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Leht und Co (German Shipping Company)

Last modified: 2012-05-25 by german editorial team
Keywords: leht und co | mueller(ludwig) | peters(carl f) | eberhardt |
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[Leht & Co shipping] image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 19 Sep 2010 See also:

Leht & Co

Leht & Co ship broker and cargo service was located in Hamburg. From 1933 to 1958 Ludwig Müller had been the only owner. In 1933 fishing was the main business. Later broking and freighting services had been added. After WW2 tanker shipping was the main business at least up to 1970. Then the company disappeared nearly without a trace. In 2000 it is said to be part of a company Carl Peters in Bargteheide.
Since 1939 there was a white flag divided by a bendy black line with a white disc fimbriated black in its centre, containing a red capital "L".
Source: "Deutsche Reedereien und ihre Erkennungszeichen"; 2nd ed.; Hamburg 1956; p.27
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 19 Sep 2010

Leth & Co. of Hamburg began business in 1922 though I cannot trace them as shipowners until WW2 when they were allocated certain Norwegian prizes. After WW2 they are shown in Lloyds and their flag as white with a black diagonal band from upper hoist to lower fly surmounted by a white circle edged black bearing a red "L" [see below] i.e. the Brown design reversed and with a different letter. My image shows the "L" shape as shown by German sources of Mobil, Esso 1956 and 1958 and Flaggen und Schornsteine 1957. Stewart 1963 shows a straight "L" and Brown 1982 one with a leaning spine towards the fly. Although the company is [as of  2008] still operating it no longer uses this livery but instead there is a common one associated with their ship managers Carl F. Peters.
Neale Rosanoski, 24 Jul 2009

Ludwig Müller

[Ludwig Müller shipping] image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 19 Sep 2010
The flag of Ludwig Müller was nearly the same but had a red "M" instead.
Source: Klaus-Peter Bühne's webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 19 Sep 2010

Horst-Eberhard Eberhardt

[Horst-Eberhardt Eberhardt] image by Jarig Bakker, 13 Jan 2006
Horst-Eberhard Eberhardt, Bargteheide - white flag, black fly-diagonal; in center white disk bordered black, red "E".
Image after Brown's Flags and Funnels Shipping Companies of the World, compiled by J.L. Loughran, Glasgow, 1995 [lgr95]
Jarig Bakker, 13 Jan 2006

That of Horst-Eberhardt Eberhardt is incorrectly portrayed by Brown. The company itself was formed in 1989 and its last ship was sold in 2005 and during that period it is shown as a name company [no address] subsidiary of Leth & Co. of Hamburg.
Neale Rosanoski, 24 Jul 2009

Carl F. Peters

[Carl F. Peters] image by ,

Carl F. Peters (GmbH & Co.) which replaces the "L" with the "E". Peters also operate their own fleet and were formed in 1989, based in Bargteheide. The source of this flag is photos of it being flown by their ships.
The "E" reference I cannot reconcile though it appears to be associated with the name "Eberhardt", possibly Eberhardt Tankers GmbH & Co. K.G., or something similar, being investors involved in the various components of the tanker fleets of Leth and Peters. Certainly the "Eberhardt" name features quite often in either the ship names or those of their registered owners.
Neale Rosanoski, 24 Jul 2009

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