THE FIRST LOSS OF ROMANIAN COMMERCIAL VESSELS
THE FIRST LOSS OF ROMANIAN COMMERCIAL VESSELS

Summary/Abstract: The issue of Romanian commercial vessels during the Second World War has not been extensively presented in Romanian historiography, although it pertains to national security and defence. After great financial efforts, in 1939, Romania had a commercial fleet that ensured part of the transport needs of exported and imported goods. With the exception of the passenger ships sent to Istanbul, the other vessels, which were in ports in the Mediterranean, the USA and Great Britain, as well as those leased to Germany, were lost. Even if some shipowners managed to recover the vessels or their value, they did not sail under the Romanian flag. The mentioned situation was determined by the geopolitical and geostrategic evolution in Europe and worldwide. With regard to Romania, the proximity to Germany and, then, the “alliance” with the government in Berlin were catastrophic also from the perspective of the situation of the Romanian commercial fleet. The USA, Great Britain and the USSR acted in accordance with their interests both during the war and after its end, so that the Romanian state could not recover any vessel or the value of those lost.

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