The ironclad fleet was intended to serve as a coastal defense force to prevent another blockade of German ports as had been conducted by the Danish Navy during the Second Schleswig War in 1864.

By 1867, the Germans had acquired a pair of small ironclads—Arminius and Prinz Adalbert—and ordered three larger armored frigates—Friedrich Carl, Kronprinz, and König Wilhelm.

To remedy this deficiency, Elbertzhagen incorporated a built-up forecastle and sterncastle, with hinged bulwarks that could be raised while the ship was underway and lowered to employ the guns.

The ships had twelve watertight compartments and a double bottom that ran for 60 percent of the length of the hull.

[2] The German navy regarded the ships as good sea boats, very sensitive to commands from the helm, and with a gentle motion.

The engines were supplied with steam by six coal-fired transverse trunk boilers, which were provided by the Imperial Dockyard in Wilhelmshaven.

[3][5] Since the fore and sterncastles blocked fire directly ahead or astern, the ships were also equipped with two 17 cm (6.7 in) RK L/25 chase guns, one on either end of the vessel.

[5] She joined a squadron sent to the Mediterranean Sea in 1877 in response to unrest in the Ottoman Empire related to the Russo-Turkish War; the violence threatened German citizens living there.

The squadron, under the command of Rear Admiral Carl Ferdinand Batsch, steamed to the ports of Haifa and Jaffa in July 1877, but found no significant tensions ashore.

The three ships were joined by the large armored frigate König Wilhelm, and operated under the command of Rear Admiral Batsch.

Friedrich der Grosse missed the maneuvers after running aground off Nyborg, leaving Batsch just three vessels.

While steaming in the English Channel on 31 May, König Wilhelm accidentally rammed Grosser Kurfürst;[9] the latter quickly sank with the loss of between 269 and 284 men.

[a] Her loss spurred a series of investigations into the circumstances of the collision, which ultimately resulted in the acquittal of both Batsch, the squadron commander, and Count Alexander von Monts, the captain of Grosser Kurfürst.

Political infighting over the affair led to ouster of Rear Admiral Reinhold von Werner from the navy.

[11] Preussen and Friedrich der Grosse remained in the armored squadron for the training cruises starting in 1879 through 1883, when they were put into reserve and replaced by newer vessels, including the four Sachsen-class ironclads.

Although Preussen was withdrawn from active service in 1891, Friedrich der Grosse continued to serve until the end of 1894.