WATERMAN STEAMSHIP CORPORATION.

The early Waterman flag has a red field. Talbot-Booth records its change to blue in Ships & The Sea 1938, the change Rosanoski identifies from W114 to W116. Flag-diamond sizes vary. Talbot-Booth shows a narrow black funnel top or cowl for W114.

W115’s funnel and flag are documented in Merchant Ships; Jordan does not specify the colour of the funnel letter.

Ocean Ships 1967 notes that some vessels had plain funnels but confirms W113 with a photograph of Topa Topa showing a very narrow black top. Rosanoski assumes Mitchell intends this funnel although Mitchell omits the letter within the diamond.

The company website shows a slightly tapered blue swallowtail with a black W on a white lozenge; other sources show a rectangular flag. Joe McMillan’s FOTW image is W166. The website funnel appears red, although Rosanoski allows orange.

M169 is the Mobile Oceanic Line variant. Jordan and Talbot-Booth show a narrow black funnel top.

John B. Waterman organised the company on 6 June 1919. Other sources give 1920 or 1926, and these dates remain distinct. Mobile Oceanic Line was the service name for ships visiting Europe; WSC is another recorded abbreviation.

McLean Industries acquired the company after 1955 and resold it to Cornelius S. and Edward P. Walsh in May 1965, although one history gives 1960. The brothers saved the nearly bankrupt company in 1966 by selling half to U.S. Freight Company, later Transway, and moving the headquarters to New York.

Waterman filed for bankruptcy in November 1983 and received a Treasury debt moratorium that December. Rosanoski’s ownership account dates the sale to International Shipholding Corporation to October 1988; other references date acquisition to 1989 and differ between International Shipholding and Central Gulf Lines. Lloyd’s later calls it a major operating company of International Shipholding. Ships were named after Confederate army personnel.

USA: Mobile AL, later New York, and subsequently New Orleans LA.