On November 11, 1912 the cruiser Karlsruhe was launched at Germaniawerft in Kiel, Germany. Just after the Great War started SMS Karlsruhe was off Bermuda when the liner Kronprinz Wilhelm came alongside and was converted into an armed merchant cruiser. The refit was interrupted by HMS Suffolk which pursued Karlsruhe firing at her but missing, this was one of the first naval engagements of the war.

Karlsruhe went south and embarked on a successful raiding cruise sinking and capturing a number of ships before being sunk by an internal explosion off Trinidad on Nov. 4, 1914, just short of two years after she was launched.