 Sperber was laid down at the Kaiserliche Werft ( Imperial Shipyard ) in Danzig in September 1887 . She was launched on 23 August 1888 , and then @-@ Kapitän zur See ( Captain at Sea ) Franz <unk> gave the launching speech . She began her sea trials on 2 April 1889 , which lasted until 7 June ; after completion of the trials , she was temporarily decommissioned . She was thereafter assigned to the South Seas Station in German New Guinea to replace the gunboats Adler and Eber , which had been destroyed by the 1889 Apia cyclone . On 20 August , Sperber was recommissioned for her new assignment , and she departed Kiel on 4 September , bound for the Pacific . While coaling in Aden on 13 October , the cruiser received orders to head to German East Africa , which was gripped by the Abushiri Revolt . There , she was to replace the old sail corvette Leipzig and the aviso Pfeil . 
