Following the outbreak of war in Europe, and the passing of the Neutrality Act, the United States Line (USL) set up in partnership with the Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) a new joint venture, to avoid the Neutrality Act's law of forbidding US flagged ships to sail into the European war zone. 8 ships were transferred to the new company, the Societe Maritime Anversoise, which was 60% owned by the CMB, and 40% by the USL. The company was a short lived venture, as with the German invasion of Belgium in May 1940, all its ships (save one) were sunk by 1941.
The former President Harding was renamed Ville De Bruges and bombed in the River Scheldt beached and burned.
During 1940 the American President Lines (APL) also sold two of its 532' class ships to Spain, the former President Lincoln becoming the Spanish Cabo de Buena Esperanze, of the Ybarra y Cia., or Ybarra Line, which enjoyed a long life, being scrapped in 1958
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Thank you Kim for the crest
"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"