On "Admiral Scheer", he again served as first gunnery officer, and in this position he participated in the Spanish Civil War (24 July–30 August 1936). "Admiral Scheer" had to make ready for the mission on short notice; the order came from Admiral Rolf Carls on 23 July 1936 at 13:45. The normal 48 hours required to prepare the ship was reduced to 12 hours, demanding a lot of the crew and especially Lindemann. As the first gunnery officer, Lindemann was responsible for handling and storing all munitions. "Admiral Scheer" and the cruiser left Germany on 24 July at 8:00. Lindemann's main responsibilities included commanding the German landing parties and acting as diplomatic aid and interpreter for Captain Marschall. These landing parties consisted of up to 350 men, which included 11 officers, 15 non-commissioned officers and 266 sailors, or roughly one-third of the crew. On the return voyage to Germany, "Admiral Scheer" stopped at Gibraltar on the morning of 25 August 1936. Marschall, Lindemann and other officers met with the British Governor and Rear Admiral James Somerville. After Lindemann returned to Germany, he was promoted to commander on 1 October 1936.