

Some of them are Shipping Corporation of India, Essar, etc.Ī portrait of a New Zealand Merchant Navy captain of a Fairmile 'submarine chaser', as he holds it up and looks through a small coloured screen. India has many merchant shipping companies known. This is one of the highest of any country. India currently supplies around 12.8% of officers and around 14.5% of ratings to the world seafaring community. Today, India ranks 15th in the world in terms of total DWT. The birth of the modern Indian Merchant Navy occurred before independence from the United Kingdom, when in 1919 SS Loyalty sailed from India to Britain.

Greece is also ranked highly regarding all types of ships, including first for tankers and bulk carriers.

In 2015, the Greek Merchant Marine controlled the world's largest merchant fleet in terms of tonnage with a total DWT of 334,649,089 tons and a fleet of 5,226 Greek owned vessels, according to Lloyd's List. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since ancient times. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. The Greek maritime fleet is today engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. Greece controls 23.2% of the world's total merchant fleet, making it the largest in the world. British shipping is represented nationally and globally by the UK Chamber of Shipping. This is according to the annual maritime shipping statistics provided by the British government and the Department for Transport. This includes ships either UK directly owned, parent owned or managed by a British company. As of the year ending 2012, British Merchant Marine interests consists of 1,504 ships of 100 GT or over. By 2012, the merchant navy-still remaining one of the largest in the world-held only 3% of total tonnage. In 1939, the merchant navy was the largest in the world with 33% of total tonnage. The British Merchant Navy comprises the British merchant ships that transport cargo and people during times of peace and war.įor much of its history, the merchant navy was the largest merchant fleet in the world, but with the decline of the British Empire in the mid-20th century it slipped down the rankings. British Merchant Navy Ī recent example of British Merchant Navy officers, graduating at their 'passing out' ceremony from Warsash Maritime Academy in Southampton, with former First Sea Lord Alan West, Baron West of Spithead, in 2011. The Australian Merchant Navy Memorial in Canberra, the national capital city of Australia, is a memorial honouring the Australian Merchant Navy's involvement in both world wars. Since 2008, 3 September has been officially commemorated as Merchant Navy Day, on the same day as the pre-existing Australian National Flag Day, which allows the Australian Red Ensign to be flown on land for the occasion as a matter of protocol, as an official recognition of the merchant navy's contribution in wartime. During World War II, they were commissioned for use as hospital ships, supply ships and armed merchant cruisers, in particular in the Pacific campaign. Merchant navies by country Australian Merchant Navy ĭuring the First World War, the government requisitioned Australian merchant vessels for use as transport ships, hospital ships and cargo ships. A United States World War II recruiting poster for the merchant marine Admiralty law
