20.4.1936 Pacific Ocean 25°29’S, 109°24’W 201st day at sea
Schiff 30 arrived off Easter Island on 10.4. and sent a landing party ashore to trade with the islanders for 5 tons of sugar and 5 tons of flour Schiff 30 got 15 t of fruit (pineapples, coconuts, and mangos)
After this trade a Chilean gunboat tied up alongside the 600ft hull of Schiff 30 and inquiring officials and naval officers boarded unknowingly a German disguised raider. After inspecting the ship’s clearance papers, cargo manifest, and crew list the Chileans departed and good for Kapitan.z.S Hartmann a lapse of judgement meant that there was no “cargo” aboard. This time he got lucky and Schiff 30 departed for a new rendezvous area 100 nm. north of Easter Island. On arriving she signaled to the “Rio de Janerio” the new position. During the waiting period locomotive smokeboxes and cabs were made from wood and empty beer kegs and crates were lettered for various cargos and placed in empty Hold Nr. II.
During this time as well the superstructure and decks were washed and the paint touched up on the smokestack.
The “Rio de Janerio” arrived 2 days later in the morning of 14.4. the vessel came alongside she was riding very low in the water. In the end 6 vehicles and trailers, wood, canvas, steel plates, spares for diesel engines/aircraft, rifles, ammunition, steel helmets, and 60 3.7cm Pak cannons were transferred to Schiff 30. In addition to 10 sacks of mail and a sealed envelope marked “Kommandant” in it were orders that after leaving the cargo for Japan Schiff 30 was to call at Hong Kong and Shanghai and deliver the indicated cargo for the army of Cheng Kai-Shek. Generalleutnant v. Falkenhausen advisor to Cheng Kai-Shek would meet the H.K. at Hong Kong.
Afterwards Schiff 30 was to carry out an expedition of the Pacific Islands for the remainder of 1936 or so that is the plan.............
A Chilean gunboat tied up alongside Schiff 30
Schiff 30 and "Rio de Janeiro" transferring cargo