▁ ▁The ▁six ▁ships ▁were ▁deployed ▁extens ively ▁on ▁foreign ▁stations ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁usually ▁to ▁Germany ' s ▁colonial ▁hold ings ▁in ▁Africa — T og ol and , ▁German ▁South ▁West ▁Africa ▁and ▁German ▁East ▁Africa — and ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific — G erman ▁New ▁Guinea ▁and ▁later ▁the ▁K ia utsch ou ▁Bay ▁con cess ion . ▁They ▁were ▁frequently ▁used ▁to ▁suppress ▁local ▁u pr is ings ▁against ▁German ▁rule , ▁pun ish ▁those ▁who ▁attacked ▁German ▁citizens ▁or ▁business es , ▁and ▁to ▁show ▁the ▁flag . ▁ ▁On ▁several ▁occasions , ▁ships ▁of ▁the ▁class ▁were ▁badly ▁dam aged ▁in ▁acc idents — Marie ▁running ▁a ground ▁off ▁New ▁Me ck len burg ▁and ▁Soph ie ▁being ▁ram med ▁by ▁a ▁merchant ▁vessel , ▁both ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁and ▁Ol ga ▁being ▁forced ▁ash ore ▁by ▁a ▁cy clone ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 — but ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁class ▁were ▁lost . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁ships ▁had ▁been ▁removed ▁from ▁front ▁line ▁service ▁and ▁reduced ▁to ▁secondary ▁roles , ▁including ▁training , ▁accommod ation , ▁and ▁fish eries ▁protection ▁duties . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁class ▁were ▁broken ▁up ▁for ▁sc rap ▁between ▁ 1 9 0 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 8 , ▁but ▁Soph ie ▁remained ▁in ▁the