"Saida" and "Helgoland" were commissioned into the fleet in the opening weeks of World War I, in August and September 1914, respectively. "Novara" followed in January 1915. All three ships saw limited action during the first year of the war, and following Italy's declaration of war on Austria-Hungary in May 1915, the ships participated in a bombardment of the Italian coastline. Throughout the rest of 1915, the "Novara"-class cruisers engaged in various operations across the Adriatic Sea and the Strait of Otranto.