British steamship Herland bound for Marseille, France according to a letter of the German naval attaché at Istanbul dated 16 December 1939

In his letter dated Istanbul,  16 December 1939 No. 547g reported the German naval attaché to the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht Abteilung Ausland the ships passing Istanbul coming out of the Black Sea and loaded with contraband for the enemy. An item reported on 14 December the British steamship Herland with a mixed cargo going to Izmir, to be fully loaded and then next to Marseille, France. There she was to replace her crew now consisting of Levantine crew member who refused to go to England by a British crew. From there she was bound for England where she was to be armed.

Source

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