. ▁Ost f ries land ▁won ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 2 / 1 9 1 3 ▁Kais ers chi ess preis — the ▁Kaiser ' s ▁art illery ▁shooting ▁prize — for ▁I   S quad ron . ▁Kap it än le ut nant ▁Friedrich ▁Be es el ▁was ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁g unn ery ▁officer ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁and , ▁as ▁such , ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁accuracy ▁of ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁shooting . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 4 ▁July ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁the ▁annual ▁summer ▁cru ise ▁to ▁Norway ▁began . ▁During ▁the ▁last ▁pe ac etime ▁cru ise ▁of ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Navy , ▁the ▁fleet ▁conducted ▁dr ills ▁off ▁Sk agen ▁before ▁proceed ing ▁to ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁f j ords ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁July . ▁The ▁following ▁day ▁the ▁fleet ▁began ▁to ▁steam ▁back ▁to ▁Germany , ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁Austria - H ung ary ' s ▁ult imat um ▁to ▁Ser bia . ▁On ▁the ▁ 2 7 th , ▁the ▁entire ▁fleet ▁assemble d ▁off ▁Cape ▁Sk aden es ▁before ▁returning ▁to ▁port , ▁where ▁it ▁remained ▁at ▁a ▁height ened ▁state ▁of ▁read iness . ▁War ▁between ▁Austria - H ung ary ▁and ▁Ser bia ▁broke ▁out ▁on ▁the ▁ 2 8 th , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁span ▁of ▁a ▁week ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁European ▁powers ▁had ▁joined ▁the ▁conflict . ▁By ▁ 2 9 ▁July ▁Ost f ries land ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁I   S quad