HAMBURG- SÜDAMERIKANISCHE DAMPFSCHIFFAHRTS-GESELLSCHAFT K.G.

The earliest funnel was black. Buff funnels were introduced in 1900 for the Cap liners, while cargo ships retained black. The white funnel with red top subsequently became standard across the group. Sources disagree over its adoption: 1911, about 1912, 1913 and 1914 are all given. The black funnel’s start is likewise dated 1871 or 1872.

Some early flags have stops after the letters. Lloyds 1904 and 1912 and illustrated posters or postcards show them, while Griffin, Reed and other period images omit them. Schneider’s H592 follows a pre-1914 poster; another poster in the same book has no stops. Kludas reproduces both forms, including dotted examples associated with the company’s beginnings, an 1890 poster and a 1920 postcard, but an undotted 1897 menu. Rosanoski leaves open whether this reflects actual flags or artistic licence. Schneider confirms that his drawing reports a source and does not prove that a real dotted flag existed.

This funnel is not confirmed elsewhere. Its apparently black top may represent dark red, since black-and-white photographs produce a similar impression.

The company flag has black HSDG letters in the respective red and white quarters, beginning at the top, and photographs confirm an actual lettered flag. Brown 1958 angles the letters slightly, described by Rosanoski as Pbds. The funnel was observed on Columbus America at Wellington on 11 November 1998 and Columbus Canada on 10 December 1999; the latter’s other flag was subsequently recognised as the Liberian registry ensign. Samoa Shipping Services used the Hamburg Süd flag with its own funnel.

Bremen-registered vessels used this funnel, with the key added around 1936–37.

The plain red-and-white saltire-quartering appeared on the Hamburg Süd website as a brand logo and was initially illustrated as a possible group or Columbus flag. Its use as an actual flag was unclear. Former Columbus and Hamburg Süd deck officer Wolf Spille stated that the ships always flew the lettered HSDG flag and that the unlettered logo occurred on stationery and the postage meter. The plain FOTW images were removed or replaced by the lettered form. Rosanoski stresses that later comments referred to the earlier unlettered illustrations; the pale red in the Columbus rendering probably came from a website shade. Columbus did not have a separate house flag.

This illustration is attributed to the marcollect source on the Hamburg Süd page.