Belgian cargo ship Astrida 1928-1945

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Stadsarchief Rotterdam. Collectie Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM)-481-RDM-7190

Launched by Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM), Rotterdam, Netherlands for the Cie. Maritime Belge (Lloyd Royal) Soc. Anom., manager Agence Maritime Internationale on 22 December 1928, delivered in February 1929 and sunk in a heavy weather underway from Durban, South Africa towards Cape Town, South Africa and Matadi, Congo-Kinshasa/Democratic Republic of the Congo on 19 March 1945. Homeport Antwerp, call sign OQBA. Gross tonnage 3,422 ton, under deck 2,952 tons, net tonnage 2,055 ton and as dimensions 339.9 x 48.5 x 23.0 feet. Coal fuelled. 

British cargo ship Penrith Castle 1929-1946 (Fantee 1946-1949)

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Similar Thurland Castle and Penrith Castle. Call sign GTBD. Homeport Liverpool, England. Launched by Cammell Laird&Co.Ld., Birkenhead, England with yard number 947 on 9 May 1929, completed for Lancashire Shipping Co. Ld., manager J. Chambers&Co in July 1929, stranded on South Stone, Seven Stone Rocks in the Scillies underway from Matadi, Congo-Kinshasa/Democratic Republic of the Congo via Amsterdam, Netherlands to Liverpool on 6 October 1949 and lost. Gross tonnage 6,369 ton, under deck 5,738 ton, net tonnage 3,807 ton and as dimensions 464.4 x 60.3 x 25.8 feet. Oil-fuelled. 

French gunboat Sagittaire sent to the Congo according to the Dutch newspaper Rotterdamsch nieuwsblad dated 21 November 1882

An item dated Paris, France 19th referred to the French newspaper la Patrie and La Liberte reporting that the French gunboat Sagittaire (1) would be sent to the Congo and steamed up the river to sanction the treaty with Makoka.(2)

Notes
1 Of the Crocodile class of composite gunboats, launched in 1881 at Normand, Le Havre, France in 1881, completed in 1881 and stricken in 1896.
2. Illoh Makoko, king of the Batekes, ruler of the centre of the Republic of Congo, Gabon and partly the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The treaty was signed with the Italian-born French explorer Pietro Paolo Savorgnan di Brazza (26 January 1852-14 September 1905). The treaty led to what became French Congo (1891-1906). 

French gunboat Sagittaire transporting missionaries and cleric labourers towards Stanley Pool, Congo according to the Dutch newspaper De Tijd dated 19 October 1883

An item dated Loanda [Angola] dated 17th October reported the arrival of Sir Frederik Goldsmith (1) on the 3rd at the Congo and who immediately went to the Upper Congo. The French gunboats Sagittaire (2) departed on 10th September with 3 French missionaries and some cleric labourers towards Bona to found at Stanley Pool (3) a mission.

Notes
1. Sir Frederic John Goldsmif (18 May 1818 Milan, Italy-12 January 1908 Hammersmith, England), served in the British Army and in the East India Company. Sent by the Belgian crown to the Congo to estimate the value of the treaties with the chief of the Congo Basin. He was forced to return to England because of his worse health.
2. Of the Crocodile class of composite gunboats, launched in 1881 at Normand, Le Havre, France in 1881, completed in 1881 and stricken in 1896.
3. Nowadays Pool Malebo also known as Lake Nkunda in the lower reaches of the Congo River, with the opposite shores the capital cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Congo. 

Tug Colonel Thys with lighter Boma underway frm the Netherlands towards Banana [Democratic Republic of Congo] according to the Dutch newspaper Rotterdamsch nieuwsblad dated 2 February 1912

An item dated Portland, England 31st reported the arrival of the tug Colonel Thys which departed on the 12th with the lighter Boma from Rotterdam, Netherlands towards Banana, returning without the lighter on the 18th at Falmouth, England. Departed with the in the mean time recovered and brought into Falmouth lighter again towards Banana.

Tug (ex-C31 1944-1946, Zeezwaluw 1946-1951, Elis 1951-1952, Sub-Lieutenant Valcke 1952-1982, Linge 1985-1990, Elis 1990, Ijzeren Vrijer 1990-?) Elis

Harbour Amsterdam, Netherlands 25 October 2008

Buiilt by De Vries-Lentsch, Alphen a/d Rijn, Netherlands as the German minelayer C31 for the Sperrversuche Kommando, Kiel in 1944. Casco bought and completed by Scheepswerf&Machinefabriek Holland Nautic, Haarlem, Netherlands with yard number 2147 in 1946. Commissioned as the Dutch pilot boat Zeezwaluw on 31 August 1946. Sold to the NV Holland Maatschappij tot Uitvoering van Scheepstransporten en Bergingswerken, Haarlem, Netherlands and renamed Elis in 1951. Sold to the Belgian Royal Navy and renamed Sub-Lieutenant Valcke (A950) with homeport Oostende, Belgium on 20 October 1952. Was stationed at Banana, Democratic Republic of Congo. Laid up at Zeebrugge, Belgium in 1980. Sold to the shipbroker Handelsonderneming Heise Roelof, Zaandam, Netherlands on 15 June 1982. Sold to A.L. Carmiggelt, Woudrichem, Netherlands and renamed Linge on 24 January 1985, Sold to P.A. Kleijn, Nieuwe Beijerland, Netherlands and renamed Elis on 22 May 1990. In the same year again sold to H.M.W. Leusink and R. van het Kaar, Phoenix, USA and renamed Ijzeren Vrijer. Later she retained again the name Elis. IMO 6134401. Gross tonnage 110 tons. Dimensions 24,74 (between perpendiculars)-27,15 ovr all) x 6,00 x 2,56 x 3,15 (depth) metres. Original fitted out with 1-518 bhp 6-cylinder 4-stroke single-acting Waggon&Maschinenbau A.G., Görlitz, Germany.

Faeroe Islands reefer (ex-Greenland Saga 1989-2007, Axel 2007-2012, Saga 2012-2013) El Nino 2013-

Sloehaven, Vlissingen, Netherlands 3 July 2015

Faeroe Islands-flagged, homeport Tonshavn, IMO 8800133, MMSI 231712000 and call sign OZ2081. Ex-Greenland Saga renamed June 2007, Axel renamed August 2012 and Saga renamed December 2013. Built at the Orskov Yard, Frederikshavn, Denmark in 1989. Owned by All Oceans Logistics, Torshavn, Faeroe Islands and managed by Mw Afritec, Kinshasa, Congo Democratic Republic.

Belgian commission investigating if Belgium needed a navy according to the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad dated 23 April 1919

An item reported that the Belgian cabinet appointed a commission to investigate if Belgium needed a navy for defending her coastal line, Antwerp, connection with her African colony Congo (1), showing her flag etc. The Belgian newspaper De Schelde of Antwerp protested strongly against creating such a navy as was nothing more as excessive militarism. The First World War was just ended and Belgium was even not recovered from her heavy losses. Other countries were decreasing their armed forces. And what would Belgium with her few torpedo boats do against the overwhelming forces her neighbours could send in short time to the North Sea wondered the journalist.

Note

1. In 1876 was at Brussels the International African Association founded by the Belgian king Leopold II with as purpose to execute humanitarian projects in Central Africa in what on 1 July 1885 became the Congo Free State and later the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Between 1885 and 1908 it was in fact private property of Leopold and than annexed by the Belgian government on 15 November 1908 as Belgian Congo. This annexation was caused by international protests against the extremely worse living conditions. In the period 1902-1931 possessed Belgium also a concession in the Chinese harbour Tianjin. Except for realizing an electricity network and the construction of tramway was this every lasting concession of a territory not really explored. After the Treaty of Versailles was former German East Africa divided and since 1924 was Belgium granted by the League of Nations with a mandate over Ruand-Urundi (since 1962 independent as Rwanda and Burindi).