 Like the Kaiser Friedrich III @-@ class ships , the Wittelsbachs were withdrawn from active service after the advent of the dreadnoughts . The five ships were recalled to active service at the outbreak of war in 1914 . They were assigned to the IV Battle Squadron and deployed to the Baltic . The ships were based in Kiel and placed under the command of Vice Admiral Ehrhard Schmidt . In early September 1914 , the ships conducted a result @-@ less sweep into the Baltic against the Russian navy operating there . In May 1915 , four of the Wittelsbachs sailed into the Baltic and bombarded Libau , which was subsequently captured by the German army . The five ships of the class were moved to Libau during the Battle of the Gulf of Riga in August 1915 , though they did not see any combat during the operation . 
