▁ ▁sc rew ▁fr ig ates ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 . ▁The ▁n avy ▁decided ▁that ▁smaller ▁sc rew ▁cor v ettes ▁would ▁also ▁be ▁useful , ▁and ▁so ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁de cade ▁began ▁to ▁prepare ▁designs ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁type ▁of ▁ship . ▁The ▁n avy ▁en vision ed ▁using ▁the ▁ships ▁for ▁traditional ▁cru iser ▁duties , ▁including ▁sc out ing ▁for ▁the ▁fleet , ▁showing ▁the ▁flag , ▁protect ing ▁Pr uss ian ▁merchant ▁vessels , ▁and ▁attack ing ▁enemy ▁sh ipping . ▁Since ▁these ▁activities ▁would ▁require ▁extended ▁periods ▁at ▁sea , ▁the ▁ships ' ▁h ull s ▁were ▁co pper ed ▁to ▁protect ▁them ▁from ▁bio f ou ling , ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁fitted ▁with ▁a ▁full ▁ship ▁rig ▁to ▁supp lement ▁their ▁steam ▁engines . ▁The ▁two ▁N ym phe - class ▁cor v ettes ▁were ▁ordered ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁rising ▁t ensions ▁with ▁Den mark ▁over ▁the ▁Schles wig - Hol stein ▁Question ; ▁the ▁Pr uss ian ▁Navy ▁sought ▁to ▁strength en ▁its ▁fleet ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁a ▁conflict ▁with ▁the ▁stronger ▁Royal ▁Dan ish ▁Navy . ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁order ▁for ▁the ▁vessels ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁conflict ▁in ▁the ▁Pr uss ian ▁government ▁over ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁kingdom ' s ▁military ▁exp end it ures ; ▁the ▁liber als ▁who ▁controlled ▁the ▁Land tag ▁( State ▁Diet ) ▁object ed ▁to ▁the ▁army ▁and ▁n avy ▁modern ization ▁programs ▁of ▁Al bre