27.3.1940 Barents Sea 75°34’N, 46°23’E 56th day at sea
Schiff 19 continues the hunt for merchant shipping with no success. The Kara Sea according to the Meteorological office is still frozen solid with ice and therefore unpassable until May. Kapitan.z.S Hartmann decided to abandon the plan to enter the Kara and Laptev Seas and return to operate between Narvik and Bear Island till the end of the month so far only 4 Soviet ships have been sighted as the majority of traffic passes close to the coasts where Hartmann does not want to take the raider for fear of meeting a Soviet warship.
Operation Weserübung is scheduled to begin soon on 9.April which Kapitan.z.S Hartmann plans to be well clear of the area. However, the S.K.L. has other plans under operations order Gkdos 1139/40 V 1.2.10 Anlage II to the Operations Orders of Schiff 19 the raider is to conduct a raid on independent merchant shipping in the Norwegian Sea a dangerous task which Hartmann is not enthusiastic about, as fellow Hilfskreuzers are beginning to set sail and above all the presence of naval units of both sides are feverishly operating in the area.
Nevertheless, Hartmann plans to operate in the area, minelaying operations are also being planned on the east coast of England as most of the ports are being protected only by small escort boats and trawlers on Anti-submarine patrols as British naval forces gather in Scapa Flow to counter the German invasion of Norway. Hartmann plans to breakthrough into the North Atlantic by the beginning of May.
