1 9 1 1 . ▁Ost f ries land , ▁named ▁for ▁the ▁north - western ▁coast al ▁area ▁of ▁Germany , ▁was ▁commission ed ▁into ▁the ▁High ▁Se as ▁Fle et ▁on ▁ 1 ▁August ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁just ▁under ▁three ▁years ▁from ▁when ▁work ▁comm enced . ▁ ▁After ▁commission ing , ▁Ost f ries land ▁conducted ▁sea ▁tri als , ▁which ▁were ▁completed ▁by ▁ 1 5 ▁September . ▁Kap it än ▁zur ▁See ▁( K z S ) ▁Walter ▁Engel hardt ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁first ▁command ing ▁officer . ▁On ▁the ▁ 2 2 nd , ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁formally ▁assigned ▁to ▁I ▁Battle ▁Squadron ▁of ▁the ▁High ▁Se as ▁Fle et . ▁She ▁then ▁conducted ▁individual ▁ship ▁training ▁exer cis es , ▁which ▁were ▁followed ▁by ▁I   S quad ron , ▁and ▁then ▁fleet ▁man eu vers ▁in ▁November . ▁Ost f ries land ▁became ▁the ▁new ▁squad ron ▁flags hip ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁April ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁replacing ▁. ▁The ▁annual ▁summer ▁cru ise ▁in ▁July – August , ▁which ▁typically ▁went ▁to ▁Norway , ▁was ▁interrupted ▁by ▁the ▁Ag ad ir ▁Cris is . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁cru ise ▁only ▁went ▁into ▁the ▁Balt ic . ▁Ost f ries land ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁fleet ▁then ▁fell ▁into ▁a ▁pattern ▁of ▁individual ▁ship , ▁squad ron , ▁and ▁full ▁fleet ▁exer cis es ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁pe ac etime