiss Shipping Company Ltd.).

Neptun Reederei AG (until 1975)

Schweizerische Reederei & Neptun AG (1975 – 2000)

In 1975 the Schweizerische Reederei AG merged with the Neptun Reederei AG and became the Schweizerische Reederei & Neptun AG (photo, source).

Flag since ca. 1989

In February 2000 the MGB, Migros-Genossenschaftsbund (the largest retailer in Switzerland), the last major share holder sold his partnership in the Schweizerische Reederei & Neptun AG and the company was taken-over by the German Rhenus-Group.

Variant with bigger canton

image by Eugene Ipavec, 10 August 2010

It is also shown by "Flaggen auf dem Rhein" under Schweizerische Reederei A.G. as one of 3 companies using this design but in this case the red canton extends down further to the top of the 3rd of the blue stripes, whereas the other quoted sources have it only to the bottom of the 2nd of the blue stripes.
Neale Rosanoski, 2 August 2010

False variant shown in Stewart (1953)

 image by San Pavlos

Exact shadings used in the flag are uncertain.
San Pavlos, 25 December 2002

The flag shown by San Pavlos may have existed although the only source I have found showing it is in the 1st edition of Stewart (1953) which was first published in 1953 with 5 impressions through to 1959 with the 4th in 1957 also showing this version. The 5th is given as being revised so it may have been changed. The more likely version, to me, is the usual Swiss couped cross that is shown by Brown 1958 and US Navy 1961 together with Walter Michaels in his "Unvergessene Dampfschiffahrt auf Rhein und Donau". In this the cross in the canton is couped i.e. it is the same as shown on this site for Alpina Reederei AG. The swiss-ships site also link this flag to Alpina and list all the ships under this company, not listing anything in the name Swiss Shipping. As Michaels gives the formation date of Schweizerische Schleppschiffahrt as 1919 the flag would appear to have originally been theirs with Alpina inheriting it subsequently.
Neale Rosanoski, 2 August 2010

Small Caliber Shooting Section of Swiss Shipping & Neptun AG

image located by Martin Karner
(reverse | source)

See also:   Swiss Shooting Sport Federation (Swiss Shooting)