▁they ▁were ▁slow ▁and ▁suffered ▁from ▁poor ▁man eu ver ability . ▁The ▁four ▁ships ▁served ▁rot ations ▁with ▁the ▁fleet ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁two ▁years , ▁though ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 , ▁all ▁four ▁were ▁dem obil ized ▁as ▁the ▁Reserve ▁Division ▁in ▁the ▁Balt ic . ▁As ide ▁from ▁the ▁Sach sens ▁half - s ister ▁, ▁the ▁German ▁Navy ▁took ▁a ▁hi atus ▁on ▁capital ▁ship ▁building ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁when ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁the ▁s ▁were ▁laid ▁down . ▁The ▁poor ▁performance ▁of ▁the ▁sortie ▁cor v ettes , ▁couple d ▁with ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁the ▁Je une ▁É cole , ▁led ▁Leo ▁von ▁Cap riv i ▁to ▁abandon ▁capital ▁ship ▁construction ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁tor ped o ▁boats . ▁ ▁The ▁ships ▁were ▁react iv ated ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁cer emon ial ▁duties ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁including ▁for ▁the ▁dedic ation ▁of ▁the ▁Kaiser ▁Wilhelm ▁Canal ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁and ▁a ▁tour ▁of ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁by ▁the ▁recently ▁crown ed ▁Kaiser ▁Wilhelm ▁II ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁all ▁four ▁ships ▁returned ▁to ▁active ▁service ▁with ▁the ▁fleet , ▁serving ▁in ▁I ▁Division ▁until ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁de cade , ▁when ▁the ▁new ▁s ▁began ▁entering ▁service . ▁The ▁four ▁Sach sens ▁were ▁then ▁disp la ced ▁to ▁II ▁Division . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁