They served throughout the war, with one being lost in 1915, five being scuttled at Scapa Flow in 1919 and one being transferred to Italy, where it remained in use until 1939.

[1][2] The AG Vulcan shipyard in Stettin, (now Szczecin in Poland) proposed to use this machinery to power a class of large destroyers for the Imperial German Navy, which could be built within six months.

The German navy was at first unenthusiastic about Vulcan's proposal, as its torpedo flotillas consisted of smaller torpedo boats, but Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz overcame these objections, and orders for four ships were placed with Vulcan and Blohm & Voss.

[3][a][b] These guns could fire a 9 kg (20 lb) high explosive shell a distance of 11,790 m (12,890 yd) at a rate of 15 rounds per minute.

[5] In common with most modern German destroyers,[6] the B 97 class were re-armed in early 1916 by replacing the 8.8 cm guns with four 10.5 cm SK L/45 naval guns,[7] which could fire a 17.4 kg (38 lb) shell to a distance of 9,460 metres (10,350 yd).

[12] Ships of the class took part in the Battle of Jutland,[13] and in Operation Albion, where the Russian destroyer Grom was sunk.

[14] As a result of the Armistice of 11 November 1918 which ended fighting between the Western Allies and Germany, much of the German High Seas Fleet was ordered in be interned at Scapa Flow in Orkney.

[10] B 98 was carrying out a mail run at the time of the scuttling, and was seized by the British when she arrived at Scapa on 22 June.

Whilst under tow (possibly to Rosyth to be broken up) during poor weather B 98 broke free and was driven ashore at the bay of Lopness, Sanday, Orkney.