▁a ▁bo iler ▁explos ion ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 . ▁Like ▁Bl ü cher , ▁Stein ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁training ▁ship ▁for ▁the ▁bulk ▁of ▁her ▁career , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁fairly ▁une vent ful ▁one , ▁though ▁it ▁included ▁several ▁cru ises ▁abroad ; ▁she ▁was ▁converted ▁into ▁a ▁bar ra cks ▁ship ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁and ▁was ▁scra pped ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 . ▁B ism ar ck ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁se iz ure ▁of ▁the ▁col ony ▁of ▁K amer un ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁and ▁she , ▁G ne isen au , ▁and ▁St os ch ▁were ▁used ▁to ▁secure ▁the ▁prote ctor ate ▁of ▁W itul and ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 – 1 8 8 6 , ▁which ▁later ▁became ▁German ▁East ▁Africa . ▁M embers ▁of ▁the ▁class ▁also ▁cru ised ▁off ▁South ▁America ▁to ▁protect ▁German ▁interests , ▁particularly ▁during ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific . ▁B ism ar ck ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁class ▁to ▁leave ▁active ▁service , ▁being ▁converted ▁into ▁a ▁bar ra cks ▁ship ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁G ne isen au ▁was ▁w reck ed ▁off ▁M ál aga ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁and ▁St os ch ▁was ▁scra pped ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 . ▁Mol t ke ▁was ▁also ▁reduced ▁to ▁a ▁bar ra cks ▁ship ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁there after ▁being ▁renamed