▁state - owned ▁enter prise ▁with ▁its ▁close ▁relationship ▁with ▁the ▁government . ▁Over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁its ▁history , ▁it ▁took ▁over ▁many ▁sh ipping ▁companies , ▁becoming ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁companies ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁before ▁legal ▁problems ▁led ▁to ▁its ▁liquid ation ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 . ▁The ▁Union ▁Castle ▁Line ▁operated ▁in ▁Africa ▁and ▁the ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁with ▁a ▁fleet ▁of ▁considerable ▁size . ▁ ▁German ▁and ▁French ▁ ▁Two ▁rival ▁companies , ▁Hamburg ▁America ▁Line ▁( o ften ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" H AP AG ") ▁and ▁Nord deutsch er ▁Lloyd , ▁competed ▁in ▁Germany . ▁The ▁First ▁and ▁Second ▁World ▁Wars ▁de alt ▁much ▁damage ▁to ▁the ▁two ▁companies , ▁both ▁forced ▁to ▁ren ounce ▁their ▁ships ▁to ▁the ▁winning ▁side ▁in ▁both ▁wars . ▁The ▁two ▁merged ▁to ▁form ▁H ap ag - L loyd ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁ocean ▁l iner ▁industry ▁in ▁France ▁also ▁consisted ▁of ▁two ▁rival ▁companies : ▁the ▁Comp ag nie ▁Gén éra le ▁Trans at lant ique ▁( comm only ▁known ▁as ▁" Trans at " ▁or ▁" F rench ▁Line ") ▁and ▁Mess ager ies ▁Mar it imes . ▁The ▁CG T ▁operated ▁on ▁the ▁North ▁Atlantic ▁route ▁with ▁well - known ▁lin ers ▁such ▁as ▁ ▁and ▁SS ▁France , ▁while ▁the ▁MM ▁operated ▁in ▁French ▁colon ies ▁in ▁Asia ▁and ▁Africa . ▁Dec ol on ization ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁led ▁to ▁a