In May 1913 "V1" was the leader of the 9th Half-Flotilla, 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla. On 28 August 1914, a British force of destroyers and cruisers supported by battlecruisers made a sortie into the Heligoland Bight in order to ambush German torpedo boats on patrol, which caused the Battle of Heligoland Bight. The 5th Torpedo Boat Flotilla, including "V1", were sent out from Heligoland to investigate sightings of British submarines (which were deployed as bait to draw out German ships), and ran into several British destroyers. The Flotilla then turned away to try and escape the trap, but "V1" and the torpedo boat could not make full speed and lagged behind the rest of the flotilla. "V1" was hit twice by British shells, killing 1 and wounding two, before the arrival of the German cruiser allowed the 5th Flotilla to escape. In total, however, three German light cruisers (, and ) and one torpedo boat of the German outer screen () had been sunk.