From 1890 and up to 1921, in the sea of Azov and the Black Sea sails a small fleet of general cargo vessels, sail and steam driven, Russian flag, registered in Rostov and run by LDA. These ships are serving as " feeders " supplying Ukrainian grain to larger bulkers chartered by LDA, experiencing never ending delays in congested Odessa and bound for the major Mediterranean ports. These were the VICTORIA, VAGLIANO, SOPHIA, SERGEI WITTE, and the HELVETIA (the Helvetia was at one point named François and was thus the first FRANÇOIS of the fleet). The Russian revolution put a stop to this venture.
In 1903, the bulker CAROL 1er, named in honour of the king of Romania, the country with which LDA conduct the great majority of its cereals trading, is the first new vessel owned by LDA.
Between 1921 and 1928 a new bulker, EMMY LD and eight second hand vessels of which 3 are " war time " vessels comparable to the " liberty " ships of the Second World War enter the fleet. They were the SIERENTZ, LEOPOLD LD, EMILIE LD, LOUIS LD, GERMAINE LD, ELIANE LD, LINA LD and EMILIE LD (II). At this time LDA is having a dedicated fleet for transporting its own cereals, an experience which will remain inconclusive for many.
All these vessels are sold between 1927 and 1937 in order to finance six modern diesel bulkers (the only ones in French merchant fleet to have such engines before the war) having metallic hatch covers and profiled hull. These vessels were instigated by M. Pierre Louis-Dreyfus, assisted by the technical engineer Procacci, to face up to the crisis by having a new fleet with "revolutionary" capabilities. They are the LEOPOLD LD (II) and the CHARLES LD built in Gothenburg, and the PIERRE LD, JEAN LD, LOUIS LD (II), FRANCOIS LD (II) built in France.
At the outbreak of the second world war the vessels are placed under the management of the Cie. Marseillaise de Navigation Coloniale and are respectively renamed ALDEBARAN, PROCYON, PERSEE, BETELGEUSE, FOMALHAUT and CEPHEE. They will have varying fortunes, sometimes glorious, well in line with the example set by the President of the Group, M. Pierre Louis-Dreyfus.
At the end of the war, LDA had four vessels left : LEOPOLD LD, JEAN LD, LOUIS LD, and FRANCOIS LD ; two vessels, the CHARLES LD and PIERRE LD, having been sunk by the enemy. In compensation of tonnage lost, LDA obtains the CHARLES LD (II) which was started as the German Prauheim and completed in Saint Nazaire, the Etel, renamed CDT. GABRIELA GUENA and the German Oakland scuttled in Brest, re-floated and renamed the ALAIN LD. The liberty ships GIEN and ORLEANS were allocated by the government.
In 1950 a bulker of 8.500 t dwt, PHILIPPE LD was ordered at Uraga in Japan and in 1951 the PIERRE LD (II) 9.350 t dwt was launched at Dunkirk. These vessels were employed on the South American trade with general cargo and grain.
In
1952 four highly successful vessels of 9,500 t dwt were launched
at St Nazaire : they are the LEOPOLD LD (III), FRANCOIS LD (III), GERARD LD and the ROBERT LD and were employed on the liner service Plate
/ U.S. Gulf. The liberty ship OUISTREHAM
belonging to the Messageries Maritimes was transferred to LDA in 1955.
These were the last vessels to be employed on the liner services with
their wartime survivors and transitional period counterparts. The services
were :
Can-Con (Canada-Continent), Can-Med (Canada-Mediterranean), in partnership
with Montship (Montreal Shipping) Capo Line, Gens, and Sagital. There
was also Gulf / S.A. that is to say U.S. Gulf and East Coast U.S. To South
Africa which was interrupted by the first Suez Canal closure in 1956.
Several vessels will be re-deployed on the South American service, "SEAS",
the last direct LDA participation in a regular liner service.
In
1957
two bulkers of 11,280 t dwt designed for the transportation of bulk cargoes
and cars, with engine and bridge aft, were launched at St Nazaire (Chantiers
de l’Atlantique) for employment to and from the Great Lakes : the LOUIS LD (III) and the JEAN LD (II).
A long-term contract with Biscore (British Steel) is behind the building
of the PHILIPPE LD (II) at Grand Quevilly, Rouen. Also
with bridge/engine aft and a shallow draft for the transportation of iron
ore to the generally shallow English ports.
In 1961 and 1963 at La Seyne three identical 34,000 t dwt vessels are built: the CHARLES LD (III), PIERRE LD (III) and the GERARD LD (II). Better known as the "Mineraliers de Dunkerque" since they are applied on a long term contract supplying the Usinor metallurgical plant of Dunkirk.
In 1963 the La Ciotat yard launches the FRANCOIS LD (V) 24,700 t dwt, a third generation vessel designed by Procacci for trading on the newly opened seaway of the North American Great Lakes, taking steels in and exporting grain.
In 1967 the CETRA LYRA a bulk carrier of 75,000 t dwt is launched and employed by Cetramar in coal and iron ore.
Two years later in 1969 and against the galloping trend of bigger vessels, two deliberately small units of 19,000 t dwt with mobile Kampnagel cranes are launched at the Ateliers de la Loire at St Nazaire. They are the ALAIN LD (II) and the ROBERT LD (II). Originally intended as suited for the French port of Bayonne, they will be LD’s first input into the newly created Gearbulk (LDA, LDA subsidiary Buries Markes, Mowinckels and Jebsen).
Next come the inevitable giants : ore carriers, cape size bulk carriers, ore/oilers and obo’s.
In 1971 Dunkirk delivers the ore carrier LEOPOLD LD (IV), specially designed for Usinor up to the maximum permissible size of the Charles de Gaulle locks : 126,632 t dwt.
In 1972, Cetragpa, a pool of large carriers is formed comprising of Cetramar and Agpa.
In
1973 the Rothschild group withdraws from the maritime sector
and leaves the management of its vessels to LD. The LD fleet is thus enlarged
by the arrival of the CETRA CENTAURUS
(ore/oil)170,414 t dwt, the alumina vessels PAUL HEROULT
and SAINTE CLAIRE DEVILLE 8,800 t dwt, and
the LPG vessels, CAP MARTIN, CAP
D’ANTIBES, CAP FERRAT and PROVIDENCE MULTINA .
However
the Gearbulk pool is expanding rapidly. For their part LD invest in four
39,000 t dwt to be built in Japan : the LOUIS LD
(IV), JEAN LD
(III), ALAIN LD
(III) and the GERARD LD (III). Having five
holds and two Hagglunds gantry cranes, they are sister ships to the Norwegian
vessels of this pool.
The EDOUARD LD, a methane carrier of 130,000 cbm is launched at Dunkirk in 1977 but she will wait four years off the islands of Hyeres the completion of the LNG plant of Arzew before going into successful service between Arzew and Montoir.
In 1979 and 1980 Gearbulk calls for more investment from its partner LD ; hence the construction of the CHARLES LD (IV) and the PIERRE LD (IV) in Poland. These vessels are 38,000 t dwt with five holds and two Hagglunds gantry cranes.
Launched as the PETER in Seville in 1976, this 30,000 t dwt laker (19,400 mt intake on lakes) with seven holds and four Atiensa hydraulic cranes becomes the PHILIPPE LD (III) in 1981 before being renamed LA RICHARDAIS under French Kerguelen (TAAF) register. The vessel will be employed on tramping operations including but not limited to the Great Lakes.
1982 sees the launching of the ROBERT LD (III) 82,000 t dwt at Trieste which is renamed the MANGA in 1984 and the CETRA VEGA in 1987. The sister ship LOUIS LD (V) is launched in 1983 first renamed HUNGA in 1984 and then CETRA LYRA (II) in 1988.
Cetragpa is getting bigger. LD places in this pool in 1982 the CETRA SAGITTA 140,000 dwt built Japan. In the same year the 1974 built DOMINIQUE LD 27,000 dwt laker is bought to be renamed LA CHESNAIS in 1988.
1983 : The SOPHIE B 7,000 t dwt built 1977 enters the fleet and is employed on French food aid cargoes and various tramping operations. The vessel is renamed LA BRIANTAIS in 1988.
For Gearbulk, once more, in 1984, the FRANCOIS LD (VI) and in 1985 the MONIQUE LD, both 39,000 dwt are built in Poland. They are of the same design as the CHARLES LD and PIERRE LD of 1979 and 1980 except for the gantry cranes which are Mitsui.
1985: one more order for Gearbulk, with the launching in South Korea (Hyundai) of two 43,000 t dwt vessels : the ALAIN LD (IV) and CHARLES LD (V) recognisable by their seven holds and detached funnel.
In 1990 the entire LDA fleet in Gearbulk is sold. This is after 20 years of intense activity in the parcel trades of different commodities ranging from timber, lumber, paper pulp, steel pipes, steel products, locomotives, machinery, sulphur, bauxite, aluminium lingots, containers as well as the usual bulk commodities world-wide, mainly: Australia, North Africa, North America, East and West coasts, Gulf of Mexico, Canada, Japan Brazil and the Arabian Gulf.
Built in 1982 (Kawasaki) for Cetragpa, the CETRA CORONA, 140,000 t dwt, enters the LD fleet in 1987.
In 1990, an oceanographic survey activity is started, comprising of the CGG MISTRAL as from 1991. Two other units will be added to this fleet : CGG FOHN and CGG HARMATTAN. A fourth unit built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique joined the fleet in 1999 : CGG ALIZE.
1992-1996
: Four capesize vessels of 165,000 t dwt are launched in Poland (Gdynia),
the PIERRE LD (V) in1992
, the JEAN LD (IV) in 1993 and as part of the same order, the GERARD LD
(IV) in 1994 and the LEOPOLD LD in 1996.
1995-1998: Two geared Handymax vessels built in Japan at IHI shipyard (Tokyo): BATU and BARA are launched in 1997 and 1998.
1997-1999: Four other Capesize vessels came to join the LDA / Cetragpa fleet these years.
PIERRE LD and CHARLES LD - 176 000 t dwt - are built at NKK shipyard (Tsu, Japan) and PHILIPPE LD and ERIC LD - 170,000 t dwt - are built at Daewoo HI shipyard (Okpo, South Korea).
In 2000: A joint venture between ALCATEL SUBMARINE NETWORKS and LOUIS DREYFUS ARMATEURS is created for the investment, development and management of vessels specialized in cable laying, burying and maintenance of submarine cable telecommunication networks.
From 2000 to 2002, three Cable laying vessels are built in Ulsan (South Korea) at Hyundai Mipo dockyard: C/S ILE DE BREHAT, C/S ILE DE SEIN and C/S ILE DE BATZ.
These three vessels are 140.15 m length overall and have a 3,500 t cable tanks capacity. They have an accommodation for 70 persons.
C/S ILE DE RE joined the fleet of cable laying vessels after a conversion from January 2001 to March 2002 at Remontowa shipyard, Gdansk, Poland.
2002-2004: LOUIS DREYFUS ARMATEURS jointly with LEIF HOEGH of Norway signed a contract with AIRBUS for the maritime transportation of the new A380 aircraft components.
VILLE DE BORDEAUX was built at Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) in China and delivered in 2004.
This ship was followed by CITY OF HAMBURG and CIUDAD DE CADIZ, two sistership Ro-Ro vessels of 126.50 m built at ST Marine shipyard in Singapore.
From 2003 to 2005, three new Capesize vessels are built at Daewoo SME shipyard (Okpo, South Korea): the 172,000 t dwt PIERRE LD, JEAN LD and Thalassini Niki.
