All eight ships entered service during 1915. They were employed in the Baltic Sea, North Sea and the English Channel. was sunk during a sortie into the Battle of the Gulf of Riga on 16–17 August 1915 with . The two ships ran into several Russian destroyers, which hit "V 99" with several shells. In attempting to escape, "V 99" ran into a minefield and struck two mines, sinking as a result. Ships of the class took part in the Battle of Jutland, and in Operation Albion, where the Russian destroyer "Grom" was sunk.