 Yugoslavia had initially been given the ships of the old Austro @-@ Hungarian Navy after the dissolution of the Empire in the closing days of World War I , but the Allied powers quickly seized the majority of the ships and allocated them to the various Allied countries . Left with only twelve modern torpedo boats , Yugoslavia sought more powerful vessels . The Royal Yugoslav Navy therefore purchased Niobe when Germany placed her for sale in 1925 . Renamed Dalmacija ( Dalmatia ) , she was completely rearmed in 1926 before she entered Yugoslavian service . She was equipped with six Škoda 8 @.@ 5 cm / 55 quick @-@ firing guns , and initially four and later six 2 cm ( 0 @.@ 79 in ) anti @-@ aircraft guns were added . After entering service , Dalmacija was employed as a gunnery training ship . In May and June 1929 , Dalmacija , the submarines Hrabri and Nebojša , the submarine tender Hvar and six torpedo boats went on a cruise to Malta , the Greek island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea , and Bizerte in the French protectorate of Tunisia . According to the British naval attaché , the ships and crews made a very good impression while visiting Malta . 
