▁& ▁Fri ends ▁Category : Te let ub b ies ▁Category : Ar thur ▁( TV ▁series ) <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Sachsen ▁class ▁of ▁arm ored ▁fr ig ates ▁was ▁a ▁class ▁of ▁four ▁ships ▁built ▁by ▁the ▁Imperial ▁German ▁Navy ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁to ▁early ▁ 1 8 8 0 s . ▁The ▁ships — , ▁, ▁, ▁and ▁— w ere ▁designed ▁to ▁operate ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁an ▁integrated ▁coast al ▁defense ▁network . ▁The ▁ships ▁were ▁intended ▁to ▁sortie ▁from ▁fort ified ▁bases ▁to ▁break ▁up ▁an ▁enemy ▁block ade ▁or ▁landing ▁attempt . ▁Ar med ▁with ▁six ▁ ▁guns , ▁they ▁were ▁also ▁intended ▁to ▁fight ▁host ile ▁iron cl ads ▁on ▁relatively ▁equal ▁terms . ▁ ▁Following ▁their ▁commission ings ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 – 1 8 8 3 , ▁the ▁four ▁ships ▁served ▁with ▁the ▁fleet ▁on ▁numerous ▁training ▁exer cis es ▁and ▁cru ises ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 9 0 s . ▁They ▁also ▁participated ▁in ▁several ▁cru ises ▁esc ort ing ▁Kaiser ▁Wilhelm ▁II ▁on ▁state ▁vis its ▁to ▁Great ▁Britain ▁and ▁to ▁various ▁cities ▁in ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁Sea ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 8 9 0 s . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁the ▁four ▁ships ▁were ▁extens ively ▁re built ; ▁their ▁secondary ▁batter ies ▁were ▁modern ized ▁and ▁they ▁received ▁upgrad ed