 Kutevera kutanga kweHondo Yenyika I muna July 1914, Kolberg nevamwe vose veII Scouting Group vakapiwa basa rokuronda mhenderekedzo yegungwa yokuGermany yokuNorth uye kutsigira ngarava dzinotakura zvombo zvinokandwa nemauto omugungwa. Pana 17-18 August, Kolberg uye cruisers chiedza uye akaenda pamusoro patrol kuti Broad Fourteens asi akasangana hapana zvikepe British. Kolberg yakanga yakamira pamuromo werwizi Ems mangwanani aAugust 28, apo kurira kwepfuti iri kure kwakayambira vashandi veHondo yeHelgoland Bight, ipapo tiri kufamba. Iye, Stralsund, uye ngarava yechiedza pakarepo vakaenda kunosimbisa ngarava dzechiGermany mubay, asi vakasvika kunonoka kuti vaone chiito neBritish cruisers. Kolberg yakasvika pachikepe chaipfuta ndokubvisa vashandi vayo vakanga vapona ngarava yokupedzisira isati yanyura. Kolberg yakataurwa zvisiri izvo kuti yakanyudzwa muhondo mumishumo yokutanga. Musi wa9 Gunyana, Kolberg akafambisa ngarava dzinotakura zvimbambaira uye uye mubatsiri wezvimbambaira pavakaisa nzvimbo yekudzivirira Alpha kumadokero kweGerman Bight. Akaperekedza Nautilus zvakare musi wa16-18 Gumiguru kuti aise munda wemaminer off Firth of Forth, asi kuvapo kwezvikepe zvehondo zveBritain muDogger Bank kwakamanikidza maGerman kuputsa basa racho. 