The Czechoslovak Legion in the Russian Far East possessed in 1918 a maritime section of two steamers and an icebreaker, based at Vladivostok, which were used for transport.

Engaging with the Red Army based on the port of Mysovaya, Legion naval forces sank the icebreaker Baikal.

The larger ships were deployed on the Danube, the Elbe section being more suited to transport, reconnaissance, and engineering support roles rather than combat.

The old Austrian craft being considered obsolescent by the late 1920s, plans were made to build two new large river monitors.

The gunboats MD-1 and MD-2, originally ordered for Austria-Hungary as torpedo retrievers, were equipped with 2 single mount Škoda 75-millimetre (3.0 in) cannon, two machine guns, and mines.

By this time it was clear that the main issue facing naval forces on the Czechoslovak Danube was not defense against external aggression, but preventing citizens from fleeing to Austria.