ɪn wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ ˈaɪ, nˌɪɪtˈɑːkə pɑːɹtˈɪsᵻpˌeɪɾᵻd ɪnðə bˈæɾəl ʌv tsˈɪŋtaʊ, ænd wʌz lˈeɪɾɚɹ ɐsˈaɪnd tə ðə dʒˌæpənˈiːz θˈɜːd flˈiːt bˈeɪst æt sˈɪŋɡɐpˌoːɹ, tə pɹətˈɛkt bɹˈɪɾɪʃ ʃˈɪpɪŋ ɚɹˈaʊnd ɔːstɹˈeɪliə ænd nˈuː zˈiːlənd fɹʌm dʒˈɜːmən kˈɑːmɜːs ɹˈeɪdɚz, æz pˈɑːɹt ʌv dʒəpˈænz kˌɑːntɹɪbjˈuːʃən tə ðɪ ˈælaɪd wˈɔːɹ ˈɛfɚt ˌʌndɚ ðɪ ˈæŋɡloʊdʒˌæpənˈiːz ɐlˈaɪəns.
In World War I, Niitaka participated in the Battle of Tsingtao, and was later assigned to the Japanese 3rd Fleet based at Singapore, to protect British shipping around Australia and New Zealand from German commerce raiders, as part of Japan's contribution to the Allied war effort under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance.