Last modified: 2005-02-19 by ivan sache
Keywords: compagnie de navigation mixte | letters: nm (black) | letters: latf (black) |
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![[House flag of CNM]](../images/f/fr~hfcnm.gif)
by Ivan Sache
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On 20 December 1850, Louis Arnaud founded with Auguste and Félix Touache
the Société Louis Arnaud, Touache Frères & Cie. Arnaud was the
representative in Marseilles of a river shipping company from Lyon. He
was one of the first shipowners to predict that the recent conquest of
Algeria would open a very important market for shipping.
The first ship of the company was SS Du-Tremblay, named after the
engineer who invented the combined water-ether steam engine. This kind
of engine saved up to 75% of the coal compared with the usual steam
engine. However, ether steam was extrem=ely flammable and the new
technology was rapidly abandoned.
In 1853, SS Aveir, with a combined steam engine, inaugurated the Touache
line to Rio de Janeiro.
In 1855, the company was renamed Compagnie de Navigation Mixte (CNM). At
that time, cargo was transportd by sailing ships, more economical,
whereas passengers were tranported by paddle steam ships, slow and very
expensive. Touache decided to use screw-propelling on his sailing ships,
and highlighted his innovation in the name of the company.
On 27 September 1856, SS France burned in the port of Bahia after its
first journey, and the company withdrew from transatlantic shipping. An
attempt to open a line to Far-East was not more successful.
In 1857, the CNM owned 13 vessels and was the second biggest French
shipping company. All the operations of the company were redirected to
the service of Algeria, in strong competition with the powerful
Messageries Imuperiales. Touache increased the capital of the company and transfered its social seat to Lyon.
To survive, the CNM had to set up alliances with the rival companies,
which were subsidized by the French state.
In 1893, the company operated 13 vessels and experienced again massive losses. The company was saved by Theodore Mante, who improved the service to North Africa and unsuccessfully attempted to extend the lines to the Gulf of Guinea. In 1909, the CNM operated 16 ships and created the Société Pétrole-Transports, for which it purchased the first big French tanker.
After the First World War, the lines were reorganized and the company was mostly involved in tramping. In 1928, the liner MS El-Biar was the first of a series of modern liners (El-Golea, El-Kantara, El-Mansour, El-Djezair), which allowed the company to develop and gain a