In 1900, the Zwischenlinie, or intermediate line, was created to augment existing service from Germany to East Africa.  It ran from Hamburg to East Africa via the Mediterranean instead of around the Cape.

With the closure of the Ost-Afrikanische Zweiglinie in February 1901, one of the now-excess Zweiglinie cancellers was repurposed for use aboard ships on the Zwischenlinie.  The exact dates of use on the three vessels known to have carried the canceller are unknown at this time.

Operations on the line ceased with the outbreak of World War I in 1914.