1.7.1937 41°14’N, 29°8’E 670th. day at sea
After sinking the “Agustin Mendi” Schiff 30 sailed for the Aegean Sea. Hartmann hid in the many Greek Islands waiting for instructions from the Seekriegslietung.
After a few days of waiting the Skl. gives Schiff 30 permission to enter Black Sea. Due to the Montreux Convention which came into effect on 9.Nov.1936. the Skl. was trying to justify the entry of the raider into the strait they came up with a task for the merchant raider. Schiff 30 will be disguised as a German merchant ship with the task of gathering information on Spanish merchant ships sailing for Spanish Republican ports. Schiff 30 is forbidden from sinking Spanish Republican ships in the Black Sea. Kapitan zur See Hartmann intends to remain in the Black Sea for 3 weeks before returning to the Mediterranean Sea to sink more Spanish Republican merchant shipping.
However, just before the ship entered the Bosphorus, The Skl. ordered Schiff 30 to immediately return to the Mediterranean Sea and meet with the Pocket Battleship “Admiral Scheer” for instructions on future operations.
Schiff 30 at anchor off a Greek Island.