British steamships Herport and Herland loading stores for England and France according to a letter of the German naval attaché at Istanbul dated 9 December 1939

In his letter dated Istanbul, 9 December 1939 No. 505 g. reported the German naval attaché to the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht Abteilung Ausland the ships passing Istanbul coming out of the Black Sea westward bound and loaded with contraband for the enemy. An item reported that at Istanbul the armed United Kingdom-flagged steamships Herport and Herland would load stores for England and France.

Source

Bundesarchiv. German Marineattaché for , Greece, Romania and Bulgaria 1939-1941. RM 12-II/459.