View source for Atlantic Transport Line

{{Short description|American passenger shipping line based in Baltimore, Maryland}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Atlantic Transport Line
| logo = Atlantic Transport Line house flag.svg
| logo_size = 
| logo_caption = [[House flag]]
| logo_padding = 
| image = SS Mongolia underway at sea (artwork), circa 1910 (NH 91268).jpg
| image_size = 
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = {{SS|Mongolia|1903|6}} underway
| native_name = 
| native_name_lang = <!-- Use ISO 639-1 code, e.g. "fr" for French. For multiple names in different languages, use {{lang|[code]|[name]}}. -->
| former_name = 
| industry = Shipping
| founded = 1881 in United States
| founder = Bernard N Baker
| hq_location = 
| hq_location_city = [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]
| hq_location_country = United States
| area_served = [[North Atlantic]]
| key_people = 
| products = 
| defunct = 1936
| brands = 
| services = Passenger and Cargo transport, including live cattle
| owner = <!-- or: | owners = -->
| website = <!-- or: | homepage = --><!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
}}

The '''Atlantic Transport Line''' was an American passenger [[shipping]] [[List of ship companies|line]] based in [[Baltimore]], Maryland. In 1901 the company was folded into the [[International Mercantile Marine Company]] (IMM).

==History==
The line developed with railroad support as an offshoot of [[Bernard N. Baker]]'s Baltimore Storage and Lighterage Company in 1881. Although American owned, the Atlantic Transport Line operated from Britain, with British registered and manned vessels, most of which were British built. General cargo, live cattle and small numbers of passengers were carried from Baltimore and Philadelphia to British ports and the line developed an excellent reputation for shipping valuable horses. A full-scale weekly passenger service between New York and London commenced in 1892 and today the line is best remembered for its exclusively first class direct London to New York passenger/cargo service operated by its four Minne-class ships: ''Minneapolis'', {{SS|Minnehaha||2}}, ''Minnetonka'' and {{SS|Minnewaska|1894|2}} from 1900 to 1915.

In 1898 the U.S. Government bought seven of the Line's ten ships for use as military transports in the [[Spanish–American War]] (Baker lent another for use as a hospital ship). The line survived this potentially devastating blow because Baker pulled off a sensational deal and bought a British competitor's five brand new ships almost immediately as replacements. The Atlantic Transport Company of West Virginia was formed at this time to assert American ownership of the line's overseas assets. Baker's attempt to sell the line to British owners in the late 1890s sparked the chain of events that lead to the formation of the IMM.

The line's most important ships were all sunk during the [[World War I|First World War]]. After the war four huge replacements for the Minne-class ships were planned. Only two of these were built however, and the passenger service, which recommenced in 1923, never matched pre-war successes. With [[first class travel]] declining, a tourist third-class ship was introduced in 1925 and for two seasons operated a second. But the line was faltering even before the [[Wall Street crash of 1929|Wall Street crash]] and with the recession of 1931 its remaining ships were laid up or transferred to other IMM lines, and it effectively ceased to exist. The American holding company survived until 1936. ''Minnewaska'' was the last ship the Atlantic Transport Line operated.

==Fleet==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Ship
!Launched	
!width=75px|ATL Service
!class="unsortable"|Notes
|-
|[[SS Belgenland (1914)|''Columbia'']]
|1914
|1935–1936
|Ex ''Belgic'', ex ''Belgenland''. Scrapped 1936
|-
|{{SS|Korea|1901|2}}	
|1901
|1915–1916
|Purchased from the [[Pacific Mail Steamship Company]] in 1915. In 1916 the ship was sold to Toyo Kisen Kaisha of Yokohama, Japan, and renamed ''Korea Maru''. Scrapped 1934
|-
|{{SS|Mackinaw|1890|2}}
|1890
|1897–1923
|Ex ''British Crown''. Scrapped 1923
|-
|{{SS|Maine|1887|2}}
|1887
|1887–1899	
|Ex ''Swansea''. Converted to a hospital ship for the [[Second Boer War|Boer War]]. Wrecked 1914
|-
|{{SS|Maine|1903|2}}
|1903
|1903–1907
|Sold and renamed ''Virginian''. Scrapped 1948
|-
|[[SS Sierra Blanca (1904)|''Maine'']]
|1904
|1913–1917	
|Ex ''Sierra Blanca''. Torpedoed by {{SMU|UC-17||2}} 1917
|-
|{{SS|Maine|1919|2}}
|1919
|1920–1931	
|Ex ''War Riddle''. Sold and renamed ''Skala''. Scrapped 1955
|-
|{{SS|Manchuria|1903|2}}
|1903
|1915–1918
|Requisitioned as a troop transport. On return transferred to the [[American Line]]. Sold and renamed ''President Johnson''. Resold and renamed ''Santa Cruz''. Scrapped 1952
|-
|{{SS|Manhattan|1898|2}}
|1898
|1898–1927
|Chartered to the [[Phoenix Line]] 1911 – 1914. Scrapped 1927
|-
|''[[USAT Logan|Manitoba]]''
|1892
|1892–1898
|Sold to US Government and renamed USAT ''Logan''. Sold in 1922, scrapped 1924
|-
|{{SS|Manitou|1897|2}}
|1897
|1898–1902
|Ex ''Victoria''. Transferred to [[Red Star Line]]. Requisitioned 1915 – 1919. On return renamed ''Poland'' then transferred to [[White Star Line]] in 1922. Scrapped 1925.
|-
|{{SS|Marquette|1897|2}}
|1897
|1898–1904
|Ex ''Boadicea''. Transferred to [[Red Star Line]]. Torpedoed by {{SMU|U-35|Germany|2}} 1915
|-
|{{SS|Maryland|1886|2}}
|1886
|1886–1912
|Sold and renamed ''Redentore''. Wrecked 1913
|-
|{{SS|Maryland|1913|2}}
|1913
|1913–1933
|Scrapped 1933
|-
|''[[USAT Sheridan|Massachusetts]]''
|1891
|1892–1898
|Requisitioned by US Government and renamed USAT ''Sheridan''. Scrapped in 1923
|-
|{{SS|Massachusetts|1902|2}}
|1902
|1902–1911	
|Sold and renamed ''Kansan''. Torpedoed 1917
|-
|[[SS America (1891)|''Memphis'']]	
|1891
|1907–1908
|Ex'' America''. Scrapped 1908
|-
|{{SS|Menominee|1897|2}}
|1897
|1898–1905	
|Ex ''Alexandria''. Transferred to [[Red Star Line]]. Scrapped 1927
|-
|{{SS|Mesaba|1898|2}}
|1897
|1898–1918
|Ex ''Winifreda''. Torpedoed by {{SMU|UB-118||2}} 1918 
|-
|{{SS|Mesaba|1919|2}}
|1918
|1919–1925
|Ex ''War Icarus''. Transferred to [[White Star Line]] and renamed ''Delphic''. Subsequently, sold to [[Clan Line]] and renamed ''Clan Farquhar''. Scrapped 1948
|-
|{{SS|Michigan|1890|2}}
|1890
|1890–1896
|Transferred to the [[National Line]]. Sold to US Government and renamed USAT ''Kilpatrick''. Resold and renamed ''Acropolis''. Subsequently, resold and renamed ''Washington''. Finally sold and renamed ''Great Canton''. Scrapped 1924
|-
|{{SS|Michigan|1899|2}}
|1899
|1899–1900	
|Transferred to the [[Dominion Line]] and renamed ''Irishman''. Scrapped 1924
|-
|[[SS Monmouth (1897)|''Michigan'']]
|1897
|1914–1926
|Ex ''Monmouth'', ex ''Irishman''. Sold and renamed ''Candido''. Scrapped 1927
|-
|{{SS|Minneapolis|1899|2}}
|1899
|1900–1915
|Requisitioned by UK government. Torpedoed by {{SMU|U-35|Germany|2}} 1916
|-
|{{SS|Minnehaha||2}}
|1900
|1900–1917
|Torpedoed by {{SMU|U-48||2}} 1917
|-
|{{SS|Minnekahda|1917|2}}
|1917
|1920–1931	
|Laid up and eventually scrapped in 1936
|-
|{{SS|Minnesota|1887|2}}
|1887	
|1887–1926	
|Renamed ''Mahopac'' in 1917. Scrapped in 1926
|-
|{{SS|Minnesota|1903|2}}
|1903
|1917–1923
|Chartered by US government in 1919 and renamed USS ''Troy''. Scrapped 1923
|-
|[[SS Zeeland (1900)|''Minnesota'']]
|1900
|1927–1930	
|Ex ''Zeeland'', ex ''Northland''. Scrapped 1930
|-
|{{SS|Minnetonka|1901|2}}
|1901
|1901–1918
|Torpedoed by {{SMU|U-64|Germany|2}} and {{SMU|U-67||2}} 1918
|-
|{{SS|Minnetonka|1924|2}}
|1924
|1924–1934
|Scrapped 1934
|-
|[[USAT Thomas|''Minnewaska'']]
|1894
|1897–1898	
|Ex ''Persia''. Requisitioned by the US Government and renamed USAT ''Thomas''. Scrapped 1928
|-
|{{SS|Minnewaska|1909|2}}
|1908
|1909–1916
|Total loss after being mined by {{SMU|UC-23||2}} 1916
|-
|{{SS|Minnewaska|1923|2}}
|1923
|1923–1931
|Sold to [[Red Star Line]]. Scrapped 1934
|-
|[[USAT Buford|''Mississippi'']]
|1890
|1890–1898
|Requisitioned by US government and renamed {{USAT|Buford}}. Scrapped 1929
|-
|[[SS Samland|''Mississippi'']]
|1902
|1902–1906	
|Transferred to [[Red Star Line]] and renamed ''Samland''. Transferred to [[White Star Line]] 1911 – 1913 and temporarily renamed ''Belgic''. Scrapped 1931
|-
|{{MV|Mississippi|1914|2}}
|1914
|1914–1933
|ATL's only diesel-powered ship. Scrapped 1933
|-
|{{SS|Missouri|1888|2}}
|1888
|1888–1898
|Sold to US Government and renamed USAT ''Egbert''. Sold and renamed ''Stanley Dollar''. Wrecked 1905
|-
|{{SS|Missouri|1903|2}}
|1903
|1903–1908
|Sold and renamed ''Missourian''. Torpedoed by {{SMU|U-52||2}} 1917
|-
|{{SS|Missouri|1913|2}}
|1913
|1913–1933
|Scrapped 1933
|-
|''[[USAT Sherman|Mobile]]''
|1892
|1892–1898
|Sold to US Government and renamed USAT ''Sherman''. Resold and renamed ''Calawaii''. Scrapped 1933
|-
|[[SS Europe (1890)|''Mobile'']]
|1890
|1907–1911
|Ex ''Europe''. Sold and renamed ''Throger''. Renamed ''Guvernoren''. Burnt at sea 1915
|-
|''[[USED Chinook|Mohawk]]''
|1892
|1892–1898
|Sold to US Army and renamed USAT ''Grant''. Converted to dredge USED ''Chinook''. Scrapped 1946
|-
|[[SS Belgic (1885)|''Mohawk'']]
|1885
|1899–1903
|Ex ''Belgic''. Scrapped 1903
|-
|{{SS|Mohegan||2}}
|1898
|1898–1898
|Ex ''Cleopatra''. Sank 1898
|-
|{{SS|Mongolia|1903|2}}
|1903
|1915–1920
|Transferred to the [[American Line]] and subsequently to the [[Panama Pacific Line]]. Sold and renamed ''President Fillimore''. Subsequently, resold and renamed ''Panamanian''. Scrapped 1947
|-
|{{SS|Montana|1887|2}}
|1887
|1887–1913	
|Sold and renamed ''Resurrezione''. Scrapped 1926
|-
|{{SS|Montana|1919|2}}
|1919
|1920–1935
|Ex ''Defender''. Scrapped 1935
|-
|{{SS|Montauk|1919|2}}
|1919
|1920–1935
|Ex ''Champion''. Scrapped 1935
|-
|{{SS|Siberia|1901|2}}
|1901
|1915–1916
|Sold and renamed ''Siberia Maru''. Scrapped 1934
|-
|{{SS|Suffolk|1881|2}}
|1881
|1882–1886	
|Wrecked 1886
|-
|{{SS|Surrey|1881|2}}
|1881
|1881–1889	
|Renamed ''Michigan'' in 1888. Sold and renamed ''Harry Luckenbach''. Torpedoed by {{SMU|U-84||2}} 1918
|-
|{{SS|Sussex|1882|2}}
|1882
|1882–1885
|Sank 1885
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{Cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=Giles |title=The Hindu Conspiracy, 1914–1917 |journal=The Pacific Historical Review |volume=17 |issue=3 |date=Aug 1948 |pages=299–310 |publisher=University of California Press |issn=0030-8684 |doi=10.2307/3634258 |jstor=3634258}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Plowman |first1=Matthew |year=2003 |title=Irish Republicans and the Indo-German Conspiracy of World War |journal=New Hibernia Review |pages=81–105 |publisher=Center for Irish Studies at the University of St. Thomas |issn=1092-3977}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200024/http://www.atlantictransportline.us/ The Atlantic Transport Line, 1881 – 1931]
* [https://www.ggarchives.com/OceanTravel/SteamshipLines/AtlanticTransportLine.html Atlantic Transport Line History and Ephemera] GG Archives
* {{PM20 |FID=co/047945 |TEXT=Clippings about |NAME=}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Shipping companies of the United States]]
[[Category:History of Baltimore]]
[[Category:Companies based in Baltimore]]
[[Category:Transatlantic shipping companies]]