Kiel Harbor, Naval Fitting Out and Ordnance Depot
The O.K.M. instructed Hartmann to turn the ship around and return to Bremen and await further instructions. At noon, the ship turned around in Rendsburg and sailed for Bremen, arriving in the early morning of the 15th. The ship docked at Freihafen IV and took aboard some of the equipment from Kiel which arrived via the Reichsbahn on 2 Sonderzüge.
The ship was shifted to the Naval Fitting Out Depot where she remained until the 18th. During this time 8 Offiziere, 31 Uffz, and 100 Mannschaften of the Heer come aboard under Hptm Fredrich Deutsch. In Stettin tanks, vehicles, and equipment will be taken aboard. With this she will have all three branches of the Wehrmacht aboard.
On the evening of the 19th. orders came in instructing that Schiff 30 put to sea and make for the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak, Kattegat, Great Belt, and put into Kiel Harbor.
At 08:00 hrs. on the 20th., Korv.Kpt. Hartmann ordered Schiff 30 to put to sea in accordance with the operational orders. At 06:00 hrs. on the 24th. the ship arrived at Kiel without further incident and moored at the Kiel Naval fitting out and Ordnance Depot. Here she began outfitting for her training cruises.
The raider was photographed from the dock on which the light cruiser “Karlsruhe” was moored at.