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FOREIGN
SHIPPING CALLING AT ADEN
In the year 1858-59 only 35 foreign ships called at
Aden, including sailing ships. Of the 35 some 10 were
French and 11 American, the latter almost certainly all
sailing ships. Table 1 below is the first of three
‘snapshots’ and covers the period 1878-85, and is for
steamers only.
Table 1 April 1879 – March 1885
|
Nationality |
1878-79 |
1879-80 |
1880-81 |
1881-82 |
1882-83 |
1883-84 |
1884-85 |
|
Austrian |
34 |
35 |
51 |
59 |
52 |
50 |
53 |
|
Dutch |
18 |
22 |
23 |
25 |
47 |
39 |
52 |
|
French |
72 |
68 |
88 |
86 |
109 |
134 |
164 |
|
German |
6 |
9 |
5 |
16 |
47 |
51 |
38 |
|
Italian |
30 |
30 |
35 |
25 |
36 |
38 |
54 |
|
Spanish |
21 |
24 |
42 |
21 |
31 |
46 |
37 |
|
Others |
31 |
41 |
50 |
62 |
110 |
89 |
n/k |
Now on only 10 years for the next ‘snapshot’, covering
the period 1895-1903. Note the expansion of the German
mercantile marine from just one or two ships calling
(several times each) in 1878-79 to 25 or more individual
ships calling in 1902-03. Most if not all the Austrian
ships would have sailed from Trieste.
The higher figures
for 1901-02 were almost certainly due in part to the
Boxer rebellion in China. Not shown are the figures for
1919-20 and by then Austria was now a land-locked
country.
Having had her merchant fleet divided amongst
the victors it is perhaps not surprising that not one
German ship called in 1919-20. Only 22 French ships
called that year and 81 Italian. The great majority of
foreign ships, 146, were Japanese. Looking at Table 3
one can see that this figure was not sustained in future
years.
Table 2 - April 1896 - March 1903
|
Nationality |
1895-1896 |
1986-1897 |
1897-1898 |
1898-
1899 |
1899-1900 |
1900-1901 |
1901-
1902 |
1902-1903 |
|
Austrian |
52 |
54 |
62 |
48 |
76 |
83 |
97 |
105 |
|
Dutch |
27 |
20 |
20 |
28 |
21 |
16 |
20 |
17 |
|
French |
128 |
88 |
55 |
56 |
54 |
97 |
109 |
106 |
|
German |
90 |
89 |
100 |
115 |
135 |
113 |
164 |
158 |
|
Italian |
80 |
72 |
80 |
63 |
75 |
81 |
81 |
79 |
|
Russian |
22 |
28 |
25 |
31 |
32 |
13 |
30 |
17 |
|
Spanish |
29 |
49 |
43 |
20 |
27 |
1 |
8
|
8 |
|
Others |
33 |
25 |
15 |
46 |
19 |
18 |
12 |
12 |
|
Totals |
461 |
425 |
400 |
407 |
439 |
422 |
521 |
502 |
In looking at the next Table note that there is some
duplication in the figures as totals include those for
the financial year 1936-37 as well as for the calendar
year 1937.
In 1938 French ships averaged more than 5,000 tons and
Japanese more than 6,000 tons. Average tonnage for all
ships that year was 4,159 tons but this would have
included local steamers, most of which were British.
Discounting these, the average for all ships would also
have been approaching 5,000 tons.
Note how after the closing of the coaling station at
Perim in 1936, the Dutch steamers returned to using
Aden. Quite possibly many of the Danish ships had been
coaling at Perim as well. Shipping using Aden increased
by about 20% on the closure of Perim. Looking at the
figures for 1934-35, the year of the visit of the
King of Italy, one
can appreciate why he was given ‘red carpet’ treatment,
in spite of problems in Abyssinia. But a significant
proportion of the Italian total would have been local
steamers plying between Aden and ports in Eritrea and
Italian Somaliland.
This ship moored off the
Prince of Wales Pier
belongs to the German East Africa line and is probably
the Burgermeister of 5,902 tons. The photo may date from
her maiden voyage in 1902.
Looking at the figures for Germany, although the
outbreak of WW2 was still eight months away at the end
of 1938, the war clouds were already gathering. The
Germans knew that any of their ships in Empire ports on
the outbreak of war would be seized, as they had been in
1914.
As well as the passenger and cargo liners sailing under
European flags, some of the merchant ships would have
been on regular runs to the Far East or Australasia,
doing three to five round trips a year. For those that
called at Aden on the way out and on the way back it
would mean about six visits to Aden each year.
Table 3 April 1933 – December 1938
|
Nationality |
1933-34 |
1934-35 |
1935-36 |
1936-37 |
1937 |
1938 |
|
French |
52 |
64 |
79 |
66 |
80 |
75 |
|
German |
80 |
106 |
84 |
105 |
106 |
56 |
|
Italian |
152 |
165 |
223 |
213 |
240 |
241 |
|
American |
28 |
34 |
28 |
41 |
61 |
57 |
|
Japanese |
30 |
26 |
35 |
31 |
30 |
27 |
|
Norwegian |
83 |
82 |
96 |
85 |
94 |
94 |
|
Danish |
13 |
23 |
41 |
45 |
73 |
69 |
|
Dutch |
10 |
12 |
27 |
51 |
62 |
63 |
|
Others |
n/k |
28 |
40 |
43 |
74 |
36 |
|
Totals |
est 475 |
540 |
653 |
680 |
820 |
718 |
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